Setting your sights on getting the best

In harsh business climes, not only is it important to attract the best talent to your company, but it is equally essential to keep the best consultants at your firm to generate profits and new business when it counts the most. Steve Hemsley investigates

As many recruiters hold fire on hiring, those still searching for talent want individuals with proven business development skills. New business is the name of the game in an economic downturn. It means fewer opportunities for pure account managers, and anyone joining the executive management team is expected to bill to help generate revenue.

“Some clients are still hiring but they are only considering people with pro-active sales experience,” says Nicky Coffin, operations manager at rec-to-rec business JPA. “People have to contribute as soon as they join. Ultimately clients want business winners because there is less time to get people up and running.”

Ruth Morgan: Adding value to a client's bottom line

Ruth Morgan: Adding value to a client’s bottom line

Ruth Moran, managing director of rec-torec consultancy Ruth Moran, with offices in Leeds and Manchester, says the professional and personal abilities of every applicant are coming under increased scrutiny. “If a good consultant approaches us we will consider whether they can add value to a client’s bottom line before we take them on,” she says. “This might be specialist market knowledge which will help a recruiter to diversify.”

Moran adds that even people with skills in generating new business are not getting an easy ride at this time. “If someone has been made redundant you have to ask why. Was it purely about cost cutting or was it a lack of ability? Also, will they fit into your client’s company culture?”
A recruiter needs to be sure the best people are being appointed to help it through the recession. This is why employment assessment tools such as skills and psychometric testing as well as background checking can be invaluable.

As candidates struggle to stand out from the crowd it can be tempting to exaggerate sales or recruitment industry experience. This means everyone should be screened and hard evidence gathered to ensure a person is as good as they claim to be. This might mean reviewing previous pay slips to check someone’s billing record.

Thorough checks should also be carried out with a person’s former HR department rather than simply relying on the names of given referees.

As well as checking that the dates of previous employment and a person’s qualifications are accurate, it is also advisable to run a credit check. In an economic slump a person’s financial position can deteriorate quickly and have a negative effect on their performance at work.

Chris Hawkins: Carry out criminal record checks

Chris Hawkins: Carry out criminal record checks

Chris Hawkins, assistant vice president of operations at background checking company BackCheck, says recruiters should scrutinise every single person they are considering hiring.

“We are being asked to carry out criminal record checks and to verify a person’s employment history going back five years because in a sales-based environment people can often claim they have achieved things they haven’t,” he says.

Another provider of CV verification and background screening services is Verifile. Its managing director, Eyal Ben Cohen, says in a recession recruiters should not be afraid to monitor current staff too.

“In times like these more employees can get into financial difficulties and there is a higher risk they will misuse their company rights and access,” he says. “When you know an employee has a problem you can offer them support before an issue escalates and pushes them into doing something they should not.”

The monitoring of existing employees is also recommended by background screening company Control Risks Screening. Its EverScreen tool enables recruiters to devise an on-going programme.

Eyal Ben Cohen: Support before an issue escalates

Eyal Ben Cohen: Support before an issue escalates

Managing director Jonny Cray says the risks to a recruiter increase when a staff member’s personal circumstances change or their income suddenly drops, particularly in a target-driven workplace.

“A consultant might start with a clean background but relying purely on preemployment screening can give a false sense of security,” he says. People can resort to increasingly risky means to maintain their income, such as exaggerating their earnings performance.”

Cray suggests that recruiters carry out monitoring randomly or periodically, but certainly when someone’s role changes or they are given a promotion. Although he adds that this whole area must be handled sensitively.

Indeed, testing staff in any capacity can have negative as well as positive implications on a recruitment business. In a downturn recruiters want to hold on to their best staff, and good consultants need to be inspired and remain upbeat rather than feeling that they are being monitored too closely.

Thomas International provides recruiters with assessment tools to help them to recruit the best people, and retain and develop them once they are on the payroll.

