Neil Wilson
Managing director of Badenoch & Clark
The recruitment industry suffers from a reputation issue. Many have tried to address it, few have done so with the kind of commitment needed. That has to change, and quickly

The industry is in danger of becoming comfortable with its ‘estate-agent-esque’ reputation. If that happens, recruiters will forever be consigned to a life of chasing targets.

We engaged a research agency to survey more than 300 people — half through focus groups and the rest through one-to-one interviews. These included employers, candidates and recruiters. We started with a simple premise: to understand how the industry is perceived.

The project confirmed the extent of the reputation issue. But it went further — it gave us a clear steer on how to overcome it.

Finding 1: Did not listen
One of the strongest messages from candidates and employers was they don’t feel listened to.

The result is an industry characterised by onedimensional delivery models that don’t take the needs of the client into account. Recruiters must
listen and use what they hear to shape services with flexibility. Speaking with clients, understanding their needs and tailoring the service will bring recruiters and employers closer together, thus finding the best people for individual roles.

On a practical level, that means creating agencies that have more than one way of skinning a cat. The modern agency needs to have a number of different approaches and delivery models at its disposal, to be used depending on the industry, company and role in question.

For this to work, clients need to be speaking to us. A dialogue is needed so that recruiters know when their delivery model is inappropriate. Whether that is at the day-to-day consultant level or at a higher managerial level, the service needs to be discussed frankly and with confidence that it can lead to genuine change.

If the industry is to achieve a more long-term footing, there needs to be a greater focus on quality over quantity. Poor standards can no longer be swept under the carpet

Finding 2: Must improve standards
The day-to-day standards and approach of consultants came up time and again during the research. There was some positive feedback, but the general picture was of pushy, aggressive, untrustworthy consultants working in isolation.

The solution to this is obvious: setting, communicating, monitoring and managing high day-to-day standards. The onus here isn’t just on the general workforce — agencies need to attack the mission all the way up the chain. Senior management needs to clearly define what is expected. Middle managers need to communicate those standards properly and keep track of how well they’re being lived up to. If standards fall short, decisive action needs to be taken.

It’s an issue that has been neglected for too long. If the industry is to achieve a more long-term footing, there needs to be a greater focus on quality over quantity. Poor standards can no longer be swept under the carpet if targets are being met.

Finding 3: Not enough differentiation
Candidates and employers overwhelmingly said that there was little differentiation among recruiters, with most providing the same, commoditised service. Few people have any reason to build deep rooted relationships with recruiters.

Employers want to know where your specific expertise and capabilities lie, where you can add real value to their business and how you can help them achieve their goals. How can you help them attract the best talent? How can you ensure a consistent, quality service?

Despite the market perception, no two agencies are identical, each with their own strengths and focus. Communicating those strengths requires strong marketing capabilities. Smart investment in marketing should be a key feature of a modern consultancy. It’s not enough to shout about all the opportunities and candidates you can offer — smart marketing is about communicating your individual voice and bringing out real colour and depth in the industry.

If this kind of differentiation isn’t done well enough, the industry will turn into a simple price war, especially with the proliferation of online job-boards.

Finding 4: Build supplier/client relationships
Perhaps the most worrying message from our research was that recruitment still operates under a supplier/customer relationship. Many employers find it easier to source a candidate online without engaging a consultancy. That’s because consultancies aren’t doing enough to showcase the benefits of a more partnered approach.

That has to change. If not, recruiters will stay at the bottom of the business chain, providing a commoditised service and suffering from a boom and bust culture. The onus here is on the recruiters rather than employers. We can’t expect employers to want to change the nature of therelationship unless we prove ourselves worthy of it.

The answer is to better apply the knowledge and expertise within recruitment. As an industry, we have some of the UK’s keenest business brains, with a unique perspective on how talent can be used to fuel business success. Packaging that knowledge and communicating it with clients will help the industry take a more integrated role at the right hand of the business decision maker.

powerpoints
A changed industry: what a modern recruiter should look like.

Delivery models — tailored to meet the needs of specific industries, clients and roles. A one-size-fits-all approach
doesn’t belong in a modern
recruitment agency

Company-wide commitment to standards — this should be led from the top, implemented and enforced by middle managers, and put into
practice by consultants. The modern recruiter will prioritise quality of service over volume based targets

A strong voice— the modern consultancy won’t blend into the background. It will have a well thought out and distinctive perspective on the industry, communicated through smart marketing

True partners — the best consultancies will be able to prove their worth to employers and candidates through sharing industry knowledge. True value will be added through the relationship, taking it from a supplier/client base to a
partnered approach

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