what to expect working with a recruitment agency?

You’re thinking of choosing Randstad as your potential recruitment partner. But what’s the next step? What can you expect when working with us? And how will our recruitment specialists work together with you to source the best talent and fill your job vacancy, quickly and efficiently? 

These are the steps you can expect to take with Randstad as your chosen recruitment partner.

1. meet to identify needs and recruitment plans.

We will start by meeting with you to discuss your specific requirements. We will identify the skills and talent gaps within your team, and your wider business. In order to deliver the best results for you, it is important we build a partnership - by that we mean developing a deep understanding of your current business, your vision, objectives and targets, your talent strategy and talent profiles, company culture, and any current or future talent gaps. Our initial meeting will therefore require a deep dive to gain a solid understanding of the current state of play, and future goals from your perspective and that of your senior leadership team.

Once we have a solid foundation and understanding of your business, your strategic objectives, your vision and values, organisational culture, and talent needs, we will begin planning the most effective, tailored path for recruitment. We will begin identifying channels that are the most effective to deliver the right candidates, starting with drawing from our extensive talent network. To find the best talent for your business, we will usually engage a combination of network connections, technology and recruitment marketing strategies. 

Importantly, at each stage of the process, we will keep you well informed and collaborate before moving on to the next phase of recruitment.

2. talent sourcing

Hiring success is about sourcing and matching the right talent to the right job, the right manager, team, and organisation. This begins with your Randstad recruitment specialist having a deep understanding of your objectives for this position and the wider company strategy to ensure you have the best job description, to source the best match. If you’d like a few tips, Randstad’s experts have prepared a guide on how to write successful job descriptions.

Once we work with you to get the right job description, we will utilise our extensive talent network to source potential candidate matches. One of the best reasons to work with Randstad’s recruitment specialists is our strong network of candidates. We have talent ready to go, ready to work, and ready and waiting for the right job opportunity. We know who they are and where they are, as we have built strong relationships over time.

Should we need to widen the talent pool for the position, your Randstad recruitment specialists will turn your job description into a winning job advertisement. They will then select the best channels to source talent and advertise your job vacancy to capture the best possible candidates. This will include your internal channels to solicit employee referrals, as well as highly visible external platforms such as job boards that will get your job opportunity noticed by a wider pool of candidates you want to attract. The fact is all of this requires sophisticated systems, seamless processes, lots of data and insights, innovative tech, and solid relationships. It requires both human connection and powerful technology.

3. preselection and candidate assessment.

Your recruitment specialist’s expertise, combined with our innovative HR technology, assessment tools and our unique True Fit methodology will assess every candidate and every application to preselect a shortlist of potential hires that strongly match your job requirements. 

For the candidates we pre-select, we will ask them to complete a range of tests or assessments that further help to identify those who would best match your needs. Screening and testing are very effective in building a picture of an individual’s cognitive abilities, their potential to learn, and their fitness for the role. Testing also helps reveal relevant technical skills, such as the ability to use certain systems or operate different types of machinery. The decision on which tests or screening methods are necessary will depend on the unique requirements of the role.

We will then utilise Randstad’s True Fit methodology to help you find your perfect match. True Fit assesses each candidate based on their Job Fit, Boss Fit and Company Fit. Does the candidate have the technical skills, knowledge, experience, and interest to successfully perform the job? Is the manager-employee fit one that will contribute to the long-term success of the relationship and the organisation? And does the employee’s values, priorities and objectives fit with and complement those of the organisation, helping to take your business forward? If Randstad’s analysis is yes to these questions, they will move to the next stage.

Randstad will inform the successful candidates of the great news that they are moving on to the interview and evaluation stage, as well as inform the candidates who were not selected to move forward.

4. candidate presentation, interview, and checks.

Once all the necessary assessments have been completed and we have identified the most suitable top three applicants, we will conduct interviews, background and reference checks, and any other evaluations we deem necessary. 

Only after all of this has been completed will we present you with the best, most qualified shortlist of candidates who we believe will be the right Job Fit, Boss Fit and Company Fit. All you need to do is make your final evaluations or conduct any final interviews before making your hiring decision.

We will then contact the successful candidate and manage the entire job offer process, including contract signing, and coordinating or negotiating any finer details. We will also contact all candidates not selected and provide constructive feedback in order to help them understand why they weren’t successful and the experience could potentially help them in their future job search. 

5. onboarding, follow-up, and post-placement care

Once your decision is made, and the job offer has been made, we will work closely with both you and your new hire to ensure the entire onboarding process is a great experience. The aim is for you - our client - to feel comfortable, confident, well-informed, well-prepared, and excited for the employee’s first day. Similarly, for the new employee, we will ensure they are well-informed, well-prepared, and excited about their first day in their new job.

Over the following three to six months, our partnership will continue with regular client and employee check-ins to ensure everyone is happy, to obtain relevant feedback, and handle any queries or concerns should they arise.

It is our job to find every client their True Fit – the candidate that meets your specific needs and expectations, and someone who really enjoys and thrives in their new job. Our commitment to the True Fit match brings a wealth of benefits to each client of Randstad. Not only does it save your organisation an immense amount of time and money, but it also relieves a massive amount of stress, pressure, and frustration for your senior management, allowing them to stay focussed on the core element of their job which is, to continue building and growing the business. 

As our goal is to a true business partner, we help you find the right talent solution every time. If for any reason, the candidate selected doesn’t work out, we will work with you to search for alternative talent that is a better fit.

Additional services

Every organisation’s needs differ, and the great thing about working with Randstad, is that we can tailor our level and depth of services to meet your individual needs. Some businesses are looking for expert HR advice or a specialist to take over just one aspect of recruitment. Other organisations want to fully outsource their HR function because they don’t have the resources to manage it internally. Randstad’s level of involvement is entirely up to you.