For those of us in the staffing/search industry, we are blessed to find ourselves in an incredibly robust market. Despite the discipline for which your particular firm recruits – accounting, finance or information technology – the need for our services is as strong as in recent memory.
While there continues to be significant demand for assistance from firms on both a direct hire and temporary basis, an interesting phenomenon is unfolding: buyers of said services are exceedingly unhappy.
According to a recent report compiled by CareerBuilder and Inavero, customer satisfaction scores fell for the second consecutive year and currently sit at an all-time low. In essence, the need for our services has never been stronger, but the quality of the services being delivered has never been lower.
What does this all mean?
There are virtually unlimited reasons for the low scores:
- Poor communication and follow up on search/staffing assignments
- Unqualified candidates being sent to the clients for open positions
- Turnover at search/staffing firms leading to constant change of the representative servicing the client
- Among others
It is clear the majority of firms are missing out on an opportunity to develop lasting relationships with the clients they serve. These low scores illustrate how critical a true partnership is between a search/staffing firm and a client company.
According to Eric Gilpin, president of vertical sales at CareerBuilder, “Staffing firms will continue to play a critical part in how companies expand and manage their human capital.”
The “war on talent” shows no sign of slowing, and search/staffing professionals will continue to play an integral part in the employment landscape.
What can be done to change this?
What recruiters and staffing professionals need to remember is that our business is a SERVICE business. A hiring manager with a temporary or permanent opening has a problem that needs solving and they look to our industry for a solution.
Having been in financial search since in Chicago since 1997, I have seen more than my share of markets that have gone up and down. While we are certainly up today, there is no doubt it will eventually go down again. The recruiters and firms who not only survive and prosper in markets both good and bad understand this is a business of relationships and service. It is very clear the lion’s share of search/staffing firms are, quite simply, dropping the ball when it comes to service.
How is Brilliant different from the rest?
In 2009, Brilliant was founded in the midst of the one of the worst labor markets ever. In fact, it was one of the most challenging periods of my career, and looking back, also the most rewarding. Between 2009 and 2014, Brilliant grew faster than any other company in Chicago – period. There are several reasons for the growth and success we have been blessed with, but one of them is clearly the awareness of the role we play with hiring companies. This is a role of service, partnership, and collaboration. We constantly look for the RIGHT companies with whom to partner and not just whichever company has a need. In an industry where the bar is set quite low, we pride ourselves on forging lasting relationships with our hiring companies.
To learn more about Brilliant’s dedication to our clients and candidates, call 312.582.1706 or email info@brilliantfs.com.