Our Recruitment Process
Understanding not just what the job spec says they want but actually who they will want to employ. We have all written job specifications and issued them with exactly what skills and experience etc. we need for this role. However it’s only when we meet the right person that we really know what we are looking for. Yes there are skills, qualifications, previous experience, personality fits and other things specific to a role that they absolutely must have. But people surprise us and turn up with skills, experiences and qualities that we hadn’t considered, but still make them the perfect fit for our role.
Our Recruitment Process
Understanding not just what the job spec says they want but actually who they will want to employ. We have all written job specifications and issued them with exactly what skills and experience etc. we need for this role. However it’s only when we meet the right person that we really know what we are looking for. Yes there are skills, qualifications, previous experience, personality fits and other things specific to a role that they absolutely must have. But people surprise us and turn up with skills, experiences and qualities that we hadn’t considered, but still make them the perfect fit for our role.
How We Reach Our Goal
Our goal is not just to give our customers what they say they want, but to help them find the perfect match for their role.
To achieve this goal we need to be able to ‘deep dive’ into a role:
Why we work as a sole agency with our customers
At ACS we want to do a job that we can be proud of, by delivering an exceptional service and becoming an essential partner for our customers.
Working as a sole agency allows us to achieve this:
• 5 times more searching - Industry averages suggest that a recruiter will spend 5 times the amount of person hours on a sole agency vacancy compared with a standard search where they are competing with several recruitment companies. In most cases where they are not the sole agent they will look on the job boards for a couple of hours and move on.
• We have time to interview candidates more thoroughly and take time to understand the role, the company, and the culture.
• Access to 100% of the candidates - Without the pressure of having to rush CV’s in to claim the candidate we are able to access to 100% of the passive and active candidates in the marketplace instead of the 15% who have their CV’s on job boards because they are currently looking.
• Without this our customers may be compromised by taking a a candidate that is looking for a new role rather the very best candidate for them.
• Even if the hire is adequate, reducing the quality of the hiring process puts the outcome at risk of not finding the absolute best talent. Especially if that talent isn’t actively looking for a role right now.
• Improved communication - Customers and our team are able to work together to give and receive feedback. This allows us to refine our searches and give our customers the chance to get a good feel for the market before they make a decision.
• We see long term relationships as a way of us doing a better job , there is no benefit to us in moving the same candidate from company to company.
• Candidate engagement - Our team become much stronger salespeople for the hiring company ensuring maximum buy in from both passive and active candidates, and ultimately a higher success rate in attracting the best talent.
• Candidate engagement is far higher as the candidates are so much keener to get the role.
• Increased focus - We are able to give all of our customers VIP status. Their job with us is treated as high profile and won’t get lost in the sheer number of roles most other recruiter handle.
• Decreased workload - Our recruitment team take over the majority of the recruitment process, leaving the hiring company to focus on their own business, saving them time and money. Limiting opportunity lost due to the inevitable distraction of the standard recruitment process.
How we manage a role
Well established systems and processes help us source and select the very best candidates for our customers business.
The ACS 16 Step Recruitment Process:
- A call with one of the ACS team to discuss the main criteria for the search and establish exactly what is required for the role.
- CV submission details including who , where and how they are to be submitted.
- Agreement on feedback timeframe.
- Identification of the main criteria required for the role through the clients job brief.
- Creation of resourcer notes with a full brief of the role.
- Job created on the ACS bespoke job management system complete with a job sheet for the key details (i.e. location, salary, ‘main criteria’ etc.), job specification and any specific notes relating to the role that have arisen from the client briefing.
- Advert created from the job specification and client criteria, and posted on all major job boards.
- Job passed to the Operations Director who creates a recruitment plan and allocates the most appropriate resourcer
- Details of the company and what they do (if the first job worked for the company)
- Recent company news that will enhance candidate by-in.
- What the job spec is asking for.
- What the hiring manager is looking for.
- Skill and experience requirements.
- Working out exactly what the candidate will be doing on a day to day basis.
- Who has done the job before and what was their background.
- Who their competitors are.
- Resourcers conduct database, job board and social media searches.
- Checking every day to see if any new potential candidates have appeared.
- Never giving up. Always asking HOW can I find the right person?
- All potential candidates contacted a minimum of 5 times via at least 3 mediums.
- Matching of potential candidates to the client criteria though candidate discussion with the resourcing team.
- Candidates added to the ACS system for tracking and GDPR compliant storage of their data.
- Candidates CV’s submitted to the client including resourcer notes highlighting the candidates match to the customers criteria.
- Confirmation email sent to candidates with a copy of the job spec and the salary they have been submitted at.
- Unsuccessful applicants promptly and professionally rejected.
- Gather feedback from the customer for CV’s we have submitted.
- Make sure candidates are updated with their progress, positive or negative.
- Based on feedback, asking ‘HOW does this change what we have been searching for?’.
- Constantly checking with the team for new angles to improve the search results.
- Different team members looking at the role so see if they can find someone that the last person didn’t.
- Readvertising roles.
- Searching and then searching again.
- ACS Account Management team organise interviews, liaising between clients and candidates to agree suitable times and locations.
- Written confirmation sent to candidates and customers confirming all of the details of the interview.
- Checking at every step of the process that the candidate is engaged and prepared.
- Candidates are prepared for the interview by the ACS candidate team.
- Close to the interview date - check the candidate is attending and has planned their journey.
- Check candidate it on their way on the day of the interview.
- Debrief candidate – gain interview feedback.
- Debrief client – exchange interview feedback.
- Provide interview feedback to candidates and trial-close.
- Unsuccessful applicants promptly and professionally rejected.
- Full details obtained from the client prior to an offer being made.
- Present an offer to a candidate and confirm acceptance.
- Confirm acceptance to client and agree next steps.
- Confirm offer letter / contract has been sent, signed, and returned.
- Prepare candidate for resignation from their current role so that they can’t be talked out of resigning.
- Debrief candidate following resignation and confirm start date.
- Stay in touch with client and candidate pre-start.
- Confirm candidate has started.
- After placement meeting with client and conduct quality audit.
- Keep in touch with the candidate for their first three months of employment to make sure they are happy in their new role.
- Report any concerns back to the customer so that they can intervein.
Book a Zoom call
We work with our clients on their individual projects and person specifications.
You can book a 20-minute Zoom call here.
