SRM Recruitment Select AdaptUX to Support Bespoke Recruitment Services and Rapid Growth

SRM Recruitment LogoSRM Recruitment, specialist Finance and Tax recruitment consultancy providing Permanent, Contract and Interim solutions has selected Bond International Software, the global provider of staffing and recruitment software, to provide AdaptUX OnDemand recruitment-specific CRM via high-speed cloud service.

London-based, with a second office in the Southern Home Counties, SRM Recruitment was founded in early 2016 by Andrew Setchell, Stewart Robertson and Rory MacSween. The SRM Recruitment team have a wealth of experience recruiting for some of the largest businesses in the UK and provide services to clients and candidates nationwide. Irrespective of the size or scope of an opportunity, SRM Recruitment make sure they understand the unique aspects of every candidate search, then build a bespoke plan for successful engagement and utilise their network of deep-rooted relationships to find and place the right person.

Keen to find the right recruitment-specific CRM software to deliver the scalability, remote access and LinkedIn integration they were looking for, the SRM Recruitment team initially shortlisted AdaptUX for review following industry recommendations. Comparing AdaptUX with the latest software offered by a number of leading providers, the agency selected the system on the strength of the scalability, high-speed SaaS (Software as a Service), iPhone app and LinkedIn integration it delivers. Key features of their deployment include:

  • Cloud/SaaS (Software as a Service) – Bond OnDemand enables users to log-in and use AdaptUX wherever they have internet access
  • Adapt Studio – enabling users to choose from built-in recruitment dashboards or design their own based upon their preferred working methods
  • Contract Workflows – comparing the Contract workflows provided by a number of recruitment software systems, SRM Recruitment favoured the efficient processes delivered by AdaptUX in this important area
  • LinkedIn Integration – delivering users the information and advantages LinkedIn and AdaptUX provide, without having to switch between the systems
  • Adapt Outlook Add-in – enabling users to access client and candidate records and run recruitment workflows in AdaptUX direct from emails received in Microsoft Outlook
  • Adapt InTouch mobile app – allowing consultants to access AdaptUX via their smartphones and effectively recruit on the move

Andrew Setchell, Owner/Director, SRM Recruitment, comments, “We have the experience, drive and determination to go beyond client and candidate expectation and, from the outset, we needed a CRM delivering cutting edge, mobile technology to support us and build-in best practice mirroring our values. When we saw how user-friendly and powerful AdaptUX really is, we knew we’d found the right system. We fully expect AdaptUX to help us streamline our work, take the pain out of admin and enable us to deliver the best solutions to our clients. We set a goal of doubling our team within year one and we’re now on track to do just that.”

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments, “We believe it’s imperative for new start-up agencies to select powerful, truly scalable recruitment CRM software to enable their businesses to succeed and grow from day one. We’re delighted SRM Recruitment have selected AdaptUX and we look forward to providing the SaaS, mobile and social media integration technology to help them reach and exceed their goals.”

A Different Approach – Creating AdaptUX

Creating AdaptUXDid you know that AdaptUX was created using the Agile software development methodology? In his latest blog, Rob Hayesmore, Head of Product Development, AdaptUX, reveals how the change in approach bore exciting results for both developers and users of AdaptUX alike…

An Agile process

We fully embraced the ‘Agile’ development methodology known as ‘Scrum’ and applied it to both the engine (the central ‘core’ of the program) and configuration (tracking and controlling program changes) areas of our software.  All aspects of our newly-released recruitment-specific CRM, AdaptUX, were created this way – alongside the majority of its supporting software such as the Adapt Outlook Add-in (AOA) and the Adapt Desktop Agent (ADA).

Scrum is a huge change in approach from the traditional ‘Waterfall’ process.  With Waterfall, you design, develop, test, fix, final regression test, then release; so the development phase is quite long, around six months typically. It’s also risky because you may find a number of things to fix when you eventually start testing. 

