Samantha Harper, founder of South African IT career specialist Nu Beginnings, writes for HumanIPO on seeking partnership with agencies in the technology industry.
Gone are the days where recruitment companies work in all industries, trade people as commodities and demand high rates from companies whilst adding no long term value.
While the business world is changing, technology is expanding and ROI is a focus, there is still a huge question mark as to what value a specialized recruitment agency can do for you and exactly what their ROI is.
Using a specialised agency can add value to your organisation, the same as partnering with a business partner that fills in your gaps.
The time it takes to recruit staff, especially for companies that don’t have that function can be extremely frustrating and expensive.
No one associates agencies with business partners, rather with rats that spam resumes and then invoice preposterous amounts of dosh.
Let me inform you: The right agency to partner with is one that will come and meet with you, your staff and understand what it is you want, your company needs and what direction you are wanting to move.
The right agency will screen and interview all possible employers for you, face-to-face, collect all the necessary documents, conduct references and maybe even stalk their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts just to make sure.
The right business partner will understand your interview process, your interview style, what your employment contracts look like and the finer details.
All you should be doing is making the time to meet with your business partner, commit to interviews, feedback and final decisions. You just need to be there.
In the technology industry it is essential that your business partner understands how to sell your mobile concept to possible employees, or how extensive your company is based on the cloud and that maybe an N+ qualification might just not make the cut.
It is essential that your business partner understands where traffic managers belong, where php developers hang out and that search engine optimisation (SEO) managers might come and go.
The true return on investment (ROI) with agencies are the ones that are promoting your company, talking about your ideas, selling your concepts and creating an excitement with all possible employees.
The ROI is the agency that becomes your business partner and is always looking out for the right skills and attitude to excite you.
Before you pay another cent to any agency, ask yourself: “Can I see my ROI?” and “Has this agency done for me what I could not do myself?”
Before you reject an agency because you don’t have the budget, time or patience to work with them, ask them what their ROI is – you might be pleasantly surprised how the technology industry is not only about developing but the recruitment industry too.
Technology has forced us all to be better, create better and offer better.
