As a legal recruitment consultant, working as a link between clients and candidates, I am aware of the inner workings of the hiring process that many individuals will not have considered. I take pride and commitment in ensuring that I help build the relationship between a client and a candidate, so that eachparty may get the best outcome of the situation possible.
Many of my friends are curious as to what my job actually entails and how I can really add value to the recruitment process, asking ‘What are your actual day to day tasks?’ Essentially, my role is split into two main areas, The Client and The Candidate, allow me to explain:
The Client
Without the involvement of a consultant, a client can have either a large volume of applicants – many of which will be unsuited to the role and have to be sorted through – or a small volume of applicants, or even an absence of applicants entirely. For a client who does not already have systems for recruiting new team members, this can be a time consuming and frustrating process.
The Candidate
On the other side, a candidate searching for a role must search through a large number of job ads – some of which are written by individuals with an inadequate understanding of the legal profession – and apply with a CV that may not emphasise the relevant qualities that the candidate possesses. Once the application is sent the candidate must wait for a response, sometimes not even having a contact name to follow up with and often hearing nothing back if they have not been successful.
The overall process is improved with the presence of a consultant. For the client, having a dedicated professional who understands the specifics of the role and can tailor applications means they will have a higher quality shortlist to consider. The consultant will almost certainly already have a number of high quality candidates to discuss the role with, but can also post clear and concise job adverts that notify further candidates to the role. Once the shortlist is finalised by the client, the consultant will relay all the relevant information to the candidates, meaning one conversation for the client results in all candidates being aware of the information with very little time invested.
For the candidate, the consultant can offer the role without them having to spend time searching through job listings, and can discuss the role in depth to determine their suitability. The advice that the consultant gives will set the candidate on the right course to be offered the role since they can flag up potential issues or emphasise useful qualities before the candidate even interviews. Once the process is started the consultant will keep the candidate updated throughout, with the benefit of the candidate having a clear answer at each stage. If the candidate is invited to interview, the consultant will give useful information that they may not otherwise have had, including the dynamics of the team they will potentially be joining, the style of interview and questions that will be asked, the character traits the interviewers will be looking for, and elementary interview advice that is easy to forget in the heat of the moment if not prepared.
For me, possibly the most important part of my role is once past the first stage of interviews. The relationship that is building between the client and the candidate is nurtured by the consultant, I can relay positives and negatives across to each side if they did not come up during the interview. The consultant will also be able to negotiate around the position without damaging the relationship, and can ask the more difficult questions that will move the negotiation forward without either side feeling they have to be unreasonable. Above all, while the logistics and troubleshooting of the process will be improved, it is the optimised relationships between clients and candidates that benefit all parties the most.
If you have not previously worked with a recruitment consultant, I hope you now have reasons to consider building a relationship with us. It is our job to make the best of the circumstances you are in and deliver the most beneficial outcome for you. If you would like to know more, please get in touch.
For any questions or if you would like to hear more about my role and the way in which TAP Search operates, please do not hesitate to me on 02071275274 or email robarmitage@tapsearch.co.uk
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