by Lewis Booth, Resourcing Director
Time is something we all seem to be painfully short on - so it might be tempting to rush through the ever-increasing list of things we have to do each day. But what I see, in the work I do, is that finding the right person for our clients, at speed, doesn’t serve anyone. Using this approach can only end with two possible outcomes – we get lucky after several attempts, or our hard-won, valued client understandably loses patience and goes elsewhere. That’s not how we work.
Recruiting within construction needs a few things to be in place from the outset to get it right and find the right person for the role. And this takes time. We allow each new project the space it needs to get the essential foundations in place. It means we will achieve a strong match, delight the candidate, impress the client and, without doubt, save a lot of wasted time.
We need to know what the client is looking for. We start by asking the important questions… understanding the organisation’s culture and environment and knowing what they are offering in terms of location, position, salary, prospects, training and other benefits. We also need to be acutely aware of our client’s expectations of their potential new hire.
This groundwork not only informs the current piece of work but it also makes future resourcing so much more effective. Our client knowledge increases with every project. As the relationship develops, we can pick up the phone and quickly shortcut to our client’s needs. It sounds obvious and simple – but you’d be surprised how often these basics are overlooked in favour of the ‘quick, send out a ton of CVs and see what sticks’ approach.
For the candidate, they know we care. We genuinely take the time to listen, manage their applications and advise every step of the way. It’s vital that we know what they are looking for and what kind of workplace suits them. Knowing their skillset, including the aspects of work they enjoy and excel at, is key. We also want to learn about ambitions and future career plans. We need to know our candidates so we can help them – but also so we don’t mismatch them with our clients.
As we often work with candidates who are more senior, they might be short of time, so they trust us to work discreetly in the background to find them some well-considered options. We will review and refresh their CV and covering letter, help them to get interview ready and stay in close contact throughout the process. It makes a real difference to the whole process.
Longer term candidates might return to use our services but the shorter term view is that they’ll recommend us for doing a good job (and getting them a good job!).
Being realistic, creating good matches, getting to know all involved and using our sector connections and networks all adds up to a 5-star service. And crucially, we don’t waste anyone’s time.
Contact Lewis Booth
Resourcing Director, Procter and Street
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