You’ve probably heard or seen our tag-line “relationship-based recruiting” before. But what exactly is it and why does it matter? And more importantly, why should it matter to you?
First and foremost, recruiting companies vary in the degree that they interact and get to know their clients. At True Source, relationships with our candidates and clients matter most. And that is how we build success: by fostering relationships with people on all sides. If we don’t work at these professional friendships, or if we do so half-heartedly, we’re not going to get very far with what we do.
At its simplest, relationship-based recruiting means we want to know you. And this is how all recruiting firms used to operate. Somewhere along the way, especially in some of the larger, national recruiting firms, that core value of relationship-building has been compromised. For instance, a lot of companies will simply rely on phone screens to “know” a candidate. They are pretty much looking at one thing: whether a candidate’s skills match a job opening. That’s it.
At our company, we want to get to know our candidates—strengths, job aspirations, accomplishments, goals, family situation, etc. —as well as we can, so we can ultimately find the ideal job for each individual that meets or exceeds their expectations! How do we do this? We take the time and go beyond a basic phone screen. We meet every single candidate of ours in person. We ask a lot of questions. We listen well. We follow up.
But we do more. Relationship-based recruiting, after all, is a lot more than talking to people and responding to emails (although that takes up a good portion of time!). We use the “we find you” approach to hiring—as opposed to the “you find us” method. We are proactively searching out referrals from former employees, top employees, friends and family, to find the best talent.
Once we find someone, do we immediately spill the beans? Nope. Because we care about relationships with our candidates, we will only present someone’s candidacy to our clients after we are given permission. This is another thing that sets True Source apart.
The other side of the equation, of course, is our relationship with our clients. Again, our commitment to excellent and ongoing communication is integral to this process. We have direct relationships with our client managers; we know them. When a job opens up, we talk to the manager to determine what the project is, what type of person he/she is looking for, and what the job culture is like there.
Knowing this helps us make the right match. Instead of simply plugging resumes into a web portal, like some recruiting firms do, we want to make sure that the character and goals of the candidate will fit client expectations. Instead of being driven by numbers, we are driven by people.
We are deeply committed to the people we work with and we care about the details. Without these standards, our business would be, at best, mediocre.