A business is only as good as the people behind it. Even if a business has an honest-to-goodness, fantastic product or stand-out service, it takes a team of talented, dedicated individuals to get that product or service to customers and to keep the business going.
It therefore becomes imperative that the selection of every member on the team is conducted with utmost care and discernment. Since finding suitable candidates is a speciality in itself, businesses would do well to engage the services of a recruitment agency in Singapore to make sure that this essential process is properly performed.
But how does an employment agency go about sourcing and selecting suitable candidates? The answer lies in a variety of methods to help the agency’s recruiters to find the closest match possible to what a business is looking for.
Hire and Seek
The process begins when a business approaches a recruitment agency with a position that needs to be filled. The agency will ask for details such as title and job description, start date and salary range. The recruitment professional will also ask the business’ hiring manager about the kind of skills the candidate should have, and whether they are required or preferred.
The agency then refers to its existing database to see whether anyone fits the business’ requirements. Should the business wish to keep looking, a good employment agency in Singapore has recourse to various means of candidate sourcing.
Recruiters at agencies tap job sites and social media platforms, not just LinkedIn but Facebook and Twitter as well. Passive jobseekers on these platforms tend to be the ones that attract the attention of recruiters as well as their clients.
As dredging through thousands of profiles and resumes is both tedious and time-consuming, the use of recruitment advertising platforms has come into play. There are also Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS’ that automatically scan and filter resumes based on keywords. It should be noted, however, that a good recruitment consultant does not rely on an ATS alone.
The Personal Touch
A recruiter will make personal contact with prospective candidates whenever possible. In an era of impersonal communications via social media and other digital platforms, the importance of personal contact cannot be emphasised enough. Sincerity and commitment, two important traits recruiters look for in a candidate, may be difficult to detect online or even just over a call.
To attract candidates, recruitment agencies in Singapore may host events such as career fairs, ‘open house days’ and other opportunities for networking. An effective recruitment professional uses these events not just to meet job seekers in person, but to get to know people from the various industries they serve.
It is important for recruiters to maintain their contacts within different industries to keep in touch with current trends. Events also enable recruiters to familiarise themselves with positions they are trying to fill or might have to fill in the future, as well as to spot ideal candidates for them.
Recruitment professionals nurture their growing database by taking care of the candidates they already have, thus retaining their loyalty. They stay in touch with jobseekers and help to strengthen their resumes, as well as provide advice for applying and for nailing interviews.
Recruiters also tend to place particular emphasis on referrals from employees already within a specific company, or from candidates whom they’ve helped to find a job. A referral is a signal to a recruiter that a candidate has earned enough of a person’s trust and respect for that person to recommend him.
Screening and Selection
Upon identifying ideal candidates, the employment agency gets in touch with them and speaks to them personally as part of a pre-screening process. If the candidate is actively looking for a job, the recruitment professional will ask about his reasons for wanting to leave his present position as well as his priorities, which include office location, work schedule and preferred salary.
If the candidate is not actively seeking a new position, the agency representative usually describes the business that is looking to hire (without naming it), and discusses the qualifications that the business is looking for. The recruiter also asks the candidate what it would take for him to consider applying for the position.
Recruitment agencies generally make a shortlist of seven to 10 candidates whom they then invite over for a face-to-face interview. The interview usually covers a candidate’s education, career objectives and experience, and reasons for leaving their previous jobs. A business might also ask the agency to give the candidates personality tests or exams to assess their skills.
The shortlist is then further reduced to about five potential hires and sent to the business looking to fill a position on their staff. The HR manager at the business will look over the candidates on the list and lets the recruitment agency know which ones have been chosen for interviews.
The agency then follows up with both the candidates and the client to find out how the interview went and whether a selection has been made. The recruitment professional will then discuss the offer in detail with the chosen candidate. In case the business does not choose anyone, the recruiter finds out why in order to inform a new search.
Get Help From Your HR Partner
As the HR Partner of choice of some of the world’s best known companies, Elitez specialises in finding the right candidates to suit the needs of businesses across various industries, including retail, hospitality, FMCG, luxury, banking and non-medical healthcare.
We have an exclusive and dedicated team to help you plan and manage your recruitment requirements. We also have access to human resource consultants whose expertise lies in matching talent with career opportunities.
Our local and regional database of qualified and skilled candidates enables us to help businesses to discover, if need be, talents even from overseas. Our candidate profile provides resources for full-time, flexi-time and permanent staff. Elitez also makes the most out of its technological resources to train talents, ensuring that they have the skills your business needs.
We stay up to date with current economic and industry trends, even as we pay close attention to what you are looking for in a prospective hire. Contact us to take that first step towards finding new recruits who are the best fit for your business, now.
