A recent survey by the Institute of Leadership and Management revealed that as many as 20% of UK employees planned to quit their job in the 12 months that followed, with an additional 31% saying that they were unsure about whether they would stay in their current role in the long term*. As recruiters, this could really effect the placements we make, and the relationships we have with our clients. Avoid a dreaded fee refund and read on to find out how to ensure your placements stay put.
Keep in touch with your candidates
Communication is crucial in making the best of a new placement. Work to build a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, and touch base with them regularly within the first few weeks of them starting work. Keeping in touch with your candidates gives you the opportunity to problem solve from the beginning. Making yourself aware of any hiccups along the way allows you to talk with your candidate and come up with various solutions they’d be happy with. You are then able to approach your client with multiple options on how to ensure their employee remains happy – and your proactive efforts get you a few brownie points in the process!
The importance of open communication with clients
Interaction with your client is equally important. You need to know of any planned changes within your candidate’s department so you can manage expectations. Talk of potential salary freezes or rumours of office relocation could cause your candidate to start looking for roles with other companies. Develop open lines of communication with your client; ensure you know of these issues before word reaches your candidate, and work to solve any problems before they arise.
Use your data to back up your suggestions
Whilst speaking to your candidates take note of what they tell you, compare it with what you told them about the role; does it match? Let me give you an example – when selling a role to a candidate we may have drawn attention to the opportunity for making bonuses in relation to the sales aspects of the role. After speaking to your candidate after they had started the role, you realise the sales opportunities open to them have been reduced. Speak to your client and ask why the role has changed, point out that a role with less of a sales element normally commands a higher base salary; and show them evidence for that, use your own experience and the roles you’ve been hiring for or published reports like this one from Reliable Growth
This aftercare service benefits your candidate because it’s likely they’ll see an increase in their base salary, and your client because they won’t lose the candidate as a result of dissatisfaction – win, win!
Communication is at the core of this process; recording your conversations and tracking potential outcomes can give you data to back up your suggestions, ensuring you’re in a healthier position when asking for something. It’s important to remember that placements are not the end of the recruitment service that agencies offer, staying engaged with both your placed candidate and your client will ensure both parties are happy with the new arrangement, meaning you can avoid the potential for placement loss and fee refunds!