An important part of the Scrum methodology is working in short, two-week cycles called ‘Sprints’, which continuously test alongside the development as features are completed. We also added Continuous Integration (CI) to the process, meaning we run automated tests overnight which test much more of the software than would be possible via manual testing during the same length of time; helping to ensure consistent functionality and improving quality.  

Sprint to the feedback

At the end of each two-week Sprint, we demonstrate new software features to our stakeholders and request feedback; ‘non-techies’ would see them and their comments would direct ongoing development.  Working with regular feedback in this way, new features such as the expandable and collapsible menu view, Calendar and Tasks within AdaptUX often became even better than originally envisaged.  

It’s all about seeing something in reality, not just a concept.  Why show concepts on whiteboards when you can deliver something everyone can actually ‘click’ and see working?

Testing for success

With Scrum, you test as you go in many small iterations. We do two types of testing, Unit Testing and testing within our CI (Continuous Integration) environment.  Unit Testing is at the code level and involves testing individual pieces that have changed. CI Testing tests those pieces working as part of the complete system.  In order to do this, we create and deploy a version of the software, then we manually build the test scripts telling the system what to test and what success and failure is.  The tests automatically run overnight and a report is generated for us to action the next day.

Running both types of test is like building a boat, testing it in a pool, then testing it out on the open sea.  We build part of the hull, improve the design and test that in isolation, then, via our CI environment, we add the superstructure and drop the boat in the water.  Hopefully, the hull still works with everything else around it and it’s seaworthy, or maybe it will be top heavy, capsize or sink – if that’s the case, we know what to fix.  If you don’t test the pieces that way, you might look at your new hull in isolation and think it’s beautiful, it works, it’s stable and doesn’t leak – but in reality, until you put everything together you don’t know for sure.  That’s why testing within the CI environment is so important.      

By working in an Agile way, not only are we more responsive and able to change direction every two weeks, we can also build much higher quality, solid and dependable software.

The methodology works

We believe the success of AdaptUX 1.0 proves the Agile/Scrum methodology works. 

We changed our methodology, developed AdaptUX in a very different way and delivered higher quality software to our clients.

Job Board Posting Top Tips – Part Two

jobboardpostingimage3Getting your job board(s) to perform is a constant challenge, in part two of this blog series we summarise how you can be sure you’re getting the best results from your job board(s). 

Missed the first instalment? Catch up with our Top Tips for Job Board Posting – Part 1

Making job boards efficient is key, and should be straightforward as most job boards do 50% of the process for you. I.e. advertising the position you’re recruiting for, attracting the necessary talent and then transferring them to you. Therefore, the skill in optimising performance comes in actually creating the job post description itself.

Normally, you would have painstakingly created job specification templates and distributed them manually across the job boards you’re using. However, instead you can automate this process by using sophisticated recruitment orientated software such as Broadbean, which enables automatic job-posting and distribution across multiple job-boards simultaneously, saving you time and energy which you can allocate elsewhere.

Steve Barnhurst, Sales Director, Broadbean comments:

“The time spent advertising jobs can add up very quickly especially when you consider how many adverts are placed each week and then multiply that across the number of recruiters you have within your business. Not only does Broadbean drive real efficiency across an organisation it also allows recruiters to focus on their core job of recruiting, giving back potentially hours that can be spent on interviewing more candidates, meeting more clients and ultimately making more placements which is what they are there to do. I doubt any Owner or MD wants their best recruiters bogged down in admin when they could be using their time to generate more revenue.”

 “Looking at it from a different angle though, agencies spend considerable amounts of money on advertising so it is vital that they understand which channels, paid for or Social, deliver the best results – not the most candidates, which is very different. Gathering this information is almost impossible when done manually and the accuracy of the data will always be questionable so it’s only by using a tool such as Broadbean that can you identify where you should be investing your advertising budget as well as highlighting key times to post in order to optimise your response rates.”

