ri-2024

Most agencies are prioritising the wrong things

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:36:59 GMT

Most agencies are prioritising the wrong things

Most agency owners are chasing growth in all the wrong places. They focus on landing new clients, adding consultants, or experimenting with AI tools, all while missing the two priorities that matter more than anything else: the skill level of their consultants and the percentage of roles they actually fill. Everything else is secondary. If your consultants aren’t capable and your fill rates are low, no amount of BD or branding will save you.

The data backs this up in black and white. Recruiter Insider analysed thousands of consultants across tens of thousands of job orders. The highest-performing consultants, the ones delivering consistently strong results, weren’t the ones doing more. They were doing better. Better job qualification. Better candidate preparation. Better client advice. They were operating with clarity, control, and consistency. The impact was extraordinary.

Agencies with consultants scoring in the top quartile for key behaviours more than doubled their fill rates, moving from a base of 30 to 35 percent to an average of 70 to 75 percent. This is not theoretical. These are actual results observed inside real agencies. And they’re not the result of heroics or luck. They come from repeatable, coachable actions.

Fill rate is the single clearest indicator of whether a recruitment business is functioning properly. If you're not filling roles, you're burning time, damaging your reputation, and killing profitability. A 15 to 20 percent uplift in fill rate can mean hundreds of thousands in extra revenue per office. That’s more margin, more commission, more growth, all without increasing job volume. Most agencies are sitting on the opportunity to transform performance just by improving what happens between job brief and placement.

That doesn’t mean other areas aren’t important. But they come after. They support and reinforce, not replace, the foundations. For example, take job qualification. A sloppy or rushed job brief guarantees a messy process. Strong consultants don’t just take down a spec, they interrogate it. They challenge. They dig into the detail. They find out what really matters. And they document it in a way that sets the rest of the process up for success. This one behaviour alone improves candidate alignment and increases interview-to-placement ratios. It should be second nature, yet too many consultants gloss over it and pay the price later.

Then there’s speed. Not the frantic type that leads to poorly matched candidates or vague submissions. Real speed comes from clarity. When the brief is strong and the process is tight, consultants move fast because there’s no guesswork. Clients get what they need quicker and competitors don’t get a look-in. Time-to-fill improves, the client experience sharpens, and trust builds. All of it flows from the behaviours identified in the data.

Candidate experience is another overlooked lever. The whitepaper data is clear. Candidates who are well prepared, well informed, and properly managed are far more likely to convert. Yet the industry still treats candidate communication like a nice-to-have . Top consultants see it differently. They know that a well-briefed, confident candidate is more likely to show up, more likely to engage with feedback, and more likely to accept an offer. The result is fewer dropouts, higher offer acceptance, and less time wasted on backfilling or firefighting.

There’s also a myth that doing more interviews equals better performance. The data destroys that idea . Bottom-performing consultants often generate three times as many candidate interviews as top performers, yet place far fewer. Volume doesn't win. Precision does. When you understand the role, understand the candidate, and manage the process tightly, you don’t need fifteen interviews to fill a job. You need two or three good ones. That efficiency improves consultant morale, increases client trust, and drives faster results.

Client retention is another area that ties directly into this. Agencies that communicate clearly, update consistently, and manage expectations properly don’t just fill jobs, they keep clients. And long-term clients are where the money is. One retained account that trusts your delivery is worth more than five prospects who might never send a brief. Strong consultant behaviours don’t just win jobs, they protect revenue.

Training plays a key role. Top consultants aren’t born. They’re built. Agencies that embed behavioural training into onboarding and ongoing development outperform those that rely on charisma or instinct. The best consultants are constantly refining how they brief candidates, how they advise clients, how they manage timeframes, how they position salary and fit. These skills compound over time and the results speak for themselves.

Technology should be supporting this, not distracting from it. Too many tools add complexity without adding value. If your tech stack doesn’t help consultants qualify better, communicate faster, or track performance more accurately, it’s just noise. The best agencies streamline their tech around core behaviours that move the needle.

And finally, measurement. If you can’t see what your team is doing, you can’t improve it. But it’s not about calls made or CVs sent. That’s surface-level nonsense. You need to be measuring the moments that matter. Did they prepare the candidate. Did they advise the client on interview structure. Did they qualify the brief properly. These are the behaviours that drive fill rates. Everything else is noise.

If you’re serious about growing your agency, stop chasing distractions and start improving execution. Focus on what happens between job on and job filled. Start measuring behaviours. Start coaching the basics. And start holding your team to the standard your clients expect. The data is clear. The model is proven. All that’s left is to do the work (and to talk to us ��).

The Hidden Cost of Low Fill Rates

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:13:02 GMT

The Hidden Cost of Low Fill Rates

It’s easy to see fill rate as just a performance stat. A number on a dashboard. But when fill rates are low across a team or an agency, the impact goes far beyond that. There are hidden costs and they add up fast.

The workload problem most agencies miss

Our whitepaper data shows that consultants in the bottom quartile for fill rate were working 1.6 times more jobs than those in the top quartile, yet they filled fewer roles.

This isn’t a case of not working hard. It’s a case of working inefficiently. These consultants:

Spend time on poorly qualified jobs
Repeatedly chase unresponsive clients
Struggle with candidate disengagement late in the process

In contrast, top-quartile consultants work fewer roles, fill more of them, and experience less drop-off and admin waste.

The commercial hit

The financial difference is real. Let’s say a consultant is working 100 roles per year:

At a 30% fill rate, they make 30 placements
At a 50% fill rate, they make 50 placements

Assuming an average fee of £7,500, that’s a difference of £150,000 per consultant, per year.

And that’s before factoring in:

The opportunity cost of time spent on dead jobs
The damage to brand from poor candidate experience
The client churn caused by inconsistent delivery

Low fill rates don't just slow growth, they shrink margin.

The internal fallout

Low fill rates also have a silent impact on your team:

Consultants become frustrated chasing roles that don’t convert
New hires struggle to ramp when they inherit poor job pipelines
Managers spend more time troubleshooting process breakdowns than coaching performance

All of this affects culture, retention, and long-term productivity.

What Recruiter Insider reveals

With Recruiter Insider, you can:

See which clients and job types consistently underperform
Track consultant behaviour patterns that lead to drop-off or delays
Quantify the skill gaps linked to low fill rates such as time management, client control, or candidate communication

You’ll also see where top performers behave differently and can replicate those habits across the team.

For example, in our research:

Consultants in the top fill rate quartile scored 38% higher on “explained timeframes clearly”
Jobs where clients gave low feedback scores had 35% lower fill success
Candidate satisfaction above 8/10 correlated with a 26% higher fill rate

The takeaway

A low fill rate isn’t just a stat, it’s a signal. It tells you where time is being wasted, where consultants need support, and where client expectations are misaligned.

Fixing it unlocks more revenue, better productivity, and stronger client and candidate relationships.

Recruiter Insider gives you the data to see it clearly and the tools to act. Get a demo here to check it out

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation: What Actually Drives Results

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:08:08 GMT

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation:

What Actually Drives Results

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation:

What Actually Drives Results?

The recruitment industry has embraced automation with enthusiasm, almost to much for my liking. There was a period there in 2021/22/23 where all one ATS would talk about ad nauseam and make you believe is that without automation you would fail. Of course it was just a commercial play and one that many agencies took hook, line and sinker.

Automation comes in many guises, from AI-driven sourcing tools to automated outreach platforms, the projected promise is clear: do more with less. But while these tools may improve recruiter efficiency (and cost you an arm and a leg for the privilege) , they often fail to deliver where it matters most, filling more roles.

This raises a simple question: if automation makes us faster, why aren’t more jobs being filled? Seriously, why?

Efficiency without effectiveness is a dead end

Automation can help you send more emails, filter more CVs, and track more touchpoints. But none of that guarantees a better outcome. You can be highly efficient and yet still be ineffective.

Here’s what automation won’t fix:

A vague or poorly qualified job brief
A disengaged hiring manager who won’t give feedback
A consultant who doesn’t explain timeframes or manage expectations
A process with no ownership or follow-up
A role that was never aligned with market reality
A candidate who drops out because they feel ghosted or unsure
A client who keeps changing the goalposts mid-process
A consultant who avoids difficult conversations and loses control of the process

These are the reasons placements fall over. Not the number of emails sent. Not how quickly a CV is parsed.

