Agency recruiters need to improve their understanding of HR’s role if they are to build long-term and profitable relationships with clients, a conference has heard.

During a panel session at global recruiter Antal International’s Global Conference, HR professionals talked about the sometimes strained relationship between agency recruiters and HR.

Jill Hearst, senior vice president HR EMEA at international information analysis and management company Verint, told the audience: “Most recruiters that contact us want to put their candidate forward, they want us to work to their process and their goals, and there isn’t very much understanding of the kind of pressure we are under.”

However, she asked recruiters to take on board that HR’s role was not just to fill immediate vacancies. “I am accountable for resourcing the business strategy both today and in the future.” She added that she was also responsible for the performance of all hires, their cost, as well as the talent pipeline.

“A good recruiter is somebody who works as part of my team — that means they understand  the goals that I have and its accountabilities.” 

Hearst accepted that for an agency to align itself with a client’s long-term goals wouldn’t necessarily yield it short-term results, but she added “it may give you quite a few hires in a year’s time”.

Chairing the discussion, Jill Littlejohn, an experienced talent management professional, now a consultant at Antal International, said that one common source of friction was that recruiters believed that HR slowed down the hiring process. 

Narinder Kaur, interim HR director at JPS Accountants, said she had come across this on many occasions. However, she told the audience: “I share your frustration.” She explained that international companies were required to work to global recruitment practices, which often included a second signature, and this could delay the hiring process. She added that another source of delay leading to frustration was when a role changed mid way through the process. 

However, she warned that recruiters who got cross with HR and said look ‘I delivered you 16 fantastic candidates, why don’t you hire one?’ were in danger of alienating HR, and “cutting off a huge source of business”. As she reminded the audience “we are the gatekeepers to the business”.

Hearst told the audience: “I am employing you because it is a challenging role… So rather than being exasperated with us, come to see our failings as your business success.”

The panel suggested a number of ways that recruiters could stand out from their competitors:

• Provide market data, such as information about the competition and the industry

• Keep great candidates warm 

• Behave as if they are part of the resourcing team

• Map candidate performance to job description

• Don’t be surprised by changes in the market but expect and understand them