Recruitment market conditions have materially improved in the past six months in particular.  More companies are hiring and strong candidates have multiple opportunities to consider, so competition for the best people is now fiercer than at any time in the last five years.

In the current climate companies need to understand the market conditions they are facing and how best to be successful in the circumstances.  This is where an experienced high quality recruitment consultant can add real value over the more basic agency service prevalent in many markets.

With this in mind we have highlighted five key areas in the recruitment process where an experienced consultant can be the difference maker in hiring the talent you need.

1. Offers an accurate appraisal of the attractiveness of a new job opportunity

Will the candidates you want be interested in your job?

Agent: Takes job brief and sends any relevant candidates from the database.

Consultant: Advises hiring manager of attractiveness of job vacancy in the context of current market conditions and advises on best sourcing strategy.

2. Assesses the availability and cost of suitable talent in the relevant market conditions

Is the candidate you seek available at the salary budget allocated?

Agent: Sends candidates who are suitable but you cannot afford or vice versa.

Consultant: Discusses the potential to flex either the salary or the person spec to get the right blend of cost and skills for your business.

3. Helps position your company and opportunity better to the external market

How can you make your job more attractive to the best candidates?

Agent: Accepts the market perception of your company as an employer.

Consultant: Provides accurate feedback from potential candidates and suggests ways to position your company as an attractive employer.

4. Creativity – knows where to look for right people, especially for rare skill sets, not just the obvious places

Where are suitable candidates to be sourced from for difficult to fill positions?

Agent: Searches a database and advertises the position and sends you whoever they have.

Consultant: Suggests less obvious sources of good candidates and uses their network to pursue them on your behalf. Won’t send weaker candidates just for the sake of it.

5. Better conversion rate, candidate management, valuable in these market conditions

How do you get more of your job offers accepted?

Agent: Arranges interviews and hopes that the candidate accepts your job offer.

Consultant: Manages candidate and client expectations throughout to maximise likelihood of candidate acceptance.