5 ways recruiters can support your business long-term

Whether you are a small business looking to make a single hire or a large organisation with significant and complex resourcing needs, there are proven benefits to forging a long-term, trusted, working relationship with an effective recruitment partner.

Why use recruiters?

In the current market, where the best people are hard to find and employers are facing multiple recruitment and retention challenges, working with a professional recruiter makes good business sense.

Here are 5 reasons to choose a recruiter to support your business:

1. Sourcing: Recruiters use their expertise to attract people who are a good fit for your business. They have access to a broad range of advertising platforms including job boards, social media and professional networks as well as their own databases.

At Allen Associates, we are particularly proud of our database which is updated weekly and only comprises candidates that have been interviewed and assessed by our qualified team of recruiters. We never register anyone that we haven’t interviewed. We are fortunate to be able to attract quality applicants, thanks to our 25 year track record and reputation in Oxford and Oxfordshire.

2. Screening and shortlisting: Recruiters can save your business valuable time and resources by screening CVs and application forms, conducting initial scoping interviews, and assessing candidates' qualifications, skills and attributes against the specifics of your job description and brief. They have years of experience, so unless you have your own in-house recruitment specialist, external recruiters will almost certainly be able to do this quicker and more effectively.

Because all the candidates on Allen Associates’ database have been pre-qualified, it is simple for us to identify the most suitable people for your vacancies. We also advertise extensively to attract new candidates as and when we need to. We will introduce you to a shortlist of candidates who are likely to be the best fit for the role and your organisation, so that you can focus your energy on the interview process.

If you develop a long-standing relationship with a recruiter and allow them to get to know your organisation, how you operate and what’s important to you, the more effectively they will be able to identify the right permanent and temporary staff for you.

3. Managing the process: Recruiters are ideally placed to advise and support you at every stage of the recruitment process. The most time-consuming aspects of recruitment often centre around administration, co-ordination and communication. Recruiters will take this off your plate, by liaising with all parties and arranging interviews, communicating regularly with candidates, providing two-way feedback, carrying out reference checks, and managing the necessary paperwork and documentation. Involving a recruiter streamlines the process and ensures a professional and efficient experience for both your organisation and the candidates.

4. Providing market insights and information: Recruiters are knowledgeable about market trends, salaries and hiring practices. They will share their insights with you and advise you on ways in which you can improve your processes, better showcase your employer brand and become more successful at attracting your first choice of candidate. They will also advise you if they feel you need to revisit your expectations or adjust your salary and benefits in line with current trends or competitor activities.

At Allen Associates, we publish a report into the Oxfordshire Recruitment Market as well as regular blogs on recruitment, wellbeing and people management topics, often written by experts in their fields, which are available to read in our Knowledge Centre.

5. Helping to build your talent pipeline: Recruiters often have extensive networks and connections within their region, forging ongoing relationships with a broad range of people. By building rapport and nurturing these relationships, recruiters can create a talent pipeline to meet future hiring needs, ensuring a continuous pool of potential candidates for your business.

What can a recruiter do for a company… besides recruitment?

Working with a recruitment partner can add significant value to a business over time.

Acting as a trusted adviser, recruiters have the market knowledge, insights and connections to support growth in many different ways.

In addition to recruitment, we can help you to:

• Make the most of your employer brand and advise on how to leverage it at every stage of the hiring process
• Help you to refine your vacancies to attract the best candidates in line with your broader talent acquisition strategies
• Develop a better understanding of the labour market within your local area and industry sector, for example, sharing insights into candidate availability, behaviours and expectations
• Support your succession planning and talent development programmes
• Ensure candidates receive the best possible experience so that they develop an overwhelmingly positive impression and act as ambassadors for your organisation and potentially becoming part of a future talent pool, regardless of whether they are offered the job

How can Allen Associates support your business?

If you choose Allen Associates as your recruitment partner in Oxford and Oxfordshire, you can expect an unrivalled level of attention and support, tailored to suit your needs.

We are proud to offer:

• The best selection of pre-interviewed and assessed candidates for your PA and Administration, HR, Marketing and Finance vacancies – both temporary and permanent. Find out more about our approach and how we work with employers
• Fully qualified recruiters who will collaborate on your vacancy and provide you with an exceptionally high level of service. Meet our team
• Ongoing advice, guidance and support to help make the hiring process as effective and painless as possible
• Added value in the form of a highly-regarded and well established HR Hub with free online events featuring engaging guest speakers and quarterly employment law updates, Oxfordshire-specific recruitment market reports and regular blogs by experts in their fields.

Build a recruitment relationship shaped to suit your needs now and in the future

Allen Associates was established in Oxford in 1998 by Kate and Rob Allen who still play an active role in agency life today, working closely with Managing Director Eleanor Bromage.

Allen Associates is focussed on the Oxford and Oxfordshire markets which means we have an in-depth knowledge of the businesses, educational establishments and not-for-profit organisations that call this region home.

We work with an exciting range of clients, of all sizes and in all sectors, which enables us to attract the best candidates, many of whom return to us time and again as they build and develop their careers in the areas that we specialise in: PA and Administration, HR, Marketing and Finance.

If you have a vacancy that you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch. We would love to work with you.