What the data says about actual performance

Recruiter Insider has analysed thousands of roles, breaking down the behaviours that lead to successful placements. The results are clear:

Consultants in the top quartile of fill rate performance score significantly higher on communication, expectation management, and process clarity
These same consultants are not necessarily using more automation than their peers
The biggest uplift in fill rates comes from improving consultant behaviours , not speeding up admin tasks

In fact, consultants with weaker scores in these behavioural areas often work more jobs with more tools and achieve less.

What Recruiter Insider does differently

Rather than focusing on volume or speed, Recruiter Insider focuses on what works.

We track:

Where in the hiring process drop-off occurs
Which skills correlate to filled vs. unfilled roles
How each consultant's feedback scores map to commercial outcomes

It’s not about replacing the recruiter. It’s about making them better .

With Recruiter Insider, agencies can:

Identify consultants who are underperforming and why
Coach targeted behaviours that directly affect fill rates
Prioritise roles with higher conversion likelihood based on real-time experience data

Why automation alone falls short

Nearly all automation tools operate at the input level. They make it easier to do more outreach, schedule more interviews, or generate more activity.

But activity isn’t the bottleneck. In most agencies, the bottleneck is conversion, roles that get worked but never filled, candidates who drop out late, or clients who don’t move fast enough. All in all it's time, time wasted or time miss used.

That’s not an automation issue. It’s a process issue. A behavioural issue. A leadership issue.

Automation promises to free up time and do more with less, but if that time is spent doing the same things poorly what have you really gained?

The real solution: Insight-led performance

To genuinely improve fill rates, you need:

Visibility into what’s happening in the hiring journey
Accountability tied to behaviours, not just numbers
Insight to coach, guide, and correct in real time

That’s what Recruiter Insider delivers. And that’s why agencies using it consistently report:

Higher fill rates
More predictable outcomes
Reduced wasted effort across the team

Last thoughts...

Automation has a role to play, but it’s not the driver of results.

If your agency wants to fill more roles, don’t start with tools. Start with insight. Find out where things are breaking down, coach the right skills, and manage the process with intent.

Use automation to support that. Not replace it.

Recruiter Insider puts the focus back where it belongs: improving performance that leads to outcomes.

More filled jobs. Less guesswork. Better results.

Why Fill Rates Deserve More Attention in Your Agency

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:26:24 GMT

Why Fill Rates Deserve More Attention in Your Agency

Most agencies take the easy way out when looking at metrics, it's easy to focus on surface-level activity: jobs on, CVs sent, interviews booked. Quantity metrics that old school recruiters feel if you do enough you will get the results. But when that doesn't happen or it takes more than usual to achieve targets, little more is looked at to understand why.

The one metric every agency needs to put to the top of the list is Fill Rate (%). Fill rates are a clear measure of effectiveness. It shows whether consultants are managing the process well, whether your clients are engaged, and whether your agency is delivering outcomes, not just effort.

Recent analysis across Recruiter Insider data uncovered something crucial: consultants with higher fill rates aren’t taking on more jobs they’re simply working smarter. In fact, they often manage fewer roles but fill significantly more .

This isn't a theory. It’s backed by real numbers.

What does a low fill rate actually mean?

If roles aren’t converting, something is off. Is the brief unclear? Is the client slow? Or is the consultant missing key skills that drive a job to placement?

Across thousands of placements, Recruiter Insider data shows that consultants in the top quartile of fill rate performance score:

22% higher on client-rated communication
19% higher on managing candidate expectations
And most notably, 38% higher on “explained the interview process and timeframes” the single strongest predictor of candidate engagement and job fill success

Low fill rates often point to avoidable breakdowns in process and communication. Recruiter Insider captures candidate and client feedback at every stage of the hiring process, so you can pinpoint where a consultant is underperforming and why.

High fill rates don’t require higher workloads

Here’s where the numbers challenge a common assumption: top performers aren’t the ones with the most jobs.

In fact, our data showed that:

Consultants in the bottom quartile often worked 1.6x more roles than those in the top quartile
Yet they delivered fewer fills overall
Their time was spread thin across too many low-probability roles, reducing control and conversion

This is a workload problem and a productivity one.

High performers work fewer roles, but with more structure, clarity, and control. They choose better jobs, ask better questions, and manage the process more effectively from start to finish.

Recruiter Insider helps you surface this contrast highlighting who’s spinning wheels and who’s converting effort into outcome.

The commercial impact of improved fill rates

Raising fill rates doesn’t require more clients or more consultants, it requires better decisions and sharper execution.

A team with an average fill rate of 35% moving to 45% can generate hundreds of thousands in additional revenue from the same amount of jobs.

Better fill rates also drive:

Higher revenue per consultant
Reduced time-to-fill and client frustration
Less wasted effort on low-potential work
Clearer coaching opportunities based on real feedback

And because Recruiter Insider ties skill-level feedback directly to fill outcomes, you can quantify what improving a single behaviour like explaining timeframes actually does for a consultant’s placement rate. In many cases, a single skill improvement lifted fill rate by 7 to 11 percentage points .

How Recruiter Insider helps solve it

To improve fill rates, you need clarity on consultant performance, client behaviour, and the process itself.

Recruiter Insider delivers this through:

Real-time feedback from candidates and clients, linked to every job
Consultant-level performance dashboards, showing where individuals excel and where they lose ground
Fill rate breakdowns by consultants, teams and clients
Uplift modelling, so you can see which behavioural improvements lead to tangible fill gains

Instead of guessing why a role wasn’t filled or why a consultant is falling behind, you can act with confidence.

And with clear evidence, it becomes easier to coach, prioritise jobs, and manage consultant workload more effectively.

Finally…

Fill rates are more than a number; it's a direct reflection of consultant capability, process quality, and how well time is being used.

Recruiter Insider gives you the data to act on that. You’ll see where your consultants are strong, where they need support, and how to shift focus from activity to outcomes.

If you want to lift performance, protect revenue, and reduce wasted effort, improving fill rates is the most effective place to start.

Come talk to us and we will show you how focusing we provide the data insights you need to lift fill rates and be more profitable.

Book a demo here - https://bit.ly/4ghiMOy

The Power of Employee Engagement in Increasing Your Recruitment Agency’s Value

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:28:15 GMT

The Power of Employee Engagement in Increasing Your Recruitment Agency’s Value

In the recruitment industry, your agency’s value is not just about revenue and client relationships—it is also about the strength and stability of your team. Engaged employees drive productivity, improve client satisfaction, and, ultimately, increase your agency’s valuation.

A recruitment agency with a high-performing, motivated workforce presents lower risks to buyers and investors, making it a more attractive acquisition target.

Why Employee Engagement Matters

Employee engagement goes beyond job satisfaction—it is about how committed your team is to your agency’s success. When recruiters are engaged, they work more effectively, provide better experiences for candidates and clients, and are less likely to leave.

Here’s why it is crucial:

Lower Turnover & Reduced Hiring Costs

High employee turnover disrupts business operations, increases hiring costs, and creates instability in client relationships. Buyers look for agencies with strong retention rates to minimise post-acquisition risks. Engaged employees stay longer, reducing the need for constant hiring and training.

Increased Productivity & Performance

Engaged recruiters are more motivated to achieve their targets, collaborate with their teams, and go the extra mile for clients and candidates. This results in better placements, stronger client relationships, and higher revenue.

Attracting Higher Valuations

Recruitment agencies with structured employee engagement programmes present lower operational risks, making them more attractive to potential buyers. Investors value agencies that can demonstrate strong leadership, a positive culture, and data-driven performance management.

How Recruiter Insider Helps Boost Employee Engagement

Recruiter Insider provides recruitment agencies with the tools to track, manage, and enhance employee engagement. Through real-time data and structured insights, agencies can create a high-performance culture that retains top talent and drives business growth.

Key Features That Enhance Employee Engagement:

Employee Sentiment & Engagement Tracking – Monitors engagement across 12 key areas, providing insights to improve productivity and retention.
Onboarding & Probation Check-ins – Supports new hires, ensuring a smoother transition and reducing early-stage attrition.
Well-being & Remote Work Insights – Helps agencies understand employee needs and maintain high morale, improving overall performance.
Performance Management & Upward Feedback – Facilitates structured reviews and helps managers become more effective leaders.
Company Values Alignment – Ensures employees resonate with the agency’s mission, fostering a cohesive, high-performing team.
Anonymous Employee Feedback – Encourages honest feedback, improving workplace culture and trust.