 “A wealth of additional data can be provided from the Broadbean reports but the data alone is worthless, it is how you use it that is important!”

Furthermore, if you’re operating on multiple job boards, it can be difficult to continuously track quality applications being delivered by different boards or channels. But by using software for support, you can get a holistic view of your recruitment process for analytical purposes, enabling you to optimise and streamline your recruitment campaigns.

Therefore, in order to get the best results from your job board, you need to combine the channel you’re using with in-depth analytics and process automation. By doing this, you can maximise these elements of your recruitment campaign:

  • Reach, return, exposure – By implementing software that enhances and streamlines your recruitment process, you can significantly increase your reach and return through automated processes. Instead of operating manually on one job-board and receiving a small amount of candidates, you can design your job templates and have the software deploy them across multiple job boards, thereby increasing your reach, return and exposure.
  • Visibility and Analysis – In-depth analytics and software gives you a complete overview of your recruitment process as well as a pool of the candidates that you’re amassing. Answering fundamental questions such as: How many candidates are they driving? How many of those candidates have become successful hires? How many views are your job posts getting? Being able to visualise all these elements in conjunction with the candidates you’re receiving will greatly improve your decision making and recruitment process streamlining.
  • Candidate identification / Candidate pool – Having analytics software in place will provide you with an archive, where all the CVs you’ve received are compiled and stored. The advantage of this is that in the event you reconsider, or require another quality candidate, you can establish a talent pool of outstanding candidates you can pull from.

Your job board posting and recruitment processes need to take into consideration all elements mentioned in this two-part blog series. If you want to increase the ROI of your job boards, you need to include some form of process automation and clearly identify the job boards you want to utilise to attain the best quality candidates, which in turn, will shorten your recruitment process drastically.

You CAN Make Recruitment Agency Marketing Videos In-house – Part Three

Marketing Video Blog ThreeIn the final instalment of a series of blogs looking at how to produce high-quality recruitment agency marketing videos in-house, Shane Wheeler, Marketing Communications Executive, Adapt focuses on selecting video editing software, editing the video, adding graphics and music then sharing the final video online…

The End: Post-Production and Sharing

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end.  In this ‘end’ blog about telling your story, I share my advice for editing your video and sharing it online.

Miss parts one and two?  Find out how to select your video recording kit here and set-up the kit and conduct great interviews with company spokespeople here.

Importing the video and audio files

At this point, your video shoot has hopefully gone very smoothly and you have the footage ‘in the can’ – meaning it’s safely saved on the SD (Secure Digital) or MicroSD cards slotted into your camera and sound recorder.  Now it’s time to transfer the footage you have recorded onto the hard drive of the computer you’ll be using to manage and edit it… 

You will most-likely have three main options when it comes to transferring the video and sound files to your computer.  You can use the USB cable supplied with the camera or sound recorder, just the SD card itself, or the SD card with a USB adaptor.

If using a supplied USB cable, just connect the camera or sound recorder to your computer via the cable, wait a few seconds for Windows Explorer to recognise it and ask ‘Open folder to view files?’ then click on this option.  Create a new folder on your desktop and merrily drag and drop your files into the new folder.  Be prepared to wait a few minutes for larger files to transfer. 

Even easier is plugging the SD card directly into your computer.  If your computer has the right slot built-in, this is a joy.  If not, you can use an SD to USB adaptor; a handy little device with an SD card input slot and a USB output plug.  Either way, you can transfer your files as above but without faffing with a cable. 

Cameras and sound recorders tend to name their recorded files in a way they find easy to understand, often coming-up with lengthy numerical file names which are tricky to identify.  My advice is to re-number the files ‘01’, ‘02’, ‘03’ and so on as soon as possible.

It’s also a very good idea to back-up your files on a second (external) hard drive, just in case.

Logging the footage

Now your video and sound files are in folders on your desktop, it’s great to watch everything and get a feel for what you have (and check the files have transferred properly in the process).

