At Nine Twenty, we have been sourcing IT and digital talent for
high-growth SMEs for over 16 years. We have supported
start-ups, helped them grow and supplied them with the digital
talent they needed, all the way through to a successful exit.
The current Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the digital
transformation of most businesses. And, of course, this makes the
quest for IT talent more competitive than ever.
A common practice when using recruitment agencies is to engage
multiple agencies at once to fill a limited number of roles. But
when agencies are put in opposition to each other, the focus of the
recruitment process moves from quality candidate selection to
speed, candidate 'ownership' and aggressive, competitive
tactics.
The upshot is a diminished selection process with limited focus
on the candidate's cultural fit. For the hiring company,
this can lead to duplicate CVs being submitted by different
agencies and wasted time spent assessing candidates who have
expressed no interest in working for it.
For this reason, it makes sense for both the prospective
employer and the IT recruitment agency to establish an exclusive
relationship. By establishing a degree of commitment on both sides
it boosts the likelihood that the client will get the right person
for the role.
Agree a fee
The idea of 'payment by results' is not the best way to
engage with a specialist recruiter. Working with a specialist
IT recruitment partner on an exclusive basis - with a pre-agreed
fee structure - makes more sense.
This is because it reduces the level of financial risk for the
agency and so gives its consultants more time to understand the
client's digital needs.
Getting to know you
If yours is a company in the process of building a
digital team but is unknown to the IT and development community,
there is another good reason to 'go exclusive' with your preferred
IT recruitment partner.
With no profile amongst a targeted talent pool, you need to
promote your organisation as an attractive place to work. You must
build the profile of your brand as an employer.
Allowing your exclusive IT recruitment partner to promote your
employer brand in a consistent manner makes the recruitment process
smarter, more efficient and, ultimately, more successful in
delivering the skills you need.
Demand for digital skills is only going to increase in the
coming months and years. Competition for IT and software
development talent will remain fierce, and it is time for employers
to think through their use of recruitment agencies.
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