By leveraging these tools, recruitment agencies can strengthen their internal teams, leading to improved operational efficiency, stronger client relationships, and a more attractive business model for investors.

The Valuation Impact of Strong Employee Engagement

A recruitment agency’s valuation is influenced by multiple factors, including client satisfaction, operational efficiency, and scalability. However, employee engagement plays a crucial role in increasing long-term value.

How Engagement Affects Valuation:

Reduced Risk for Buyers – Agencies with low turnover and high engagement reduce the risk of operational disruption post-acquisition.
Stronger Financial Performance – Engaged employees deliver better results, leading to increased revenue and higher profitability.
Scalability & Growth Potential – Agencies with structured engagement and performance tracking systems are more scalable, making them more attractive to investors.
Premium Valuation Multiples – Investors pay more for agencies that demonstrate strong cultural alignment, employee satisfaction, and sustainable growth strategies.

Recruiter Insider’s data-driven insights enable recruitment agencies to measure and improve employee engagement, directly impacting their valuation. By focusing on retention, performance, and workplace culture, agencies can position themselves for higher investment potential.

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is not just about workplace satisfaction—it is a strategic advantage that enhances your agency’s value. With tools like Recruiter Insider, recruitment agencies can foster a high-performance culture, reduce turnover, and secure higher valuations. In today’s competitive market, investing in employee engagement is one of the smartest moves an agency can make.

Book a demo with us here and let us show you how we can help you increase your agency valuation

How Recruitment Agencies Can Boost Their Valuation Before Selling

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:34:35 GMT

How Recruitment Agencies Can Boost Their Valuation Before Selling

When planning to sell a recruitment agency, maximising valuation is crucial to securing the best possible deal. Buyers assess an agency based on multiple factors, including client relationships, operational efficiency, employee retention, and brand reputation. A well-structured, data-driven business presents lower risk and higher value. This is where Recruiter Insider plays a key role in enhancing agency valuation by providing actionable insights that drive continuous improvement.

Why It Matters

Recruitment agency valuation depends on multiple factors, including financial performance, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability. Buyers look for:

Strong Client and Candidate Relationships – Agencies with high satisfaction rates secure repeat business and maintain predictable revenue streams.
Employee Engagement and Retention – A motivated and stable workforce ensures consistent performance and reduces post-acquisition risks.
Scalability and Process Optimisation – A well-structured agency with data-backed improvements attracts premium buyers.
Brand Strength and Market Positioning – Agencies with a strong reputation command higher valuations and premium client contracts.

Understanding and improving these factors before a sale not only enhances valuation but also ensures a smooth transition for buyers.

How Recruiter Insider Helps

Recruiter Insider provides data-driven insights across multiple business areas, helping recruitment agencies optimise operations, retain talent, and strengthen client relationships. Here’s how:

Employee Engagement & Retention

Sentiment & Engagement Tracking – Monitors employee engagement across key areas to improve retention and productivity.
Onboarding & Probation Check-ins – Enhances new hire success, reducing hiring costs and turnover.
Well-being & Remote Work Insights – Supports employee welfare, improving overall performance.
Performance Management & Upward Feedback – Provides structured performance reviews and manager effectiveness analysis.
Anonymous Employee Feedback – Builds a culture of trust and transparency, strengthening workforce stability.

Client & Candidate Satisfaction

R eal-time Feedback – Measures satisfaction at every hiring stage to refine services.
Industry Benchmarking – Demonstrates performance relative to competitors, highlighting strengths.
Proof of Repeat Business – Provides concrete data on long-term client relationships, a key metric for valuation.

Continuous Improvement & Scalability

Skill Development Insights – Identifies training needs to improve consultant effectiveness.
Trendline Reporting & Performance Monitoring – Tracks hiring efficiency, placement success, and client satisfaction.
Process Optimisation – Highlights bottlenecks to improve service delivery.
Client Performance Analysis – Evaluates client hiring performance to boost retention rates.

Stronger Brand & Market Position

Public Testimonials & Success Stories – Strengthens credibility and industry reputation.
Brand Perception Tracking – Measures and improves brand impact.
Industry Benchmarking – Showcases competitive positioning to attract high-value clients.
Data-Driven Candidate Attraction – Optimises job ads based on placement feedback.

Valuation Impact

By leveraging Recruiter Insider’s data-driven insights, recruitment agencies can significantly enhance their valuation in the following ways:

Higher Revenue Multiples – Agencies with high client satisfaction, strong branding, and repeat business are valued at higher multiples.
Lower Buyer Risk – Transparent operational data, structured engagement strategies, and strong employee retention reduce acquisition risks.
Increased Buyer Confidence – A data-backed, continuously improving business presents a compelling investment opportunity.
Premium Market Positioning – A well-established brand with a track record of success commands a higher sale price.

Conclusion

Recruitment agency owners looking to sell must focus on creating a high-performing, data-driven business. Recruiter Insider provides the tools needed to enhance client satisfaction, employee engagement, operational efficiency, and brand reputation—key factors that drive premium valuations. By integrating these insights, agencies can position themselves as attractive, low-risk investments, ensuring a profitable and seamless sale.

Book a demo with us here and let us show you how we can help you increase your agency valuation

Why Recruitment Agencies Should Be “A Part” of Their Clients’ Business—Not Just a Partner

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:09:14 GMT

Why Recruitment Agencies Should Be “A Part” of Their Clients’ Business—Not Just a Partner

Recruitment agencies often position themselves as “partners” to their clients, emphasizing collaboration and shared goals. But in today’s competitive market, merely being a partner isn’t enough. The best agencies don’t just work alongside their clients—they embed themselves within the business, becoming an extension of the company itself.

By deeply integrating with their clients, recruitment agencies can drive better hiring outcomes, improve candidate experiences, and even influence long-term workforce strategies. And with the power of Recruiter Insider’s data-driven insights , agencies can take this to the next level, providing tangible, actionable improvements that traditional recruitment partnerships can’t offer.

Here’s why recruitment agencies should strive to be a part of their clients’ businesses rather than just a partner—and how Recruiter Insider’s data makes that possible.

1. Data-Driven Hiring Manager Coaching for Better Interviews

Being a part of the client’s business means recruitment agencies aren’t just filling roles—they’re helping hiring managers perform better.

Recruiter Insider’s candidate feedback data provides agencies with real-time insights into how hiring managers are performing in interviews. Agencies can track:

How well hiring managers communicate role expectations.
Whether candidates feel engaged and respected during the process.
Where hiring managers may be losing top talent due to poor interview techniques.

With these insights, agencies can proactively coach hiring managers to improve their interview skills, ensuring candidates have a better experience and making it easier to secure the best talent.

This level of detailed feedback positions the agency as a true talent advisory partner , not just a service provider.

2. Post-Placement Insights to Improve Retention

Traditional recruitment ends at placement, but agencies that are a part of the business go beyond that, tracking long-term success.

Recruiter Insider’s post-placement data helps agencies measure:
How well candidates are integrating into their new roles.
Early warning signs of dissatisfaction or disengagement.
Patterns that indicate whether a company has strong or weak onboarding processes.

By analysing this data, agencies can identify trends that contribute to early turnover and provide clients with strategic recommendations to improve retention. This transforms recruitment from a transactional service into an ongoing, value-driven partnership that helps businesses build high-performing teams.

3. Benchmarking Hiring Performance Against the Market

One of the most powerful advantages recruitment agencies have is their broad industry perspective —something in-house teams can’t replicate.

With Recruiter Insider’s benchmarking capabilities , agencies can compare a client’s:

Hiring manager interview performance.
Candidate experience ratings.
Post-placement success rates.

Against industry benchmarks and similar companies in their sector.

This allows agencies to provide data-backed recommendations for improvement, helping clients stay competitive in their talent acquisition strategy. If a client’s hiring managers are underperforming compared to industry averages, the agency can introduce targeted coaching. If post-placement success rates are low, they can recommend changes to onboarding and employee engagement strategies.

