Every organization needs talent and the right people in the right roles to perform well. It means that organizations need to build a robust recruitment strategy that includes advertising (both online and offline), attracting high-quality candidates, and hiring great employees. This set of tasks, executed well, will help ensure that an organization can grow its business at the rate it wants.
Executive search is a vital process for any organization; it is essential for recruiting executives themselves and those who need top-tier individuals in their company.
An executive search firm for nonprofits can help with sourcing, identifying, and presenting your perfect candidate for you – or you could use one of these firms as a partner on your team. For example, to find the ideal candidate for a job, the executive search firm would typically conduct an initial screening of candidates and then hand those on to you.
But how do you confirm that a firm dealing with the executive search for non-profits is trustworthy? Here are several elements to consider:
1. Good people skills
An agency needs to relate well with people because their day-to-day work can often involve dealing with staff and candidates. Therefore, recruiters need to be personable and attentive to provide an enjoyable applicant experience.
Candidates will avoid individuals who act negatively or do not deliver what they have promised. A good recruitment agency should be transparent in dealing with clients and candidates. They should be honest about what they can and cannot always do for people and act with integrity.
The best employee experience is when a candidate leaves the process feeling informed, confident, and excited about the next opportunity (no matter which job they are applying for). Conversely, the worst experience is when a candidate feels frustrated, confused, and even ashamed about the process.
A good recruitment agency will keep them informed about their application at every step – from scheduling interviews to an offer and even after they have accepted the job.
If an agency keeps a candidate in the dark, they will be less impressed with your organization because it makes them feel unimportant. Good human resources enable agencies and companies to keep a talented workforce through employee satisfaction. HR is about meeting the employee’s needs and making them feel valued by keeping them in the loop on what is happening with their job application. Doing this ensures that they know what to expect from your organization from beginning to end.
2. Able to problem-solve
An agency should solve problems with a candidate or client at any stage of the recruitment process. However, they must listen carefully to understand what the interaction requires and provide an acceptable solution.
A good recruitment agency will identify problems as quickly as possible and assess their processes so that they do not occur again. For example, with 2020 giving rise to a new kind of workforce, the digital nomads
, you may need to find applicants who enjoy working from home.
The agency will have to be flexible in its scheduling and offer to meet candidates when free. It could mean that they must adjust interviews to conduct them via Skype or Google Hangouts or even meet people in their home countries.
If a company is fussy about how its staff works, it can affect the amount of talent you recruit. But unfortunately, it can also lead to issues such as low morale and even missed connections.
3. Proven experience in the industry
Technology has completely shifted the way people work, communicate, and expectations of their employer. A fantastic non-profit recruitment company will be familiar with these changes and thus adapt accordingly. They will know the impact digital technologies have had on their industry and how their company must develop to stay competitive. An agency that stays ahead of the curve will attract the most talented individuals into your company. They will also help you stay on top of your game.
Recruitment agencies are an essential part of the hiring process for a company and job seekers themselves. A good agency will make a candidate’s experience as easy and stress-free as possible (while still being thorough).
A poor agency will feel like the process is an inconvenience for the job seeker, which results in job hoppers leaving your organization.
Additionally, an excellent non-profit recruitment agency will provide candidate solutions that fit their clients’ needs. For example, suppose a client has a hybrid workplace that is both digital and physical. In that case, they will want a recruitment agency that understands how to recruit people for this kind of working environment.
They will also pinpoint cultural fit and find the best job seeker for their client. Some recruitment agencies offer one service but finding suitable candidates for hybrid workplaces means having an agency overseeing more than one skill set.
4. Ability to focus on the mission
While the primary goal of any recruitment agency is to find suitable candidates for a company, it must also be willing and able to prioritize the client’s mission. As a result, the agency may have to overlook candidates with qualities that are not necessarily in line with the client’s needs.
For example, a large non-profit enterprise client might want to hire someone with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills to utilize their company’s unique abilities. As a result, typical recruiters often spend considerable time searching for candidates and narrowing their list to a few people.
But if that same client needs someone with a more caring nature, you may have to put more effort into finding candidates who fit this description. In this case, the agency would have to ask the candidate what they are looking for in an employer and adjust their strategy accordingly.
If you are a startup looking for talent, you might be okay with hiring more generalist candidates. However, if a company requires a specialized candidate, the reception from an agency unwilling to look beyond STEM applicants may be devastating.
When an agency focuses on one field of interest, it can affect the talent pool that reaches your client. Think about it: an engineering firm that needs to employ an HR manager might have to give up the chance to hire someone equally skilled in IT.
5. Clear communications and feedback
Another way to ensure your recruitment process is effective is by having clear communication between your company and the agency you choose. For example, when they report the latest updates on the status of a candidate, they must be able to express them, even if it requires multiple interactions.
It means that they should provide updates in real-time and quickly respond to requests or questions from their clients. They should also have an established format for all communication with their clients, so everything is clear.
There is much information to gather from an interview. So, it helps if the agency includes all crucial details in the report for your company. For example, in a job seeker’s resume, relevant courses or certifications could indicate that they are more than qualified for a job.
The agency should provide information like this, primarily because their client uses this data to decide whether the candidate is suitable for their organization. The reports should also be thorough and organized.
Summing Up
It is essential to find a recruitment agency to help you recruit the best candidates for your company. A good agency will provide talent solutions tailored to your needs, be sensitive to the time constraints of a job seeker and understand each job’s impact on your company.
Finding the right recruiting agency can significantly impact the future of work by attracting top talent and simplifying the hiring process for both employers and employees. If you find the right agency, you can expect a successful recruitment process and a positive candidate experience.
Author Bio:
Since 1997 David Hutchinson, the president of Cause Leadership – a nonprofit executive search firm, has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a broad spectrum of organizations in the charitable sector. He also has a great interest in helping charitable organizations diversify, become younger in their leadership, and better represent their own clients.