Once you’ve watched your footage, the first thing to do is log it.  To log your footage, play the files with a media player (such as Windows Media Player or VLC Media Player) which displays a time counter during playback.  I like to have a small window on the left of my screen playing the video and a Word document open on the right.  That way, I can easily start and stop the video and type-up the log.

Carefully log the footage within each video file by noting the timecode (the time on the counter) as each piece of new content begins (especially if you would like to use it in the edit).  Also, it’s a great idea to transcribe interviews in full – this does take time, but it’s worth it because you’ll be able to go through the transcript and highlight every important soundbite (and potentially use the written content elsewhere, such as on your website or social media feed).

If you log and timecode all the clips and relevant material within them now, you’ll save a great deal of time later by zeroing-in on the ‘gold’ (the material to use) and avoiding the, as I like to call it, ‘guff’ (the waiting, chit-chat, fluffed comments, passers-by spoiling the shot, planes noisily flying overhead etc.) throughout the editing process.

Writing a paper edit    

Go through the log and highlight all the parts you would like to include, and where you would like to include them – then use these details to write your paper edit. 

Add each clip/file number and the ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ points within it you would like to edit into the final video; along with descriptions to make sure you have the right sections.  Then number each clip in the order you would like them to play in the final video.  It’s also a good idea to add the details of any onscreen graphics you would like to use at certain points.  Now you can ‘paper edit’ by cutting and pasting the clips in various orders and reviewing and refining until you’re happy you have the structure just right.    

Selecting video editing software

There are quite a few video editing software systems to choose from, ranging from the free (Windows Movie Maker), to very low cost (Apple iMovie), mid-range (Vegas) and semi-professional (Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro).  Naturally, as the cost of the software increases, so does the quality and power of the functionality it offers.  When editing videos in house, I like to use Techsmith Camtasia.  Whichever editing software you have access to, the vast majority work to similar principles, such as using a ‘timeline’, making cuts, ordering clips, adding transitions, video and sound mixing and so on.

Editing the video!

Now it’s time to open your editing software and import the video files you are going to use (the numbers of which will be on your paper edit).  Depending on the system, you’ll most-likely find an ‘Import Video’ button which goes on to open the folder needed, or you may be able to quickly ‘drag and drop’ the files in the right area.  Either way, the software now knows where the clips you’re editing are held on your computers’ hard drive.  A good tip – don’t move these files once you begin an editing project, if you do the editing software will have trouble finding them again.

Next, in the order of your paper edit, add the clips to the timeline in the editing software.  The timeline is a number of strips (known as tracks), usually across the bottom of the screen, where your clips are displayed as thumbnails and can be re-ordered, cut and manipulated in a number of ways to assemble your video. 

Once safely on the timeline, trim each clip to the required timecodes (the IN and OUT points on your paper edit).  To cut video clips, often there’s a ‘split’ or ‘cut’ tool which simply cuts the clip in two (like taking scissors to a strip of film) where you ask it to.  The editing software will have a large-window video player with a time counter (matching the timeline) – click on the relevant thumbnail, play the clip to the point where you would like to make the cut then pause and click ‘cut’….and delete the piece you don’t need.  Don’t worry, these cuts aren’t permanent, you can ‘bring back’ deleted footage if you find you need more.  Once you’ve worked through all the clips in this manner and pulled them together on the timeline (by dragging and dropping the thumbnails), your ‘rough cut’ or ‘assembly’ is ready. 

Now you can review and refine – watch and re-watch the rough cut and trim or extend the clips (by fractions of seconds) until you’re happy.

At this point, you’ll have ‘hard cuts’ between each clip, but the software will offer numerous transitions (some slick, some quite ‘cheesy’) which you can add to cuts to smooth and polish the video.  A little bit of artistry comes in here – with every cut, you have the choice of which transition works best to tell your story.  Hard cuts can be seamless and transitions such as fades and dissolves can smooth rough patches or emphasise certain feels to heighten the effect.

