What Makes a Good Recruitment Consultant?

Zonnie Burton
Zonnie Burton
recruitment consultant interviewing a potential candidate in office

If your business has struggled to fill vacancies over the last 12 months, you’re far from alone. In a recent study by Remote, it was uncovered that over 90% of UK businesses are struggling to fill vacancies due in large to skill shortages in the UK job market.

In our recent blog, recruitment challenges in 2023 we discussed the impact of a candidate led market – a situation where there are more businesses looking to hire, than candidates looking for jobs. As an employer this means, not only trying to compete for new talent, but competing to keep the skilled workers you have within your business. So how can you fill vacancies when there are no applications and seemingly no candidates available for your opening? This is where partnering with a skilled recruitment consultant comes in.

Before signing up to any agency, it’s important to consider: what makes a good recruitment consultant?

What to look for from a recruiter?

Finding the right recruiter for your needs can be difficult, like using any new service; the best way to see if a recruiter is right for you is to talk to them. You can also look at an agencies history, such as how long they’ve been in business or what client’s they’ve supported. If an agency has been successfully run over a number of years or decades, there’s a good chance that the agency is creating strong partnerships with businesses like yours.

There are recruitment agencies that specialise within niche fields and others that cover an array of sectors and job roles, with a deeper understanding of entire sectors or markets, like our team at RE Recruitment.

By covering a wider range of job roles, our consultants are afforded more exposure to the recruitment processes of different industries. This exposure ultimately leads to growth in communication & negotiation skills which are crucial to becoming a well rounded recruiter.

Whether you have worked with a recruiter before, or are considering a new agency, here are a few important skills to look out for when partnering with a recruitment consultant.

Strong negotiations skills

A skilled recruiter can effectively navigate discussions between you and candidates, especially regarding salaries and job offers. Their experience and emotional intelligence enables them to work towards outcomes that your organisation and hires are satisfied with.

Choosing a recruitment consultant with excellent negotiation skills can facilitate successful hires and foster positive long-term relationships with clients and candidates.

A Network of existing relationships

A successful recruitment consultant has years of experience building healthy relationships. They will often be the first person a client will go to when they are starting to look at a new hire, and the first person, a candidate, will message when thinking about changing roles. Finding someone who has a phonebook filled with the best candidates can save you time and headaches when you come to find your next hire.

If a recruiter already works with businesses similar to yours, there’s a good chance they already know the type of candidates you’re looking to hire. Remember, the best candidates are usually in jobs, so having a recruiter unlocks the door to candidates who aren’t actively applying to job ads. 

An effective communicator

When you are looking for a recruitment consultant, it’s essential to find one with strong communication skills. A good consultant understands how to deal with people, they will engage professionally with potential candidates, building trust and rapport to assess their fit for roles better and your company culture. 

A skilled recruiter will also help you communicate your requirements effectively to candidates looking for work. If your job descriptions are the same as every other live vacancy, candidates are left to form an opinion based on your brand and the package on offer.

An experienced recruiter will provide you and your candidates with constructive feedback, helping to refine your requirements and interview techniques. They will make sure that both you and the candidate are happy with the appointment.  They can then provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates, and keeping the door open for any future approaches. 

Taking the time to understanding your company culture

A good recruitment consultant will take the time to understand your day to day company culture and the kind of candidates that will thrive within it. By understanding your company’s values, work environment, and overall goals, they can better identify the candidates who would fit seamlessly into your team. This will result in a more successful hiring process and a higher retention rate of new employees.

Effective use of social media and online platforms

The recruitment industry has changed. In today’s fast-paced digital world, social media and online platforms play a crucial role in the recruitment process. A good recruitment consultant should be experienced in using various social media platforms and trying to build their own brand. In a market led by candidates, recruiters should aim to be the recruiter that candidates approach when the time is right for them to look for a new vacancy.

By building a brand on social media recruiters and agencies have better success in finding candidates, promoting vacancies, and engagement rates with potential applicants. This will enable them to cast a wider net, increasing the chances of finding the perfect candidate for your organisation.

Experience in your market

Many recruiters specialise in different sectors, so finding a consultant or agency with knowledge and experience in your field of expertise is essential. This simple rule makes finding the right recruiter much more straightforward and ensures they understand your needs before you approach them.

Your chosen recruiter can offer guidance on candidate expectations, typical career progression, and current market conditions, such as salary benchmarks and competition for talent. This understanding allows them to screen and shortlist candidates more effectively, ensuring that only the most suitable applicants are put forward.

Using an agency often means that it is easier to find these consultants. Whilst an agency may work in several industries, their in-house team consultants will each specialise in a sector. You can get the specialism you are looking for from the individual with the wider support of a larger company. 

Ready to make your next hire? 

As a recruitment agency with over 20 years experience, we have built relationships with businesses across the UK like yours. We have regional offices in Cheltenham, Hereford, Telford & Worcester, with teams ready to help you with your candidate search. If you have an open vacancy and would like some free advice with hiring please complete our vacancy requirement form and we will partner a specialist consultant to your business.

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