I've recruited senior level sales and marketing professionals on behalf of technology and telecoms businesses for over 20 years. During that time, I've met dozens – maybe hundreds – who were dissatisfied with the performance of their recruitment or search partner.

I find this extremely worrying.

Admittedly, I'm not totally unhappy that our competitors are underperforming (it helps us to stand out). But when so many recruitment firms lack professionalism or fail to deliver, the industry's bad reputation rubs off on specialist recruiters, like us, who actually do the job properly.

As an employer, what can you do about it?

A 'CV waiter' metaphorically serves you a pile of CVs on a plate, expecting you to choose your own. What you really need is a recruitment partner – someone who partners with you to source and qualify the best candidate.

Before appointing a recruitment partner, ask yourself this question:

“Do I believe the consultant and their company have the track record, candidate network, resources, and correct approach to find the best candidate within my budget and timescales?”

If the answer is YES, ask yourself:

“Will I work with that recruitment/search firm on a exclusive or retained basis?”

If you answered NO to the second question, the real answer to question one must also be NO. In this case, find out where the weak spot is. Keep asking more qualifying questions. If you can’t get to YES/YES, find an alternative recruitment or search partner. When you can, you’ll be rewarded with a ‘trusted advisor’ business relationship rather than a ‘CV waiter’.

What next?

Next time you are looking for a Manager, Director or VP within your Sales or Marketing department, let's have an informal conversation. After we've understood your goals, we'll recommend the best way to proceed – no hard sell, we promise.