This level of insight shifts the agency’s role from a recruiter to a strategic talent consultant , making them indispensable to the business.

4. Stronger Employer Branding with Data-Backed Insights

When an agency is deeply embedded in a client’s business, they don’t just execute recruitment—they help shape employer branding.

With Recruiter Insider’s data , agencies can provide clients with:

Candidate perception trends—what people really think about the company’s hiring process.
Areas where the company excels in attracting talent—and where they fall short.
Feedback on employer branding messages versus actual candidate experiences.

By aligning this data with the company’s recruitment marketing strategy, agencies can help businesses improve their reputation in the talent market , making it easier to attract and retain top talent.

5. A Competitive Edge That Goes Beyond Just Filling Roles

The difference between being a “partner” and being A PART of a client’s business is ownership.

When an agency owns talent acquisition, they:

Improve hiring manager performance using real candidate feedback.
Enhance retention by tracking long-term success post-placement.
Provide market-leading insights by benchmarking hiring effectiveness against competitors.
Strengthen employer branding with real data on candidate perceptions.

This creates a true competitive advantage—one that no internal hiring team or traditional recruitment partnership can match.

Being a partner is good. But being a part of your client’s business—armed with Recruiter Insider’s real-time data and industry benchmarks —is what makes an agency truly indispensable .

Recruitment agencies that integrate deeply with their clients, leverage candidate-driven insights, and proactively help improve hiring outcomes will outperform those that operate at arm’s length.

It’s time for agencies to stop just being recruitment “partners” and start being the strategic, data-powered force behind their clients’ long-term hiring success.

Recruiter Insider vs NPS

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:14:26 GMT

Recruiter Insider vs NPS: Why Recruiter Insider is the Superior Choice for Recruitment Feedback

Let’s break down why Recruiter Insider is a better alternative to NPS for recruitment agencies and internal hiring teams.

1. The Downsides of NPS

While NPS is a widely used metric, it has significant limitations when applied to recruitment. Some of the key downsides include:

Lack of Detailed Insights – NPS only captures a single rating, which does not provide the depth needed to understand specific areas for improvement.
No Context Behind Scores – A simple score does not explain WHY a respondent gave a high or low rating, making it difficult to take meaningful action.
Infrequency of Feedback – NPS surveys are often conducted quarterly or annually, meaning agencies may miss crucial real-time insights to enhance their services.
Limited Benchmarking Ability – Because NPS varies across industries, it does not offer recruitment-specific benchmarking that agencies can use to measure performance effectively.
Generic Application – NPS was designed as a broad customer satisfaction tool, not tailored to the dynamics of recruitment, where multiple touch points and experiences vary.

2. Beyond a Single Metric: Comprehensive Insights vs. Basic Scoring

NPS revolves around a single question: “How likely are you to recommend our service to a friend or colleague?” Respondents answer on a scale of 0-10, and companies use the responses to determine an overall score.

While this can give a general sense of sentiment, it lacks the depth needed to identify specific areas of improvement.

Recruiter Insider, on the other hand, provides detailed, multi-faceted feedback across different touch points of the recruitment journey, including:

Candidate experience at various stages (interview, candidate/client interview, placement, onboarding) with specific questions
Client satisfaction with consultant performance and hiring outcomes with specific questions
Consultant effectiveness in managing candidate and client expectations with specific questions
Candidate reviews of clients at interview and post-placement
Work-type differentiated feedback, with specific questions aligned to permanent and contract roles at multiple stages of the hiring process

This depth of insight allows recruitment teams to pinpoint what’s working and what needs improvement, rather than just looking at a number.

Additionally, these insights enable benchmarking of one client to the next, helping agencies enhance relationships with existing clients and provide market intelligence to prospects.

3. Industry-Specific Metrics for Recruitment Success

NPS is a generic business tool that isn’t designed with recruitment-specific metrics in mind.

Recruiter Insider, however, is built exclusively for the recruitment industry, focusing on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that truly matter, such as:

Candidate experience ratings per recruiter throughout the hiring process
Quality-of-hire insights
Consultant performance benchmarking
Hiring manager feedback depth and areas for improvement
Case studies based on candidate and client feedback, tailored to job titles, allowing agencies to showcase their expertise in specific roles.

By tracking these industry-relevant KPIs, recruitment teams gain actionable intelligence and invaluable business development and marketing content rather than just a satisfaction score.

4. Contextual and Qualitative Feedback vs. a Standalone Score

One of the biggest drawbacks of NPS is the lack of context behind the score. A hiring manager might rate a service as a 6, but without knowing why , it’s impossible to act on the feedback.

Recruiter Insider captures qualitative feedback alongside numerical scores. Clients and candidates answer specific questions on their experience, allowing recruiters to understand the “why” behind the ratings and make meaningful improvements.

5. Real-Time Analytics for Immediate Action

NPS results are often reviewed at set intervals (quarterly or annually and primarily to candidates that have been placed and no one else), meaning issues may go unresolved for months.

Recruiter Insider, however, provides real-time insights, allowing agencies to act immediately on any concerns.

For example, if candidates consistently rate a recruiter poorly for communication, managers can address the issue before it affects the agency’s reputation. This proactive approach leads to better service and stronger relationships with both clients and candidates.

6. Benchmarking and Performance Comparisons

NPS scores vary widely across industries, making it difficult to benchmark performance against competitors in recruitment. Recruiter Insider, however, allows agencies to compare their performance against industry benchmarks, identifying areas where they excel and where they need to improve.

By leveraging industry-wide benchmarking, agencies using Recruiter Insider can gain a competitive advantage by consistently refining their recruitment process.

Additionally candidate feedback on clients (which NPS hasn't got the flexibility to do) allows for deeper insights into the hiring process that NPS simply can't match.

7. Better Consultant Accountability and Development

Since Recruiter Insider tracks feedback at the individual recruiter level, it provides valuable coaching insights. Recruiters can see how their personal scores compare to agency-wide averages, enabling targeted development and training.

NPS, in contrast, doesn’t provide recruitment-specific insights, making it difficult for managers to understand individual performance trends.

8. Performance Management for Employee Growth

Recruiter Insider goes beyond candidate/client feedback collection by integrating a Performance Management System that ties into candidate and client feedback.

This system includes:

A competency framework covering 22 role types within an agency
Measurement of employees against company values
One-on-one meetings summarised into quarterly performance reviews
Employee-to-employee feedback, probation reviews, and upward feedback
Quarterly, bi-annual, or annual performance reviews as a core feature

This structured approach ensures continuous employee development, better alignment with company goals, and improved retention rates.

9. Comprehensive Employee Feedback for Retention

Recruiter Insider also provides a robust employee feedback tool, which measures:

Employee onboarding and exit sentiment to track employee experiences from start to finish
Well-being and work-from-home check-ins to support employee engagement and productivity
A thorough employee sentiment survey covering 12 key areas, helping leadership understand workforce satisfaction and morale

By leveraging this feedback, agencies can proactively address workplace challenges, foster a positive culture, and improve overall employee retention.

10. Driving Agency Growth and Business Success

Beyond improving relationships with candidates and clients, Recruiter Insider provides insights that help agencies optimise their business strategy and growth.

By analysing recruitment trends, consultant performance, and client satisfaction, agencies can:

Identify high-performing consultants and teams to replicate best practices across the business
Refine service offerings based on client and candidate needs
Enhance business development efforts using data-driven insights and case studies
Improve operational efficiency, reducing hiring timelines and increasing successful placements

By leveraging these insights, agencies can position themselves as market leaders, attract more business, and drive sustained growth.

11. Enhancing Client and Candidate Relationships

Recruiter Insider fosters better communication with both clients and candidates by giving them a structured way to provide feedback.

Rather than just a one-time NPS survey, it creates an ongoing feedback loop, allowing recruiters to continuously improve service delivery and build stronger, long-term relationships.

Conclusion: Why Recruiter Insider Wins Over NPS

While NPS can serve as a high-level indicator of satisfaction, it lacks the depth, context, and actionability required in recruitment. Recruiter Insider is purpose-built for the recruitment industry, providing detailed analytics, real-time insights, and actionable feedback tailored to consultants, candidates, and hiring managers.

For recruitment agencies looking to enhance service quality, drive consultant performance, improve client and candidate satisfaction, and grow their business, Recruiter Insider is the clear winner.