Chairman Martin Reed says recruiters can use psychometric and aptitude testing as well as job profiling to ensure staff remain motivated. He points out that testing can also be used to identify who in a team has the ability to learn new skills. This can be a crucial piece of knowledge when staff numbers need to be cut and employees will be expected to take on extra responsibilities. Testing can also identify whether internal
teams could be more efficient. It will identify how compatible people are when it comes to working together. For example, is there a power struggle going on between a consultant and their line manager which could be having a damaging effect on the business?

“Recruiters must think about the people they have and what they need because it is the skilled employees who will get the business through the recession,” says Reed. “Some clients have to cut staff for strategic reasons so our tools can ensure the people who are left are the ones who can be re-skilled quickly. Testing assesses the mental horsepower of a person to see who can really multi-skill during difficult times.”

Recruiters are not only using testing for their own hiring needs. Laurie Dobson, managing director at skills testing business ISV Group, says consultancies are also responding to increased demand from their own clients to find the right candidates.

“We have taken on seven new recruiter clients in the last few months,” he says. “Being able to test for particular abilities and experience rather than just interviewing people is becoming much more important.”

The ISV Group will even help candidates to upskill if they lack certain abilities. Dobson says many recruiters are using testing as a formative learning method and allowing people to take a test several times so that by the time they pass they can do a particular job. This method has worked when testing for keyboard skills, for example.

Recession or no recession there is still a demand for high-quality recruiting industry talent, and the savvy recruiters continue to advertise, network and headhunt to attract the best people.

The Recruit Business in Tunbridge Wells is embarking on a new marketing campaign, including devising a new logo, to try and tempt skilled consultants to its Kent offices. Managing director Adrian McCurry says this is not always easy. “It has been hard to attract good people locally, so when we do find individuals with the right skills we work hard to keep them,” he says. “Technology allows people to work remotely and we are probably rare among small recruiters in having a fulltime IT manager.”

McCurry believes that allowing good staff more autonomy and personal responsibility is the way to keep them motivated so they remain with the company. This policy of employee empowerment includes letting people work from home whenever they want to and flexi-time working.

It is a reality that in this market some of the most talented consultants and managers are reluctant to change jobs and are waiting to see in which direction the industry moves. To have any chance of tempting skilled people away from their current employers the job description must really ‘sell’ the position. This means recruiters should consider how they can improve their recruitment advertising. However, there are those who warn recruiters against employing consultants purely on their ability to bring in new business.

Aisling Tighe, managing director of rec-torec company Perriam & Everett, says the most important factor when recruiting today should still be culture fit.

“When the market does return it will come back quickly and you need consultants who share the same values and approach and can work as an effective team,” says Tighe. “This is the time to build loyalty among your current staff so you can hold on to the best people when things do pick up. Spend time honing their skills and provide them with training where there are skill gaps.”

The overwhelming focus on generating new business means the number of entry level positions within the industry is shrinking by the day. Companies are reluctant to invest in trainees because it is unclear how long these inexperienced consultants will survive if the economy continues to deteriorate.

Vic Chuntz: Need for people to go back to basics

Vic Chuntz: Need for people to go back to basics

“This is a time for experience at all levels, from management down,” says Vic Chuntz, chief executive at rec-to-rec consultancy Aston Taylor. “There is a need for people who can go back to basics and cold call. Ultimately there is no substitute for getting on the phone and calling people. You can no longer rely purely on email.”

One of Aston Taylor’s pro-active solutions to the current industry conditions has been to launch a managed agency service for recruiters. Eight clients have so far signed up for the service.

“There has been an interesting reaction from the industry because this has not something that has been offered by a rec-torec company before,” says Chuntz. “We have to prove to clients that they can get everything they need from us and save money by using one supplier. This means being scrupulous, honest and transparent.”

One of its managed agency clients is Prestige Nursing, which is part-way through a six-month trial period using the service. HR and quality manager, Mary Pond, says it made business sense to sign up.

“We have always had a good relationship with Aston Taylor and have used their candidates many times,” she says. “I am in a standalone HR role so this service saves me a lot of time which means I can concentrate on other areas of HR.”

When business is difficult it is essential potential and existing employees can contribute what they claim and have the skills recruiters need. In these dark days it is more important than ever to have the best team in place.

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