How do independent recruiters work with HR?
From streamlining qualifications to maintaining frequent communication, here are 8 answers to the question, “How can independent recruiters work effectively with an internal HR person?”
- Start by Streamlining Qualifications
- Coordinate Frequently
- Listen More Than You Talk in Early Meetings
- Get to Know Organizational Values.
- View Them as a Partner Instead of a Competitor
- Gather Information and Understand Their Needs
- Set Expectations for the Role
- Maintain Frequent Communication
Start by Streamlining Qualifications
Start by streamlining qualifications. It’s important to be on the same page in terms of the key qualifications you’re looking for. When speaking with your internal HR partner, go over these qualifications and make sure you both have a clear understanding of what they need to look for when sourcing candidates. This will help narrow down the candidate pool quickly so that you can both more easily identify the best-fit candidates.
Michael Fischer, Founder, Elite HRT
Coordinate Frequently
Both an internal HR person and an independent recruiter need to be on the same page in terms of what they are looking for in candidates. The two should coordinate frequently to keep the search moving in a positive direction. They should also be sure to align their expectations for the hiring process. If one person is expecting a quick hire and the other is anticipating a drawn-out search, there will likely be conflict.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely
Listen More Than You Talk in Early Meetings
Before you can find the right person for a position, you need to understand that role, its work environment, and what the company needs from it.
Listening attentively and thoughtfully to the internal HR team will go a long way to gaining this knowledge. Even roles that have similar titles can have distinct differences that will affect the type of candidate you search for, so you never want to go on auto-pilot and assume you know what to look for. Some recruiters launch right into explaining their search strategy and process before they’ve even asked a single question, and that’s completely backward.
You shouldn’t even be thinking about the details of how you’ll fill a role until you’ve done the legwork to figure out exactly what that role entails.
Archie Payne, CEO, Caltek Staffing
Get to Know Organizational Values
If you want to win the recruiting game as an outsider, you need to know what priorities and preferences are on the inside. How do you do this? Get to know corporate values! When you get to know corporate values, it will become very clear which applicants should move forward.
Joey Price, Owner and Podcast Host, Jumpstart:HR, LLC
View Them as a Partner Instead of a Competitor
When working with an internal HR person, one of the most important tips is to view them as a partner rather than a competitor. Instead of competing against each other, they should work together to reach the shared goal of finding the best talent. This means being open to collaboration, communicating clearly and openly, and respecting each other’s perspectives and opinions. By working together, recruiters and HR personnel can leverage each other’s experience and resources to ensure the best possible hiring outcome and create a more efficient hiring process that will yield the best results.
Shaun Connell, Founder, Writing Tips Institute
Gather Information and Understand Their Needs
Before undertaking any recruitment project, independent recruiters should have an in-depth understanding of the client’s organization and their specific requirements. Involving the internal HR person is a great way to ensure that you’re well-informed before taking on the task.
Ask questions about company culture, the job posting process, expectations from candidates during interviews, and so on. This will give you essential insights into the recruitment process, minimizing any chances of unwanted surprises. Once you understand their needs, you can make sure that your methods and strategies align with their goals.
Asker Ahmed, Director and Founder, iProcess
Set Expectations for the Role
It’s important to set expectations and roles between you and the internal HR person. Establish which tasks each of you will be responsible for in order to ensure that the recruiting process runs smoothly.
For example, you may handle initial contact with potential candidates while the HR person handles interviews or long-term tracking of applicants. You should also talk to the HR person about how you can best work together and establish a timeline of steps to ensure that everything is completed in an organized manner.
Communication between both parties should be regular to help keep the process on track, so make sure you are open and responsive to any questions or requests from them.
Yusuf Shurbaji, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Prismfly
Maintain Frequent Communication
One tip is to maintain frequent communication. This is essential to ensure that tasks are completed accurately and on-time. Keeping internal HR personnel informed of progress on any project ensures that everyone stays on the same page. It also makes it easier to find effective solutions if any challenges pop up.
Ai Hiura, CMO and Cofounder, Faverie
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