Want to see the difference for yourself?

Get in touch today and experience how Recruiter Insider can transform your recruitment process and help you win more business.

Benefits of Automating and Structuring Post-Interview Feedback

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:06:11 GMT

Key Benefits of Automating and Structuring Post-Interview Feedback

Post-interview feedback is the biggest bottleneck in the hiring process, frustrating hiring managers, consultants, and candidates alike.

Chasing feedback wastes time, the responses are often vague, and valuable insights are more often than not, lost. A streamlined, structured approach eliminates these issues, delivering significant benefits across the board:

Here at Recruiter Insider we have released a feature that solves all of these problems and delivers feedback faster to the consultant and candidate whilst making the process easier for hiring managers.

How it works

Hiring Managers receive an email from Recruiter Insider
Record a voice note on 5 specific questions
Confirm the AI powered transcription
Choose if you would like to progress the candidate to the next stage
Submit - That's it!

For Hiring Managers

✅ Removes the pressure of a sales-driven call – No more feeling caught off guard by a consultant’s call at an inconvenient time.
✅ Saves time – Instead of a drawn-out 5-10 minute call, feedback can be provided in approx. two minutes .
✅ Provides flexibility – Feedback can be given at a time that suits them, rather than waiting for a consultant’s call.
✅ Improves employer branding – A faster, smoother process makes the company look professional, improving its reputation in the market.
✅ Speeds up hiring – Faster feedback means decisions are made quicker, ensuring the best candidates aren’t lost to competitors.

For Recruitment Consultants

✅ Eliminates constant chasing – No more wasting time trying to get a hiring manager on the phone for a rushed response.
✅ Enables deeper conversations – When consultants do speak to hiring managers, they can focus on valuable insights , not just asking for feedback.
✅ Creates structured feedback data – Feedback is stored and tracked over time, no longer lost in the consultant’s memory .
✅ Improves efficiency – Saves time by automating a process that traditionally requires multiple follow-ups.
✅ Builds hiring intelligence – Over time, structured data allows for better interview preparation resources aligned to hiring managers, job titles, and employers.
✅ Enhances screening processes – Aggregated feedback can be used to pre-screen candidates more effectively based on what hiring managers consistently look for.
✅ Integrates directly into your ATS – Feedback is automatically recorded and stored against candidates for future reference.

For Candidates

✅ Receives feedback faster – The biggest frustration for candidates is waiting in limbo; this approach eliminates unnecessary delays.
✅ Gains better insights – Instead of just a "no," candidates get clearer, more structured feedback to help them improve.
✅ Improves the overall candidate experience – Faster, transparent feedback strengthens the relationship between candidates, employers, and consultants.

The Bigger Picture

By simplifying the process, we achieve:
�� A faster hiring process – Even a 10% reduction in time-to-hire would have a massive impact.
�� Actionable hiring data – Structured feedback enables long-term hiring trend analysis.
�� More trust and stronger relationships – When candidates and clients feel heard, trust in the process grows.
�� A better recruitment experience for all – A win for hiring managers, consultants, and candidates alike.

Real-World Proof

One hiring manager recently completed feedback in 1 minute 15 seconds , allowing the process to move forward faster than a consultant could have by calling them.

Reach out to us here for a demo.

The Role of Recruiters in Ensuring a Positive Onboarding Experience

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:56:06 GMT

The Role of Recruiters in Ensuring a Positive Onboarding Experience

The first few weeks of a new role can set the tone for the entire employee-employer relationship. For recruitment agencies, ensuring their clients have a robust and positive onboarding process isn’t just about meeting expectations—it’s about reducing the risk of early dropouts and ensuring long-term placement success.

The onboarding experience can make or break how candidates feel about the job, the company, and can even make them re-think their decision about accepting a role.

Take a look at these stats to get an idea of just how crucial a positive onboarding experience is to the success of a placement :

33% of employees start looking for new jobs within six months if they experience poor onboarding. (Source: SHRM)

New hires are 58% more likely to stay with a company for over three years if they experience a good onboarding process. (Source: O.C. Tanner)

What can recruiters do?

As recruiters, it’s not just about filling a role—it’s about making sure that the candidate thrives in it. To do this, recruiters need to ensure that their clients are prepared to provide a seamless onboarding experience. Here are some ways you can help:

Advocate for a Structured Onboarding Plan

Encourage your clients to have a clear, well-defined onboarding process. This includes everything from the initial paperwork to introducing the new hire to key team members and stakeholders. When candidates know what to expect, it reduces anxiety and boosts confidence.

Monitor Feedback in the Early Stages

It's essential to gather regular feedback during the onboarding process. If a candidate expresses concerns or rates their onboarding experience poorly, it’s a clear signal that they may not be adjusting well.

In Q2 2024, the lowest scoring question in the Recruiter Insider Onboarding Review for perm roles was ‘The role duties and responsibilities are what I expected’ suggesting that there is a mismatch between what the hiring manager sold and what the candidate finds when they start the role.

Understanding this gives you the opportunity to step in and address your candidate’s concerns as well as have a conversation with the client to see where the mismatch lies, so that you can prevent dropouts before they escalate into bigger isssues.

Support Both the Candidate and Hiring Manager

It’s essential to check in with both sides during the onboarding process to ensure alignment and satisfaction. Candidates often face challenges in adjusting to a new role, while hiring managers may struggle with providing the right level of support.

In Q2 2024, the Recruiter Insider Onboarding Review for temp roles indicated that candidates weren’t satisfied with the level of training to be able to hit the ground running. Having the ability to identify this and educate your hiring manager on what they can do to support the candidate is crucial if you are wanting to ensure a successful placement.

Focus on Long-Term Success

The onboarding process is not just about the first few weeks. Continue to check in with both the candidate and hiring manager beyond the initial placement period, especially during key milestones like 6 months or 12 months into the role. Recruitment agencies that focus on long-term success—rather than just initial placement— maintain better client relationships and candidate retention.

Work Smart, Not Hard

The onboarding process is a crucial factor in the success of a placement. As recruiters, it’s vital to work with your clients to ensure they have a robust and positive onboarding plan in place. Failing to do so can lead to early dropouts and increased flight risks, which can be costly both in terms of resources and reputation.

By monitoring the onboarding experience— which we automate here at Recruiter Insider—you can address any issues early and make the necessary adjustments to ensure a successful placement and avoid having to use that replacement guarantee.

Extracting Value from Feedback Data: A Guide for Recruitment Agency Owners

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 17:35:40 GMT

Extracting Value from Feedback Data:

A Guide for Recruitment Agency Owners

Recruitment success hinges on more than just placing candidates in jobs; it's about building strong relationships with clients, candidates, and your own employees.

One of the most powerful yet under-utilised resources at your disposal is feedback data from these three critical groups. When harnessed effectively, this data can provide valuable insights, drive operational improvements, and ultimately boost your agency's success.

Maximising value from feedback data can be focused on four key view points:

1What Do You Know Now That You Didn’t Know Before?

Specific feedback data offers a wealth of insights that can significantly enhance your understanding of client and candidate experiences. By systematically collecting and analysing feedback, you can uncover specific areas where your services excel and, more importantly, where they fall short.

For instance, candidates might repeatedly mention poor explanations of the hiring process, something we consistently see on Recruiter Insider. Clients might express concerns about the quality of candidate matches. These insights, which you may not have been aware of before analysing feedback data, provide a clear direction for making necessary adjustments. This newfound knowledge allows you to proactively address issues before they escalate, improving overall satisfaction and retention rates.

Equally important is feedback from your own employees. Your recruitment consultants and support staff interact with clients and candidates daily, giving them a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities within your agency. By tapping into their insights, you may discover internal process bottlenecks, communication gaps, or innovative ideas that can help improve the overall client and candidate experience.

Employee feedback not only helps in addressing immediate concerns but also in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and engagement within your team.

What Can You Do Now That You Couldn’t Do Before?

Armed with specific detailed feedback data, your agency can implement targeted improvements that were previously out of reach. For example, if feedback reveals that candidates feel unsupported during the interview preparation stage, you can introduce more robust candidate support services, such as coaching or detailed briefing sessions.

On the client side, if feedback indicates a lack of understanding of their business, you can implement better research practices and go armed to briefing meetings better prepared. These actions, driven by data, enable you to enhance your service offerings in ways that directly address the needs and concerns of your clients and candidates, leading to stronger relationships and better business outcomes.

