01 Mar Latest Blog

The importance of client engagement

Client relationships are a key element of an impressive recruitment service. Now more than ever, in today’s highly candidate-driven market, a personalised, tailored approach will always provide the most effective outcomes.

Candidates are prioritising culture and the wider benefits package over being solely driven by salary and those that do tick all the boxes to make them a perfect hire can be few and far between.

Here at Wills Consultants, we recognise the importance of client engagement and building strong working relationships with our customers to ensure the best possible results. We have recently enrolled in a six-month coaching programme to further enhance our customer experience and our longstanding clients value the fact that we know and understand their business and their requirements and use that knowledge to find them the most appropriate recruit.

Learn the needs of your client’s business

If you take the time to engage properly with a client, learn the needs of their business and build trust between you, the communication channels will improve which will therefore improve the quality of the candidate you will present to them.

If you invest in learning the culture of the client’s business and their goals, as well as identify any skills gap and their specific set of needs, you can provide a much more detailed criteria for the type of candidate they need and want and quickly identify those people that are likely to thrive – rather than just survive – in that environment.

By taking the time to get to know your clients, properly understanding their businesses and requirements and building trust and effective communication, the quality of recruitment help you can offer will majorly improve.

One golden nugget

Currently, in the accountancy and finance sector for example, vacancies are high but the number of good quality candidates is low.

Most firms are looking for a good accountant with the right qualifications and previous experience in an accountancy practice. There might be 50 of those currently looking for roles. Of those people, maybe 20 are happy to work in the locality you’re recruiting for. Of that 20, perhaps only five have the required skillset and are happy with the salary on offer, and of those five, potentially only one fits the company culture.

So, if we only have one potential candidate up for grabs, as a recruiter, we are most likely to offer that golden nugget to one of our most valued clients.

When we get that rare person who ticks all the boxes, we are much more likely to share them with a client with whom we have the best working relationship, who proactively engages with our work to assist them and values our contribution to their business.

Close relationships are vital

We often know about 90% of the candidates out there looking for work. The likelihood of firms finding a hire on a job board is next to zero at the moment. Headhunting and identifying potential candidates through recruitment research is a much more successful approach.

It is all about client engagement and relationships. It is vital to create those close relationships whereby client and recruiter work together to pinpoint exactly what is needed and find that perfect hire.

Start your relationship with our team today. Call 01536 512202.