We’re 100% candidate-focused.
Every recruiter says it. But the truth is, candidate-focussed recruitment – the kind that balances the needs of employers and prospective employees equally – is not the norm in our sector.
Instead, ‘candidate-focussed’ is a watchword that numbers-driven recruiters use in their pitches because everyone else does.
Most recruiters talk the talk; few walk the walk.
This is what makes identifi stand out. Our recruitment model – even the way we pay our team – depends on being candidate-led. That’s because our business is built on a ten-point checklist shaping every aspect of our service.
We call it our Candidate Charter. So what is it, and why does it matter for employers like you?
Introducing the Candidate Charter
The idea behind the identifi Candidate Charter is simple. After we place a new candidate, we ask them – and not their new employer – to rate their experience with us, against ten key factors. The score the candidate gives us determines the amount of commission our staff receive for the placement, as well as a host of other benefits for our employees.
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In turn, each of our staff is rewarded for keeping our candidates informed about and in control of their own recruitment experience. The ten points that make up our Charter reflect the ten key principles of effective recruitment for candidates. They are:
1. That candidates will be treated with honesty and integrity at all times.
2. That candidates will not be put forward for a role without their express permission.
3. That candidates will be offered a full job specification, salary information and details of key benefits for any role, including insight into the company culture. This information is missing from most recruiters’ job descriptions.
4. That candidates will be given detail information on processes for interviews, to help keep them prepared.
5. That candidates will be kept informed of when a position has been filled or withdrawn.
6. That our team will respond to any enquiries within 24 hours, and update all candidates on their applications at least every 48 hours.
7. All applications and communications will be processed with utmost confidentiality
8. That we will listen to all candidate feedback and act upon it.
9. That we will maintain contact and build relationships with all candidates, providing a single point of contact and helping candidates to build their careers.
10. That candidates’ records will be kept updated on a constant basis.
Our Candidate Charter is ambitious, but it works. 99% of our candidate surveys have been promoters in the past 6 months – either a nine or 10 out of 10. In 2017 99.3% of those surveyed have been promoters.
How does the Candidate Charter benefit employers?
So far, so good. And there are three good reasons that candidate-focussed recruitment helps employers.
First, quality. High-calibre candidates know they don’t need to work with poorly performing recruitment agencies. The best want to be nurtured, kept informed and treated with the respect their skill and experience demands. As such, if recruitment teams fail to consider their candidates’ needs, they won’t attract and retain the best candidates in the market.
Second, your brand. Your recruitment team is an extension of your business. If they fail to keep candidates happy, then the candidates themselves will share their bad experience with others – along with their critical opinion of your employer brand. Professionals in cyber security, IT, digital and other high-demand, specialist sectors move in small circles. Your business cannot afford to be blacklisted.
Finally, performance. A candidate that has been briefed on your business, prepared for their interview and nurtured throughout the recruitment process will simply perform better in interviews and otherwise. Working with a truly candidate-focussed recruitment agency means you can rest assured, knowing that yours’ and your candidates’ expectations of the role and your business are matched. This makes the pre-employment process smoother and helps avoid early employment issues, where new employees are uncomfortable about work they’ve been given.
Specialist recruitment costs businesses time, money and effort. No team wants to go through the process more than is necessary. Truly candidate-focussed recruitment smooths the way – making the transition from vacancy to filled role simpler, less stressful and more successful over the long term.
Trust our Candidate Charter for your next recruitment round, and beware imitators that promise candidate-led services without proven methods. In today’s competitive employment marketplace, your business can’t afford to take the chance.
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