Adding titles and graphics

Professional corporate video agencies will be able to create slick animated titles and graphics for you, but you CAN create solid graphics yourself. Similarly to video editing software options, graphic design software also ranges from the free (Microsoft Paint) to the professional (Adobe Photoshop).  Whichever graphic design software you choose, the key is to create a jpeg (or similar) image file to the same resolution as your video (usually 1920×1080).  This file can then be imported into your video editing software and manipulated in the same way as a video clip.  You can set the duration (a good tip is to give the viewer time to read it twice), add transitions, and (using an image with a transparent background) even overlay the graphic on the video.  Most likely, you will need to add an opening title, titles for new sections and subtitles to identify interviewees.  When adding subtitles, the industry term is ‘lower third’, because it’s popular to use the lower third of the screen for these graphics.  Wherever possible, be sure to use current company branding and colour schemes within your video graphics.

Editing the audio

Your video editing software will undoubtedly also offer sound editing functionality.  The most common (and important) tool to use is the one adjusting the volume levels during each clip.  Just click on the timeline thumbnail to tweak the volume – this is really handy if an interviewee is speaking too quietly or loudly; and absolutely necessary to smooth the sound across cuts and transitions (usually by adding a ‘cross fade’ to avoid sound ‘pops’ created by hard cuts) and even-up the volume throughout the edit so the sound doesn’t ‘boom’ at any time during the final video.  You can do this with the sound recorded by your camera; or you can import the separate sound files from your sound recorder, sync them up with the video (by lining-up the clips on the timeline tracks) and adjust them in the same ways.  Be sure to mute or delete the camera recorded sound if you’re using separate sound – your editing software will probably help in this regard by allowing you to separate and remove the camera recorded sound from the video clip on the timeline (but not the original clip, which always remains complete on your hard drive).

Adding music

Often the last part of the editing process, music is the glue which holds your video together, emphasises key moments and creates the right atmosphere for your content and marketing message. Find a few pieces which you think might work and play them with the video.  When you have the right piece, you can import the mp3 or WAV file (WAV being higher quality) into your video editing software, add it to a track on the timeline, sync it with the video and mix the levels with the video’s ‘live’ sound to ensure the music isn’t ‘drowning out’ spokespeople or vice-versa.

It’s important to use music in the right way.  Either paid-for or copyright-free, you must have the license to use music within a video you share online.  If you Google search ‘Copyright free music’ or ‘Royalty free music’, you will find a number of artists, websites and payment structures to choose from.  Some have nominal fees, some allow you to use their music free of charge if you credit/link them in the video. 

Sharing the video online

Now it’s time to share your finished video and marketing message with the world!  If you’ve got this far, especially for the first time, well done you, a pat on the back is in order!

Be sure to export your finished project from the editing software in the highest possible quality (probably 1080p) and in a commonly used file type (mp4 is quite a safe bet).  It’s a good idea to check the website you are using to host your video, such as YouTube or Vimeo, to see which file types they currently prefer. 

Now it’s simply a case of uploading, sharing and embedding your video within your agencies’ website.  There are loads of possibilities and your audience of prospective clients and candidates can only grow.

Good luck!  You CAN make recruitment agency marketing videos in-house.

erecruit™ and TextUs™ Form Strategic Partnership to Bring Business-Class, Two-Way Text Messaging to the Staffing Industry

Partnership will Help Increase Placement Volume and Deepen Client and Candidate Engagement for Top Staffing Firms

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Belgium-based Le Grand & Associates Select AdaptUX to Enhance Future Business Strategy

Le Grand & AssociatesLe Grand & Associates, a consultancy agency specialised in the recruitment of high quality Human Capital, have selected Bond International Software, the global provider of staffing and recruitment software, to provide AdaptUX OnDemand recruitment-specific CRM via high-speed cloud service.

