Whether you are a client organization or candidate, there’s a lot that you’ll need to think about when deciding on a recruitment agency.

You’ll have to give careful thought to the type of recruitment company that you choose, for example – an agency that recruits for a specific industry, such as accounting and finance, typically being very different to an executive search recruitment agency or a temporary recruiting agency.

Other factors that will make a given recruitment firm right or wrong for your needs, might include their particular expertise, experience and affordability. But there’s something else that’s really important when you’re choosing a recruitment company: its values.

Why do a recruitment agency’s values matter so much?

You’ll have probably heard a lot down the years about value-based recruitment – a strategy for hiring that emphasizes how well a candidate’s specific values, beliefs and aspirations fit in with those of the potential employer.

When you hire for, or seek out an employer on the basis of shared values – such as the importance of compassion, creativity and/or reliability – you’ll be able to maximize your chances of achieving a harmonious and long-lasting match.

So, with that understood, it’s a similar situation when you’re picking between recruitment companies. A recruitment firm with the right values will probably have a more positive and productive relationship with you as its client organization or candidate, and is therefore likelier to achieve matches that are successful in the long run.

The values and qualities that your next hiring firm should have

Let’s imagine, then, that you are an organization looking to hire top talent for your finance and accounting department – or an individual with big ambitions in this field, seeking your next exciting role. Either way, what are the best qualities that your chosen recruitment firm should have?

We’d suggest the following:

• A personal and engaged approach. Is the recruitment company that you’re considering overly obsessed with high volumes of business and winning those big commissions? Are they just trying to shove whatever talent is currently in their database into whatever vacancies might seem vaguely suited to them? Or are they people-oriented, focusing on creating mutually satisfying connections, rather than mere contracts?
• A complete, value-and-results-focused process. A good recruitment agency, especially in a ‘bull market’ field such as accounting and finance, will know that the best candidates need to be wooed – not just put through a funnel. The best recruitment firm for your needs, then, won’t merely push talent here, there and everywhere – it’ll have a proven multi-step process, including work to ‘sell’ the client company’s attributes to ensure the best possible candidate is retained. Such a company will know that such stages as identification, research, recruiting, assessment and interviewing all need to have attention devoted to them.
• A helpful and problem-solving philosophy. Recruitment agencies can ultimately only continue to exist if they satisfy the parties that they work with. So, there needs to be a sense that your chosen recruitment firm really will serve you. Is this a company that seems happy to answer your questions, and that is calm, deliberate and professional in how it conducts itself? Does it have a track record of assisting the likes of finance and accounting executives, HR executives and corporations in achieving their long-term recruitment goals?
• A belief in long-lasting relationships.Does the recruitment agency in question believe in cultivating strong relationships with its clients – both employers and candidates – for life? Ask yourself whether the recruitment company seems to have a process that is geared for long-term success, with an emphasis on identifying candidates that won’t just be hired, but will actually stay

If these are values that you think your next recruitment company should have, here at MAM Recruiting, we’d like to hear from you. Feel free to call us on (214) 986-6082, or email[email protected].