5 Business Development Tips to Take Your Recruitment Agency to The Next Level

The past year has been a challenge for the labor market, which means it was a challenge for recruitment agencies as well. It was a year of discrepancies due to the uncertainty surrounding nearly all industries amid the coronavirus pandemic. On one side, you have many people that lost their current jobs and companies that were forced to reduce their employee number. On the other side, businesses in healthcare, delivery, and other essential sectors became overwhelmed with demand, so they needed to increase employee number. 

These events are putting a lot of pressure on recruitment agencies, which means they need to step up their game and adapt to the challenges that are to come. It was a challenging period indeed, but things are slowly starting to go back to normal, and when that happens, you want your recruitment agency to be ready to grasp the opportunities that are about to come. 

If you are looking for ways to set your recruitment company up for success, then you have come to the right place. We are here to explore a few simple ways recruitment agencies can improve the way they do business, to help not only themselves but their clients as well. 

Focus on building trust

Trust is paramount when you want to build strong relationships whit clients and candidates. While your main goal is to make profits, as is the case for any business, don't approach every person that gets through your doorway with the purpose of "making a deal".

Focus on finding out what clients need and want, make an effort to understand company culture, and keep open communication with the leadership team of each client. By taking these aspects into consideration, you will be able to find the right candidates that suit the position and company. 

You should focus on building trust with candidates as well. Take the time to talk to each candidate individually and learn a bit about them. By getting to know them, you will be able to determine more about their skills and personality, which helps place them in positions that suit their needs. 

Streamline operations for as much as possible

Recruitment agencies will grow busier and busier in the months to come. To keep up with demands, recruitment agencies need to streamline as much of their business processes as possible. Automating as much as you can out of the back office processes is the only way to ensure your recruiting agents have time to focus on the aspects that truly matter instead of being buried in paperwork. 

A paper-based approach to timesheets is time-consuming and tedious, costing recruiters precious time that could be directed towards activities that require a human approach. 

A good agency software, if you're in recruitment, is paramount for the wellbeing of your company. This will speed up the tempo and reveal a variety of financial benefits. You can keep track of your internal projects, bill clients faster, automate payments, and track profitability. Some of these software options can also be integrated with other accounting software apps, as well as CRM software, to have everything in one place. 

Go the extra mile and coach your candidates

Interviewing candidates is what recruitment agencies do. Yet, very few actually take the time to go the extra mile and actually coach their candidates. When a candidate expresses their concerns, listen to them and try to help them overcome these issues. Some may be very qualified people, but they lack confidence, which is why they fail many job interviews. 

Doing this will not only help the candidate land their desired job but also increases the credibility and image of your recruitment company. Not to mention, this will make candidates easier to place, which translates into success for your agency. 

If you don't have the resources to coach candidates individually or host seminars, you can always leverage technology. Video content, for example, is a very effective way to reach candidates and help them better understand how to prepare for the recruitment process. What's more, this type of content works as a marketing strategy as well, especially if it is informative and thoughtfully created. 

Some examples of videos you can make include:

• Tips for candidates to prepare for an interview

• What various industries look for in a candidate

• How to put together a C.V.

• How to write a letter of intent

• Dressing for a job interview

Use social media to your advantage

Social media has evolved beyond being a medium where we can keep in touch with friends or follow our favorite celebrities. In the era of digitalization, recruiters need to learn how to leverage social media to their advantage. 

There is an infinite pool of resources on social media, including both candidates and clients, so don't just wait around for people to come to you. Instead, befriend them on social media, follow them, and always make a point to be where your candidates are.

While LinkedIn is the go-to social media platform for everything business, don't neglect other platforms either. Facebook has gained tremendous popularity in the recruiting world as well. More and more businesses have become active on social media, and some of them even post active jobs on Facebook so that candidates can apply. 

Instruct your team to always be up to date with new recruitment trends and learn how to position themselves where clients and candidates are. 

Celebrate your successes 

If you want the world to perceive your agency as successful, you need to show them how successful you are. Managing to fill important jobs or helping candidates find their dream job, count as a big achievements that your team has worked hard for. 

Don't hesitate to brag about these things on social media, your website, or inside your network. Of course, this does not mean you should post about every successful job filling, but when something is worth bragging about, don't refrain from celebrations when the time calls for it.

This will not only show the world what a successful agency you run but will also help your team feel their work is valued.

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• Business