Based in East Flanders, Belgium, Le Grand & Associates specialise in the Tax & Legal, Fiduciary, Corporate Finance, Audit, Finance and IT sectors and provide permanent recruitment services across East and West Flanders, Antwerp, Limburg and Flemisch-Brabant. Le Grand & Associates believe that there is an abundance of human capital and the real challenge lies in finding the right people to realise the success and growth of their client companies. Their experienced and motivated team tackle this challenge head-on and constantly strive to find the perfect match between candidate and company. Assisted by a silent partner with over thirty years of recruitment sector experience, Le Grand & Associates have solid foundations upon which they have built recruitment services of the highest quality and, through their ‘no cure, no pay’ philosophy, a reputation for being the most trustworthy partner to their client companies.

Looking to upgrade from their existing CRM software, the Le Grand & Associates team began reviewing the market with a keen focus on finding advanced email marketing, reporting and KPIs/targets functionality. The meaningful management reporting and company-wide KPIs/targets functionality delivered by AdaptUX ensured the system ranked on the agency’s shortlist and, favouring Gmail, the recently-released Gmail Google Chrome Extension for AdaptUX solidified their decision to implement the system. Key features of the deployment include:

  • Cloud/SaaS (Software as a Service) – Bond OnDemand enables Le Grand & Associates users to log-in and use AdaptUX wherever they have internet access
  • Adapt Studio – enabling users to choose from in-built recruitment dashboards or design their own based upon their preferred working methods
  • Active Reporting – meaningful business intelligence and management reporting tools delivered via graphical displays help inform future strategies
  • KPIs and Targets – active dashboards deliver performance information against targets at an individual consultant, team, office or region level; helping achieve company-wide objectives
  • Adapt Organogram – providing slick visual representations of client company hierarchies, head offices and branches
  • Gmail Google Chrome Extension – seamless integration between AdaptUX and Gmail enables users to run workflows in AdaptUX without leaving Gmail
  • Adapt InTouch mobile app – allowing consultants to access AdaptUX via their smartphones and effectively recruit on the move

Charles Henry Provenzano, Associate, Le Grand & Associates, comments, “I was familiar with Bond Adapt having used the system in the past and the release of AdaptUX was actually one of the factors prompting our recruitment software review. We compared the new system with the latest versions offered by a number of recruitment software providers and I very much preferred the advancements Bond have made. The AdaptUX menus, dashboards and reminders are so smooth and intuitive, I’m confident we will maximise every business development opportunity, plan successful future strategies and make more placements.”

Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director, Bond International Software, comments, “Le Grand & Associates are an agency of character and integrity, delivering first-rate recruitment services in a wholly personable and transparent way. Their admirable ‘no cure, no pay’ ethos and quality guarantees have led to strong relationships with both their clients and candidates alike. We are delighted they have selected AdaptUX and we look forward to seeing their continued success and growth.”

The Do’s and Don’ts of Recruitment

dodontimageresizedEvery recruiter has a different approach to sourcing the right candidate, just as one recruiter might swear by cold-calling, another might be more adept at engaging on social media. Whilst the approaches may differ, one thing remains consistent throughout – and that’s the manner in which you interact with candidates once you’ve found them.

It’s imperative for today’s recruiters to ensure that their demeanour and candidate relationship strategy are based around an understanding and appreciation of the candidate. However, with some recruiters being unsure of how persistent they should be and when they should simply give up, this blog aims to provide an insight into the do’s and don’ts of recruitment and help you adopt the best practices.

Let’s start with what you should do in recruitment:

  1. Do your research

Familiarise yourself with a candidate’s skills and expertise to the point where you can genuinely engage with them over the phone. Be careful contacting a candidate if you have nothing to offer, you need to provide real value in the form of real opportunities. However, being in tune with your client’s needs, and knowing how to spot the perfect candidate for them is a fantastic skill to have. Just let the applicant know you are going to market them to a specific company, and why, and don’t promise a position if one doesn’t yet exist.