On the employee side, feedback might reveal areas where your team feels they lack the tools or resources to perform their jobs effectively. By addressing these concerns—whether through additional training, better technology, or clearer communication—you empower your staff to deliver higher-quality service.

This not only improves client and candidate satisfaction but also boosts employee morale and retention, creating a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement and growth.

Tangible Benefits: Direct Dollar Correlation

One of the most compelling reasons to focus on feedback data is its potential to drive tangible, dollar-related benefits. When you address the specific issues highlighted in feedback, you can increase client satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates and more repeat business. Satisfied clients are more likely to sign long-term contracts or refer other businesses to your agency, directly impacting your bottom line.

Similarly, improving the candidate experience based on feedback can reduce drop-off rates, ensuring that more candidates complete the recruitment process. This increases your placement rates, which in turn boosts revenue. By directly linking feedback-driven improvements to financial outcomes, you can make a strong case for the return on investment in data-driven strategies.

Employee feedback also plays a crucial role in driving these financial benefits. When employees feel heard and supported, they are more likely to be productive and engaged. A motivated team can enhance the quality of service delivery, leading to faster placements and happier clients. This directly translates to increased revenue and profitability, making employee feedback a vital component of your overall data strategy.

Intangible Benefits: Brand, Process Improvements, and Data-Driven Decision Making

Beyond the direct financial impact, leveraging feedback data brings a host of intangible benefits that are equally important. Consistently acting on feedback improves your agency's brand reputation, positioning you as a responsive and client-focused partner in the recruitment process. This positive perception can be a powerful differentiator in a crowded market.

Feedback data also facilitates continuous process improvements. By regularly reviewing and acting on feedback from all stakeholders—clients, candidates, and employees—you can refine your recruitment processes, making them more efficient and effective over time.

Moreover, relying on data to guide these improvements helps to remove the element of gut feel from decision-making. Instead of guessing what might improve satisfaction, you can make informed decisions based on real-world data.

This holistic approach ensures that your agency is not only meeting but exceeding the expectations of everyone involved.

Finally....

Feedback data from candidates, clients, and employees is a treasure trove of insights that, when properly harnessed, can drive significant improvements in your recruitment agency. By focusing on what you can learn, what you can now do, the tangible financial benefits, and the intangible brand and process enhancements, you can turn feedback into a powerful tool for growth.

In a competitive industry, the ability to extract value from this data can be the key to long-term success. The value is there, you just have to know where to look.

Talk to us at Recruiter Insider to find out how we can help you measure the value of feedback data and its value across 80+ different insights. We are very confident we can show you how to maximise and understand the value in feedback data.

Guest Blog - Robert Garner - Attraction Labs

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:37:10 GMT

Why you need Case Studies on your website

What Is A Case Studies Page And Does My Recruitment Website Need It?
Over the past year or so I've seen the rise of recruitment agencies using case studies as a sales tool and I still can't believe we weren’t all doing this years ago. I have no idea who came up with the idea of a case studies page so I can’t give them credit but kudos to whoever you are, you unsung hero of our time!

What Are Case Studies?
Case studies are examples of when your recruitment agency partnered well with clients on particularly difficult, niche or routine roles that your clients can understand. They’re approached from the clients perspective and demonstrate objective success. I think they’re best approached with a specific example, ideally with an actual client company name. They’re very similar to testimonials but I tend to find testimonials are more short form content, maybe a sentence or three maximum. A glowing reference. A case study is more in depth, maybe a paragraph or three.

Why Use Case Studies?
They’re simply a brilliant tool for selling. Pretty similar to testimonials in many respects but a level deeper. It’s an opportunity for you to show your clients how you worked in a specific situation, hopefully a situation they’re currently facing. A situation where you made a very similar problem go away, for a small fee, although that sounds like a mafia type approach but you get the idea. A way for you to show your clients your previous achievements in specific areas, with credible evidence. This is real social proof and a great way of building trust and authority with prospective clients (and candidates).

What Format Should The Case Study Take?
You can write the case study yourself or if you don’t feel comfortable penning a couple of paragraphs then employ a copywriter to do so. Make sure you get your clients permission to use them in the case study and try to get a short quote from them to incorporate into the case study. I’d recommend adding the company name, the hiring manager’s / talent acquisition manager’s full name and also a photo of the client to add legitimacy. You can play around with the format and get a little creative but I’d recommend this rough layout…

A little background about your client, their company and the problem they were facing.

How you met or were introduced, along with the role briefing and details on the vacancy.
How you defined and approached the problem differently.
How you went to market and details on the delivered shortlist.
The timespan to solve the problem, how you managed the process and the eventual outcome.

What Are The Benefits?
Not all but a lot of recruitment agencies will typically pitch a hiring manager or talent acquisition manager for a specific role and will lead with the line, “we can fill this vacancy for you”. Now sometimes this is true but there are lots of occasions when the agency I’ve partnered with has just failed to deliver, including many situations when they haven’t even sent over a single candidate! Case studies are evidence that you can deliver, they have the ability to show your clients that you worked on a vacancy, similar to the one they’re hiring for, from one of the direct competitors, and it shows me you did a great job delivering on it.

I’d really recommend placing some serious thought and time into developing a wide ranging and comprehensive case studies page for your recruitment agency website. It will increase engagement and buy in from clients, especially those who were a little unsure about moving ahead with their purchasing decision.

Guest blog written by Robert Garner
Rob has been working within the recruitment industry since 2006, selling recruitment advertising space, working within recruitment, running his own recruitment firm, launching job boards, working for in-house talent acquisition teams and creating enterprise level recruitment software. He now runs Abstraction Labs, which specialises in recruitment agency website design .

Why Recruitment Agencies Invest in a Feedback System

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:48:11 GMT

Why Recruitment Agencies Invest in a Feedback System

A robust feedback system is essential for recruitment agencies aiming to enhance their processes, improve client and candidate satisfaction, and drive continuous improvement. By systematically collecting, analysing, and acting on feedback, agencies can gain valuable insights into the efficacy of their hiring processes and client relationships, identify issues and make informed decisions that enhance their overall performance.

The first step is to establish clear objectives. Understanding what you aim to achieve through feedback collection is key and there may be a range of reasons such as improving candidate experience, enhancing client satisfaction, identifying training needs or having the ability to prove what sets your agency apart from the competition to name a few.

Timing

Timing is crucial for effective feedback collection, and gathering feedback at various stages of the recruitment process ensures that feedback is relevant and timely, capturing the candidate's and client's perspectives at each of the critical touch points.

This is why Recruiter Insider automates and captures feedback at the different stages; Interview with Recruiter, Client Interview, Placement, Onboarding and even up to 12 months after start date.

It is the timing of this feedback that significantly influences the response rates of candidates and clients completing them and Recruiter Insider clients see response rates at about 30% compared to the industry average of about 17.8%. { Report here }.

We find that the agencies who communicate the importance of feedback to their candidates and clients and how it is used to drive improvements experience much higher response rates than those who don’t.

A Commitment to Excellence

Ultimately, investing in a comprehensive feedback system demonstrates a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. It fosters a culture of transparency and responsiveness, where every stakeholder's voice is heard and valued.

This, in turn, builds trust and loyalty among clients and candidates, setting the agency apart in a competitive market.

Recruitment agencies that prioritise and effectively utilise feedback are better equipped to refine their processes, enhance their service delivery, and achieve long-term success in the fast-paced nature of the recruitment industry.

To find out more book a demo with us here .

Employee feedback on managers is a key growth tool

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Wed, 01 May 2024 11:09:58 GMT

Empowering your employees to give feedback

It might sound scary but one of the best things you can do as a business is to open up the lines of transparency and feedback and have your employees (anonymously) provide feedback on their direct managers.

I recall doing this back in my days at Seek and I can tell you it was a bit daunting at first and the team I was in were all a little to shy to get the ball rolling, but some of us older crew (who had been there for a few years at this point) weren't so shy haha. The feedback that followed wasn't just constructive, it was really refreshing as there were challenges that I didn't even realise some of the new team members were having that I could help them with, not just our manager.

