Attracting qualified talent in today’s competitive labor market can be challenging, and recruitment and hiring are often time-consuming. To engage skilled workers and make hiring more efficient, many organizations are turning to recruitment companies in Edmonton and other alternative staffing solutions.
A recruitment company works on behalf of an organization to help fill open positions with qualified candidates, including sourcing and vetting individuals and presenting top talent to hiring managers.
How a recruitment company works
The right recruitment company can help your company source skilled workers by streamlining the recruitment process. As is the case with initiating any business partnership, understanding how the engagement works and preparing for productive discussions with prospective companies ahead of time is essential. Below are some common steps involved in working with a recruitment company.
Defining business and recruitment needs
Consider the skills gaps and roles you must fill to achieve broader strategic business objectives. During this step, recognize the hard and soft skills needed to succeed on your team and whether full-time, in-house workers or independent professionals are the most suitable fit for each position. Based on this information, prepare job descriptions to share with prospective companies. While some companies will help write job descriptions or job profiles, being proactive and approaching companies with as much information as possible is helpful.
Evaluating and selecting a company
Based on your outlined requirements, search for a company that best supports your recruitment needs. Some criteria to consider as you vet companies include industry expertise, success rate, recruitment process, pricing, and customer reviews. Also, ask companies if they have a guaranteed timeline for filling roles, as engaging qualified talent quickly can help your organization avoid lost productivity due to skills gaps or talent shortages on your team.
Agreeing to terms and signing a contract
A critical step in partnering with a recruitment company is ensuring the payment and contract terms align with your budget, legal requirements, and expectations. The pricing structure for some recruitment companies in Edmonton is retainer-based, while others charge a fixed percentage of the worker’s salary. Additionally, some companies offer a guarantee period, during which they will search for a new candidate if the initial hire isn’t the right fit within a set window of accepting an offer.
Typical recruitment company responsibilities
Depending on your organization’s specific staffing needs and the recruitment company you choose, responsibilities can vary. With some contracts, the company oversees the entire recruitment and hiring process. In contrast, in others, the company that engages the company takes more of a hands-on approach and retains more ownership over the process.
Some examples of recruitment company responsibilities include:
- Posting opportunities on job platforms. Established recruitment companies in Edmonton maintain a list of top talent-sourcing channels where they broadcast open jobs or projects. Media may include the company’s jobs page, newsletters, social networks, networking groups, traditional job boards, and industry-specific job boards. If you have a specific sourcing channel or job platform in mind, consider requesting that the company include the track in its sourcing process.
- Building relationships with talent. In addition to attracting new prospective applicants using traditional sourcing channels, experienced recruitment professionals often have existing solid networks of qualified talent. By building relationships with skilled professionals over time, the recruitment company may already have an ideal individual in mind when they begin the search.
- Interviewing and evaluating talent. When recruitment companies in Edmonton receive applications, they conduct one or more interviews to filter out individuals who need to be fit and determine top talent with whom your team should meet directly. Some recruitment companies may also have talent assessments or other related steps to identify qualified individuals more effectively.
- Facilitating final interviews with hiring managers. After evaluating candidates, the company shares a shortlist of top talent and schedules final interviews with internal teams. This assists in eliminating the back-and-forth often needed between prospective team members and hiring managers to ensure availability.
- Extending offers and handling negotiation. Once a decision is made, the recruitment company contacts the individual with the job offer. They also act as an intermediary for any negotiation discussions, which can keep your team time and support an exciting experience, as candidates will have one point of contact throughout the process.
How to choose a recruitment company
The people on your team are the heart of your business and central to long-term success, so if you plan on engaging a recruitment company, selecting the right one requires thoughtful consideration. Look for a company that understands your industry and focus area, fits with your budget, and will make your overall recruitment process more efficient.
As you evaluate different recruitment companies in Edmonton to select the right one, ask the following questions about each:
- What is the company’s focus area?
- Which specific services does the company offer?
- How skilled and diverse is the company’s talent pool?
- How much experience does the company have with filling roles in your industry that align with your skill requirements?
Conclusion
Recruitment companies in Edmonton play a crucial role in connecting job seekers with potential employers, contributing significantly to the local employment landscape. These agencies possess deep knowledge of the job market and industry-specific requirements, enabling them to match candidates with suitable positions effectively.
Overall, these agencies serve as indispensable intermediaries, fostering a dynamic and thriving job market in the city.