The first part of many employer-agency interactions for a vacancy is passing on a job description.

What happens next informs the service you can expect from the recruiter.

Typically there are a few scenarios -

1/ the employer provides a few details and the agency goes off to do their job
2/ HR / TA has a q&a call with the suppliers to cover any questions around the job description
3/ the hiring manager does the same
4/ the agency meets the hiring team to take a full brief

In all of these scenarios the information is typically one way, from the employer to the agency, and this is fine in many situations.

I go a little further and I consult on the vacancy.

You see recruitment often goes wrong at the very outset, with the job description.

Sometimes it's out of date and doesn't reflect the current context.

Sometimes it's a from a generic job family and doesn't represent the vacancy specifically.

Sometimes it's been put together after a bit of research on what other companies are doing.

Sometimes it isn't realistic, asking for things that don't exist in the real world.

That doesn't mean it's a bad vacancy, but you have to do the work to see what the vacancy actually is.

Of course if it's an Administrator or common skills role, the stakes are comparatively low, so it doesn't really matter if the documentation isn't great.

The question you should ask is "what happens if we hire the wrong person, or don't hire at all?" That should give a good steer on the getting things right from first principles.

Even when a job description is correct, true and fair, it often isn't suitable and sufficient.

Context is commonly the missing factor, which is so key.

Is an HR Manager in a colloquial SME the same as in a rapidly evolving corporate?

Is a Marketing Director the same in set-up mode compared to maintenance mode?

Of course not, and often you'll only find out at interview.

Because both job descriptions and CVs often lack context, so you have to make assumptions.

The purpose of my consultations is so that we have clarity.

We know who we're realistically going to recruit and why they should be interested. And I gain answers to the questions I know suitable candidates should ask.

It's only then that I can form messaging that appeals to the right people, that I know who to represent and how, as well as who to prequalify out for the right reasons.

Sometimes a consultation is just a briefing, because the employer has done everything right.

Sometimes I know a client so well, a short q&a is all that's needed.

Sometimes the instruction is "can you get us another Sophie" and that's sufficient.

But the point is that I have the insight to do my job and find the right people.

Otherwise I'm just copying your job description as an advert and chucking in some progressive and innovative adjectives.

Otherwise I'm just sending CVs and hoping they might be candidates, trying to change your mind when you disagree.

That's not how I want to recruit.

You?

www.bwrecruitment.co.uk

www.linkedin.com/in/gregwyatt/