The process was pretty manual back then, we as a team sat around and wrote up our feedback on butchers paper and had to all agree as a group what we were saying. It made some topics more challenging to agree on but we got there in the end. Our manager then came in and we shared as a group the feedback we had. It wasn't a bashing session by any means, it was very constructive and all coming from a place that meant he understood better what we required as a team to continue to excel.

To his credit he welcomed it all, there were some surprises and some things he thought he was doing quite well on, but we just expected a bit more. It was very interesting to see that his expectations and ours were not always aligned.

So why should you implement 360 Feedback? Here are some of the key benefits:

Empowerment: Encouraging employees to provide feedback on their managers empowers them to voice their opinions and concerns. This fosters a sense of ownership and engagement in the organisation's culture and decision-making processes.
Improvement of Managerial Skills: Constructive feedback from employees can help managers identify areas for improvement in their leadership style, communication, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. This feedback loop enables managers to adapt and grow, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness in leading teams.
Enhanced Trust and Communication: Soliciting feedback from employees demonstrates a commitment to open communication and trust within the organisation. When employees feel heard and valued, it strengthens their relationship with their manager and fosters a more positive work environment.
Alignment with Employee Expectations: Managers may not always be aware of how their actions and decisions impact their team members. Feedback from employees provides valuable insights into employee expectations, concerns, and preferences, helping managers align their leadership approach with the needs of their team.
Identification of Blind Spots: Managers, like everyone else, have blind spots—areas of weakness or behaviours they may not be aware of. Feedback from employees can shed light on these blind spots, enabling managers to address them and become more self-aware.
Employee Development: Giving feedback on managerial performance encourages employees to reflect on their own experiences and articulate their observations. This reflection can contribute to their own professional development by sharpening their observational and communication skills.
Culture of Continuous Improvement: When feedback is actively sought and acted upon, it creates a culture of continuous improvement within the organisation. Both managers and employees become more accustomed to giving and receiving feedback, which can lead to higher performance and innovation.
Retention and Engagement: Employees who feel their voices are heard and their feedback is valued are more likely to feel engaged and committed to their work and the organisation. This can positively impact employee retention rates and reduce turnover.

Overall, encouraging employees to give feedback on their managers fosters a culture of openness, transparency, and continuous learning within the organisation, which can lead to improved performance, morale, and employee satisfaction. So why wouldn't you do it?

A key part of our Performance product is 360 feedback as well as colleague to colleague feedback. Two key approaches to helping you improve performance for your business. To find out more book a demo with us here .

The Importance of Candidate Aftercare: Ensuring Success Beyond the Placement

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:15:21 GMT

The Importance of Candidate Aftercare

The recruitment process doesn't end once a candidate accepts an offer and starts their new role. In fact, the aftercare of candidates is just as crucial, if not more so, than the initial recruitment phase.

It's about nurturing the relationship, ensuring the candidate's success in their new position, and mitigating any potential flight risks.

Once placed, your candidate becomes a warm new business lead and your eyes and ears at the client site.

The Onboarding Phase

According to a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), one in four UK employees leave their job within the first year of employment and a significant portion of this turnover can be attributed to ineffective onboarding, but also a lack of support from recruiters during the early stages of employment.

Notably, the average cost to an agency of replacing a candidate due to a dropout can range from £3,000 to £5,000. This includes the time spent on re-recruiting, re-interviewing, and onboarding the replacement candidate, not to mention the reputational damage if the client perceives a dropout as a sign of poor candidate quality or inadequate screening processes.

Best Practice Aftercare

Good luck on Day 1: Make it a point to wish your candidate well on their first day. A follow-up call at day's end shows you care.
End of Week 1: It is always a nice touch to call at the end of the week. This simple trick will set you apart.
Deliver a Gift: A gift is a lovely gesture for any candidate who has started a new role. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive, it is the thought that counts!
Diarise candidate milestones: Mark important milestones like birthdays, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months in your calendar. A quick check-in shows continued support and may reveal new business opportunities.
Ask for Feedback and Market Insights: Ask for feedback to understand your performance better. Candidates often provide valuable market insights that can be beneficial for future placements.
Weekly Friday texts to contractors – if you work a contractor desk, bulk text your contractors weekly. ‘ Hey! Happy Friday! Did you have a good week? Thank you for all your hard work this week, it is so appreciated. Enjoy your well-earned weekend and don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything I can help with’

How can Recruiter Insider help?

Even with the best intentions, recruiters are busy and sometimes candidates will slip through the cracks. Recruiter Insider is here to ensure that this doesn't happen:

Personalised Communication: We engage with candidates throughout the hiring process and up to 12 months post-placement, allowing you to understand their experiences and address challenges.
Identifying Flight Risks: Our platform analyses feedback to identify potential issues or concerns, helping you mitigate risks early on.
Continuous Engagement: By maintaining regular communication at key milestones, candidates feel supported throughout their journey with their new employer.

Conclusion

The relationship with a candidate extends beyond the offer acceptance—it's the start of a long-term partnership.

So, have you evaluated your aftercare process? Is it effective, or could automating some aspects enhance your candidate experience?

My favourite features on Recruiter Insider

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 19:12:41 GMT

My Top 5 features on Recruiter Insider

Given we have SO many features on Recruiter Insider it can sometimes be hard to know what is of the greatest value or what it is you should be focusing on the most to get the greatest value out of all of your data. With that in mind I thought I would share what my Top 5 features across the platform are.

Given I have designed 90% of the platform and have also been in recruitment for 20+ years, I think this gives me a bit of a unique insight into why these features are so powerful and why they should be in your Top 5 too.

Client Benchmarking

This probably has to be my favourite feature on the platform that can directly impact business development and client relationships. The ability to benchmark one client vs their competitors that you recruit like roles for is truly amazing. Showing your client how they compare in candidate experience throughout the hiring process and post-placement is totally unique and they will love you for it.

Producing an industry insights report to take to new business meetings to show that you "know the market" and can help that company with their hiring needs adds value to the conversation and your perception immediately. If you want to show you are different, you need to show something different, and no employer has seen this before!

This one is a game changer on many fronts and would be my "go to" feature to prepare for any client meeting, existing or a prospect.

Performance

This is a tough one as our Performance Review Product which is soon to be released is something that might just overtake Client Benchmarking as my most favourite of all. It's complexity behind the scenes, but simplicity for our users is what impresses me the most.

Given that you might think it would be light on in terms of what's included also, but it's anything but! It's packed with everything you would expect a Performance Product to have:

Competency Frameworks for 22 roles types - all customisable
360 Reviews
Employee to Employee Feedback
Probation Reviews
One Percenters (Marginal gains) - this is proving to be very popular already
Candidate/Client Feedback Targets
Multi-Manager review approval process
Review Frequency configuration

I am already incredibly proud of what we have done so far as we work through the build of this one and the feedback we have received previewing it has been fantastic. Finally the industry will have a Performance Review System purpose built for them.

Score Combo's

From a marketing perspective this feature is ABSOLUTE GOLD! Whilst many agencies focus on testimonials, Score Combo's allow you to tell a story about how important each part of the hiring process is to the final outcome and show how well you support candidates and clients throughout.

By focusing on specific parts of the process and showcasing your feedback, you are highlighting that each element of the process is just as important to you as it is to your candidates and clients. People connect with stories, and Score Combo's are a great way to tell a story on how important each part of the process is, coupled with data to back-up how well you have delivered on that specific topic.

It might also be that a prospect or candidate has been watching you online for a while and a post about a part of the process that you showcase has been a historical pain point or bad experience for them and you show you have it covered.

The more specific your marketing message is, the more you speak to your targeted audience and show that you can solve their problem. Additionally it positions you as someone who has the whole process covered, not just the final outcome.

My Clients

The easiest new business to win is that with an existing client, this is why I love the My Clients dashboard so much. With a wealth of data at your fingertips, you can literally share with your clients how you are representing their brand, how they are doing, and what candidates think once they start.

HR/TA LOVE data, they can't get enough of it, it's what they constantly use to position their own value back to their business. The more you can provide them to help them validate not just their value, but also validating yours, well you can't go wrong.

Given the specific nature of the data available and how we typically see the agency outperforming the employer themselves, it also provides a HUGE opportunity to pitch for more of their business and exclusively. When you have evidence that you provide a great service from candidate feedback and hiring manager feedback not just on your service but on the candidates you are placing, you are in the box seat to ask for more.

