There’s a big difference between posting job ads online yourself, and accessing a full professional service with extensive recruitment networks. A recruiter can be a worthy investment for your business, offering support in growing your business through securing valuable, long term employees.
If you’re not sure what to expect from working with a recruiter, you’re in luck! We’ve put together some of the common questions we get asked about how we work, to help you understand what it’s like.
How fast is the turnaround?
We find that the process generally takes about three to five weeks, though it depends what you’re looking for.
We take a comprehensive job brief to ensure we’re targeted in our search. We only want to put candidates in front of you that have suitable experience and will be a good cultural fit. Our goal is to place someone who’s a successful, long term fit for your business. This process could be as quick as two weeks, but it could also take anywhere from two to three months if you have specific requirements.
Can we place a candidate in one week?
As we’re fortunate to have been in the industry for a long time and have developed networks, we can often reach out to candidates at short notice. But if we don’t have the right person on hand, we’ll be honest with you. We’d much rather provide a quality candidate and take a bit more time.
What if you don’t like any of the candidates we put in front of you?
Honestly, we haven’t been in that situation before. But to give you some peace of mind, recruiters are typically paid based on success. There’s no financial cost to you unless you hire someone we’ve presented. If you don’t like the candidates we’re finding, we’ll always come back to the brief, regroup and keep looking.
Where do we source candidates from?
There’s huge strength in our networks, relationships and brand. In fact, a third of the placements we make are candidates we’ve had referred to us by other candidates and clients. The other two thirds of our business is done largely through being proactive on LinkedIn and other online channels.
How much does it cost?
Recruitment isn’t cheap, and it shouldn’t be! It’s an investment in finding and acquiring the right people for your business. Recruitment agencies charge a percentage of the total remuneration package for the role you’re recruiting. For us, it’s anywhere from 16–25% of the remuneration package. For example, if you’re recruiting a mortgage broker with a salary on offer of $70,000 + super, our fee will be around $14,000 plus GST.
It’s not a cheap service, but you’re not paying for a person, you’re paying for a service. In many cases, most of the candidates you’re looking for don’t know anything about you or your brand. It’s our role to attract and engage them towards the opportunity within your business. We find, qualify and engage candidates, and actively sell the employment opportunity you’re offering.
Is there a discount if you need several roles filled at once?
Typically no, there aren’t typically discounts in recruitment as the work is always the same for each individual placement. In saying that, we take every situation case by case, so this may be considered depending on things like long term relationship opportunity, exclusivity of work, and volume of work.
How do we communicate with you throughout the process?
We’ll meet up with you at the start of the engagement and take time to put together a proper job brief. From there, we’ll keep in touch mostly via phone calls and emails. We can also use video technology and we’re open to jumping on a plane and coming to see you if needed.
Candidate information will be provided to you via a sophisticated online tool that we use. You’ll receive a detailed analysis of the candidate/s, including their resume, motivators, three to five year plan, relevant experience, salary expectations and more, giving you a snapshot of why it’s a good fit and worth meeting them for an interview.
What happens if the candidate you hire quits soon after starting, or it doesn’t work out?
We’ve got a three month guarantee period, which applies to things outside of everyone’s control. If the person you hire has to leave within that three month window (due to a change of mind, illness or personal issues or anything), we’ll do the work all over again and provide you with a replacement candidate.
Hopefully this has given you a brief look into what it’s like working with a recruitment agency like Platinum People Group. You can learn more about the experience by checking out our client and candidate testimonials. If your question hasn’t been answered here, please get in touch to learn more.