  1. Do provide an overview and sell the position

Clearly highlight the intricacies of the job position – walk the candidate through the individual aspects your client is looking for and make the company and the role itself sound desirable. This increasingly includes not just the basics of the specific role but also the values of the company and specific policies for training and flexible working – so investing time with the client to understand the culture, working environment and opportunities for future career growth is key. Likewise, listen to your candidate and what is important to them as they look to advance their career – then you can sell the right organisation to the right candidate.

  1. Do be personal in your engagement

If you can’t reach your candidate via the phone, leave them a pleasant, personalised message, highlighting your desire to talk to them. Follow up with a short email or text summarising the position, making sure you’re respecting the best times to get in touch with the candidate. By leaving personalised, brief, informative messages you’re demonstrating an understanding of the candidate’s specific requirements and requests. Candidates don’t want to see the same recycled messages time after time – it indicates that you don’t care and haven’t made the effort to understand them.

  1. Do follow up, network and encourage candidates to apply again

Where possible, always try to inform your candidates of the progress of their application. It’s your job to keep them up to date and in the loop regarding any changes. If you don’t, you risk leaving them disheartened and frustrated. Even if a candidate hasn’t been successful, encourage them to try again for similar positions; there’s a variety of factors at play with securing a position and there’s always the possibility the next vacancy will be just right for them.

By following the guidance outlined above, you will improve both your client and candidate relationships, becoming a recruiter that is respected and held in high regard. Remember, it’s not just about you – recruiting is a relationship between you, your candidate and your client which you need to cultivate and respect.

Now we’ve outlined what you should do, here are some recruitment don’ts:

  1. Don’t go into phone-calls or interviews blind or unenthusiastic

If you’re contacting candidates after only conducting minimal research into their abilities, you’ll come across as indifferent and uninformed, which will not only establish you as someone they won’t want to work with, but could potentially tarnish the reputation of the agency or organisation you work for.

Furthermore, your phone manner and the tone of voice you adopt will set the mood and atmosphere of the conversation. Be clear, be succinct and be positive. You need to make your candidates feel comfortable when dealing with you and that in turn will enable them to discuss themselves with you more freely – and they’ll thank you for that.

  1. Don’t bombard candidates with constant emails and messages across different mediums

A great way to get your number blocked and emails filtered is through continuous pestering and badgering of your candidates. If they didn’t pick up the first time, it’s safe to assume they’re busy or otherwise engaged. Leave a message and if they’re interested, they’ll get back to you. If you haven’t heard anything for a few days, leave a brief reminder over email stating your desire to talk to them. There’s nothing worse for a candidate than constantly receiving calls from recruitment agencies and consultants whilst at work or engaged in another activity.

  1. Don’t ignore your candidate’s preferences

It’s a two-way process. In order for you to find the best possible position for your candidate(s), you need to have a meticulous understanding of what they’re looking for. If you decide that the candidate’s preferences are in some way secondary to your own and arrange an interview with a company or organisation that doesn’t align with what they’re looking for, you’ve not only wasted your candidate’s time, but also your client’s – making them less likely to accept a recommendation from you again.

  1. Don’t stick to one channel

If you’re sticking to one channel, you’ll severely limit yourself in terms of reach and visibility – even more so if the channel you’re using isn’t lucrative or widely known. The abundance of channels available to recruiters means there’s a huge pool of talent out there – you need to maximise your reach and visibility by being a part of the wider sphere.

As recruitment is a constantly changing industry, there will always be an air of uncertainty of how to interact with candidates – the fundamentals outlined above remain unchanged regardless.

If you want to transform your recruitment strategy into a quality-orientated relationship, you need to take into account multiple demands and expectations. As a recruiter, you often end up being an intermediary or negotiator between the client and the candidate, and you have to ensure that both sides receive exceptional treatment and consideration.

If you keep in mind the do’s we’ve discussed, and avoid the don’ts, you’ll be achieving recruitment success in no time.