“Whoah! Hold on a minute”, you say, “not all websites are suitable for that kind of personalisation. It won’t look professional to our clients, and will only encourage Rec to Recs and rival agencies to headhunt my best recruiters”. I’ve got news for you, your rivals, and headhunting agencies already know who all your recruiters are, what sectors they cover, how long they’ve been with you, and probably who their clients are. Recruitment consultants advertise and speak with clients and candidates every single day, of course people in the industry will know about them. The only people who don’t know, are the new candidates you are trying to attract. In principle, any of your staff could be approached by a rival at any time (I was told that I should be worried if I didn’t receive regular approaches.) You cannot control or limit this. What you can do, is show how proud you are to have them on board, to make them feel that they are part of the company. Show them off. Your recruiters, and their expertise, are the best advert possible for your company. By doing this, you make it less likely that they will want to move elsewhere.
Not only this, but it also follows that your current, and potential clients will appreciate knowing who they are dealing with too. We know that clients identify with the individual recruiters who are working their vacancies far more than the agencies they work for. Being more open on your website will make it easier for clients to choose your company above other.
What do we mean by “Personalise?”
Firstly, no-one really wants to know intimate details, so there’s no need to mention anything irrelevant, like football teams, hobbies and favourite movies (I know). What is essential though, is a short pitch, which details why you are qualified to represent or recruit for them.
Here’s an example:
Name: Stephen O’Donnell FIRP (Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals)
Experience: 23 years professional recruitment experience of permanent staff and professional contractors, from graduate to Board Level.
Sector: Manufacturing, engineering, sales, particular specialisation in the polymer processing industries. I am the foremost recruiter in the plastic injection moulding industry in Scotland. I have recruited entire workforces for newly established companies, and established sole recruiter status with many of the major employers in this sector. I have extensive and intimate knowledge of personnel in product design and rapid prototyping for mass manufacture.
Tel: 0141 572 5301
Email stephen@ayeright.co.uk
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenodonnelluk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/stephenodonn
Including social media links, shows that your recruiters are approachable too. Ignore the protestations of recruiters, and insert a photo of them too. A picture of your office location also gives candidates a fuller picture of your company, that they can relate to.
My contention is that this not only makes you more approachable and visible in your sector, but it also makes both clients and candidates much more loyal to you. In an extremely competitive industry, where it is vital to be the first (and only) recruiter to submit a candidate, and that your clients will resist the temptation to brief other agencies for the same job.
Openness engenders loyalty. And loyalty from your recruiters, your clients, and your candidates will pay dividends many times over.
