If you want to ensure a high-quality hiring and recruiting experience when working with a staffing firm, you need to build a strong, strategic relationship with that partner. Here’s how to create a win-win partnership.

For each hiring project you want your recruiting partner to fulfill, let them know right off the bat which of the following scenarios apply:

• If you are down to the wire and need talent quickly to address a particular project, task or situation.
• If you are interested in creating a pipeline of potential candidates, even if you don’t have an existing need at this time.
• If your open position is strategic and mission-critical or needs to be filled before the next hiring phase because the selected candidate will have to take a critical role in fulfilling your mid- to long-term company objectives.

Once you’ve established which type of hiring process you need, create a “road map” with your staffing partner so both sides understand and agree on what will be required to reach success.

• Hold a Kick-Off Meeting with the Entire Search Team. This should include everyone who will play a role in your searches—the talent acquisition specialists, the client advocates, the candidate screeners, the account leads and the recruiters—so everyone can discuss their roles and communications plan with you.
• Set Up Reporting Expectations. Will you expect weekly update calls and reports? Do you want feedback from potential candidates? What type of information do you expect to receive from your partner, and how often?
• Share Your Thoughts on Research Strategy. Ask the staffing firm what their research strategy is and what firms they plan to target. Do you have any particular companies you’d like them to look into? Any that are off limits?
• Discuss the Nitty-Gritty Details. Review the job description and position profile for each open requisition. Define the time line. Discuss billing, fees, performance based arrangements and metrics that will be used to define success.
• Agree on the Process for Qualifying and Presenting Candidates. How many candidates will be presented for the final selection? How involved will your executives be throughout the life cycle of the search? You’ll want to agree on the process for interviewing and the skills that are in place for negotiating an offer with a candidate.

Would you like to know more? At Staffers, we’ve been creating successful partnerships with some of the top companies in Mississippi. Contact us if you’d like to discuss how we can partner with you for your staffing needs.