A Recruitment Consultant is not simply an agent, or a person in the middle who co-ordinates things. While this is part of your role, the bit to focus on is that you are a Consultant – clients will use you and pay for your services because you are acting in a consultative capacity to them.
You have access to information that your clients need, including:
- Market rates for salaries;
- Which jobs are most in demand;
- What the competition is doing to attract and retain staff;
- What it will take for them to secure the candidate they want;
- How they can improve their interview techniques;
- What candidates think of their staff and offices.
When it comes to what candidates are earning in your industry, and what clients are willing to pay, you are the expert in this field – not your client. You may not feel like an expert at this stage, but the more you get to know your market sector the more your knowledge in this area will grow.
The most important thing is to trust your intuition and not be afraid to disagree with your client. This is not to say that you should be argumentative, but as a Consultant you will sometimes need to explain to your client that they have made a mistake. This should always be done diplomatically, sensitively, and backed up by facts. This can be a great tool for building a trusting relationship with your client too. The balance of power in your relationship is even – you are a Consultant to your client on an equal footing.
Common opportunities for consulting with your clients:
Client doesn’t recognise a great candidate
You have sent a CV across, knowing this person is a great match for the company and their vacancies. Your client rejects the applicant, and you don’t understand why.
- A poor Consultant would thank the client for the feedback, and the situation would be unresolved, with the Consultant wondering why the client wasn’t interested.
- An average Consultant would ask the client for feedback, and accept it at face value, or go away privately disagreeing with it.
- A good Consultant would ask for feedback and, assuming they disagree with the client, take on board the client’s concerns but then try to turn them around. For example:
Client: “It looks as if he has moved jobs too many times.”
Consultant: “Yes, it does look like that from his CV. However, up until 2009 he was working as a contractor on short duration projects. He is now keen to work on a permanent basis, as he wants to develop his career in the long term with one company.”
or...
Client: “It doesn’t look from his CV that he has experience in XYZ.”
Consultant: “Yes, his CV doesn't cover that. If you leave it with me I will ask him for a more detailed version, as he has told me that he had extensive experience in XYZ during his time at ABC. I’ll get some more information on that across to you.”
Client wants to pay an unrealistic salary
You are taking a vacancy and the client quotes a salary that seems low to you, or you are in salary negotiations for an offer and your client wants to offer a salary that you know will be unacceptable to your candidate.
A poor to average Consultant will accept the amount quoted, offer it to the candidate, and then when the offer is refused, or no one is interested in the job, shrug and blame the client for offering such a low amount.
A good Consultant will try to educate the client about the market rate, and make it clear to the client that the salary is going to be offputting for most candidates. E.g.,
Client: “I’d like someone with 10 years experience, and we’ll pay around $60k.”
Consultant: “I have to advise you that $60k is well below the market rate for someone at that level. Were you aware of this? If you are looking at that sort of salary level then that would usually be for people with around 5 years experience. Would you consider people at that level? My concern is that someone with 10 years experience would in all likelihood be on a salary of $100k+ and will therefore not be likely to move for such a big salary drop.
or...
Client: “We’d like to offer to Jane Smith. The offer is $50k + super.”
Consultant: “Jane is very keen on your company and the role that you discussed at interview. However, $50k is a lot lower than the figure she was aiming for. In our initial discussions I think we talked about $60k – what’s changed? I’m happy to put the $50k to her, but I think there is a strong chance that she may not proceed on that basis. Is there any flexibility with that figure? Will she be eligible for a salary review in the near future?”
Client is taking too long
You have a great candidate, but your client is taking too long with interview feedback or an offer, and you are concerned they are going to miss out on this candidate.
A poor to average Consultant would chase up the client every now and again, without putting too much pressure on the client or challenging their time frames.
A good Consultant would make the client aware of any other interviews or offers the candidate has, ask questions about why the process is taking so long, and ask for deadlines. E.g.,
Client: “We’re making an offer, but the manager who needs to sign off on it is out this week, so we’ll be in touch when he’s back.”
Consultant: “That’s great. Do you have the details of the offer so that I can put them to the candidate verbally? Which day will the manager be back? Is there anyone else who can sign off? I’m keen to get things moving quickly as he has 2 other offers, and I’m worried we’ll lose him if we take too long.”
or...
Client: “We interviewed John and liked him. There are a few people we need to speak to, so I’ll have to come back to you later.”
Consultant: “That’s good – he’s keen too. What’s the next step? Would it be a second interview, or will the decision be made on the basis of that one? When do you think you will have a decision? He has another interview tomorrow, so I’d like to be able to give him some definites.”
To sum up
Your client has engaged your services as they want your help in order to hire more staff. You are not helping anyone if you simply put CV's across, or arrange interviews, without taking the time to make sure you understand what it is your client really wants and, where necessary, advising your client about what changes they need to make in order to secure those people.Strive to understand, and strive to help your clients understand, and you are taking the first steps necessary in becoming a valuable asset to your client's business.
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