How to choose your IT recruitment agency?

Your company is continuously growing, and you are not managing to deliver qualified candidates for each new position that pops up. You realize that you will probably need help from a recruitment partner in order to successfully deliver an IT role since you don’t have time, or you don’t have resources and tools. Are there any rules that recruitment agencies need to follow so that you are 100% sure that your recruitment needs will be successfully fulfilled? The answer is yes! Once you decide to dive into the world of IT recruitment agencies and start searching for the right one, these are the things you should always take into consideration before concluding the deal.

How does it actually work?

Don’t be surprised if you notice that many agencies charge only the success fee once you decide to seal the deal. Although you are not asked to pay any money upfront in that case, your investment is not insignificant. Delegating part of your hiring process to someone else is not a small leap of faith, especially in the IT industry where you need to have a professional that knows how to find and attract the right talent for you. To make sure that you are working with the right partner you should pay attention to the following things.

Interviewing Recruitment agencies

When you are interviewing recruitment agencies, pay attention to how diligently they are gathering information about your recruitment needs and company culture. The more details they go into and the more qualified questions they ask, the better candidates they will send back. The second thing you need to check is how flexible their process is and whether they can align with your needs. Also, always ask about their experience with the type of talent you are searching for. Each recruitment agency will approach the first meeting with the goal to become your long-lasting partner that you will always come back to when you need help. So feel free to share your company’s culture, your vision as well as the company’s processes of decision making. Make sure that they truly understand the core values of your company, it will benefit both them and you.

Your recruitment partner is part of your Employer Branding

Since the first impression is always crucial, your recruitment partner needs to know how to leave the best one. They are making the first contact with your potential talent so they are definitely a part of your employer branding strategy. Speaking clearly about your expectations with your recruitment partner is essential for your employer branding as well. Your recruiter needs to understand the core of your needs so they can make a professional approach and attract the right talent for your company. Make sure that the process both from your and their side is very transparent.

Do not ask for more, ask for better

You don’t need 10 candidate profiles. You need a maximum of 5 “bulls-eye” candidates. Always ask your recruitment partner how many candidates you can expect and what is the delivery timeline. Be clear when it comes to your deadlines and expectations to avoid any possible misunderstandings during the recruitment process.  Every specialized IT agency will give you at least a rough estimation of when they will send the first candidate.

 An Account manager is a must

Your recruitment partner should always provide a key person to you, who you can update with changes in your hiring needs, and who can give you an insight into where the agency is in the process, how many candidates they have interviewed, etc. Also, make sure that you update your Account manager timely and keep him in the loop about your side of the process. This is the person responsible for building a trusting relationship between you and the partner you have chosen.

The best approach for a candidate guarantee

All recruitment agencies will offer you a guarantee if things don’t work out. Some will offer to replace the candidate while others will offer to give your part of the remuneration back. A scenario where you receive a part of the remuneration back, as well as a discount on the next hire, is one of the best ways to deal with a guarantee. If both options are included, you will know that you came across a professional agency whose interests truly match your needs.

If you have any additional tips or problems you encountered with recruitment agencies, we would like to read it in the comments and discuss it with you further.