Thrown in the insights on how to improve the process by sharing which hiring managers are impacting their own ability to hire based on candidate feedback and the value you bring to the table is immense.

All of this will help you not just retain your clients, but help grow each account as well. The end goal being that they see you as "a part" of their business, not just a partner.

Placement Risks

I remember designing this feature many years ago sitting on the couch one Friday night, looking at some data and realising there was an opportunity to help save placements that looked at risk. It was one of those cliche light bulb moments. I quickly wrote up how it would all work, sent it to Brad and told him to build it Monday.

Well by Wednesday it was built, released on Friday and it's one of the most unique and powerful features on the platform. When we added post-placement feedback to the mix, Placement Risks made even more sense, created even more value and had an even greater impact as well.

We have had countless stories now of agencies saving placements due to the Placement Risk feature. This is what makes me so happy and so proud of this feature. We are literally saving agencies time and money on all of the hard work they have done. That's what I call an ROI.

Why creating a culture of feedback is so important

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:15:42 GMT

A feedback culture could be your biggest asset

There can be no denying that in recruitment, success hinges on adaptability and responsiveness. At the heart of this lies in creating a culture of feedback -a strategic asset that can propel your agency to new heights of performance, staff retention, and revenue growth.

Given that the the primary purpose of feedback is about "improvement", knowing what your candidates, clients and employees are experiencing is key to moving with the market and ensuring you can adapt, improve & grow.

Fostering a feedback culture cultivates an environment of continuous improvement. By actively seeking input from candidates and clients, you gain valuable insights into their experiences, preferences, and pain points. Armed with this knowledge, your agency can refine its strategies, fine-tune processes, and deliver tailored solutions that exceed expectations.

Data on Recru iter Insider consistently shows that the top performers on feedback from candidates and clients, also are the highest revenue generators. We have seen it so many times now that it simply can't be denied. We have even had our clients tell us the same correlation from their own research internally, provide an exceptional experience and your revenue will grow accordingly.

Collecting feedback from employees is equally crucial. Empowering your staff to voice their opinions and concerns fosters a sense of ownership and investment in the agency's success. By actively listening to their feedback, addressing their needs, and implementing their suggestions, you cultivate a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration. This, in turn, boosts morale, engagement, and staff retention—a critical factor in the success of any business.

Furthermore, a feedback culture drives performance improvement at every level of your organisation. Constructive feedback provides employees with valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth. By offering regular coaching, mentorship, and developmental opportunities, you empower your team to reach their full potential. This not only enhances individual performance but also contributes to collective success, driving productivity, efficiency, and overall agency performance.

Beyond performance improvement, a feedback culture directly impacts your bottom line. Satisfied clients are more likely to become repeat customers, refer others to your agency, and contribute to your revenue stream. Likewise, engaged and empowered employees are more productive, innovative, and committed to delivering exceptional results—a boon for client satisfaction and retention. By investing in a feedback culture, you not only enhance the quality of service you provide but also lay the foundation for sustainable growth and profitability.

Embracing a feedback culture is not just a strategic choice—it's a business " must have" . By actively seeking and leveraging feedback from candidates, clients, and employees, you drive performance improvement, staff retention, and increase revenue.

In today's competitive landscape, the ability to adapt, evolve, and exceed expectations is no longer a choice, it's expected. Make feedback a cornerstone of your agency's culture, and watch as it becomes a catalyst for greater success.

Where data meets diversity...Survey+

jhillier@recruiterinsider.com.au (Justin Hillier) — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:12:03 GMT

Where data meets diversity

Embrace Diversity, Enhance Candidate Experience
In the fast-paced world of recruitment, agency owners and leaders juggle the complex dynamics of meeting client expectations, providing candidates with enriching experiences, and fostering a collaborative environment among peers. Amidst these challenges, the crucial aspect of diversity and inclusion often becomes a formidable task rather than an integral part of the recruitment strategy.

The Pain Points Unveiled
For Agency Owners: Balancing client demands with the need to maintain a diverse and inclusive candidate pool can feel like walking a tightrope. The fear of not meeting quotas or losing clients to competitors who might not prioritize diversity as much can lead to missed opportunities to enrich the talent pool with varied perspectives and backgrounds.

For Recruitment Leaders:

Ensuring that the recruitment process is free from bias and truly inclusive can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. The struggle to make data-driven decisions without getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information or the fear of misinterpreting data can hinder the path to truly inclusive recruitment practices.

For the Team:

Encouraging a team to embrace and value diversity requires more than just policies. It's about making everyone feel included, heard, and valued. The challenge lies in overcoming preconceived notions and promoting a culture where diversity is seen as a strength rather than a compliance requirement.

Survey Plus is more than just a tool; it's a solution designed to address these pain points head-on. By harnessing the power of data, Survey Plus offers insightful, easy-to-understand analytics that empower recruitment agencies to make informed decisions, celebrate diversity, and foster an inclusive environment.

Why Survey Plus?

In-depth Insights: Go beyond surface-level data with comprehensive analytics on gender, race, sexual orientation, and more.
Comparative Analysis: See how you stack up against the platform average, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for growth.
Actionable Data: Turn insights into action with clear, concise data that guides your diversity and inclusion strategies.

Diving into data doesn't have to be daunting. Survey Plus makes data approachable, with intuitive interfaces and clear insights that guide rather than overwhelm.

See your agency become a leader in inclusive recruitment, attracting a broader range of clients and candidates who value diversity as much as you do.

Ready to Transform Your Recruitment Strategy?
With Survey Plus, dive deep into the world of data-driven recruitment with confidence. Embrace the insights, celebrate the diversity, and watch as your agency sets new standards in inclusive recruitment.

Transform your recruitment journey with Survey Plus – where data meets diversity.

The Strategic Role of Personal Branding in Recruitment

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 11:55:58 GMT

The Strategic Role of Personal Branding in Recruitment

In the world of recruitment, where decisions hinge on credibility and trust, establishing and showcasing your unique value and point of difference is more crucial than ever. Candidate and client feedback play an integral role, offering tangible evidence of your quality service, effectiveness, and client satisfaction to your prospect customers.

Just as many people wouldn’t consider dining at a new restaurant without reading reviews, recruitment is now similarly influenced by social proof. In an era where options are plentiful, reviews and testimonials serve as a guiding light, steering candidates and clients towards those who have established a trustworthy and effective brand. This shift is continuing to highlight the growing importance of building your own personal brand in the recruitment industry.

Understanding Social Proof in Recruitment

LinkedIn revealed that 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before even applying for a job. What’s more is that LinkedIn also reports that companies with strong employer brands see a 50% decrease in the cost of hire and a 28% reduction in turnover. While this statistic focuses on companies, it mirrors the importance of personal branding for individual recruiters, as a strong personal brand can attract and retain talent more effectively. It’s a win win - more candidates, a lower cost to hire and no more using that replacement guarantee!

The Impact of your Personal Brand as a Recruiter

In essence, personal branding for recruiters is about strategically crafting and conveying an image that reflects your skills and the unique value you offer. In today’s digital age, personal branding relies heavily on online presence - LinkedIn - to articulate what sets you apart from others and for recruiters, this will take the form of feedback and testimonials.

Testimonials and feedback are more than just words; they are a form of validation that have become a non-negotiable for candidates and clients alike. For context on the importance of consistently posting your testimonials and feedback, a study by Indeed found that 83% of job seekers are influenced by reviews and ratings when deciding on where to apply for a job.

In an industry where your personal brand can be as influential as the services you provide, testimonials and positive feedback have become the essential tools to validate your value and set you apart in the competitive world of recruitment.

Start Building Your Brand Today

Are you ready to leverage the power of social proof and elevate your personal brand in the recruitment industry? You can begin by showcasing your impressive feedback, success stories and testimonials. Connect with Recruiter Insider to learn more about how you can use your online presence to attract the right candidates and clients.

ri-2024

Most agencies are prioritising the wrong things

Most agencies are prioritising the wrong things

The Hidden Cost of Low Fill Rates

The Hidden Cost of Low Fill Rates ﻿

The workload problem most agencies miss

The commercial hit

The internal fallout

What Recruiter Insider reveals

The takeaway

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation: What Actually Drives Results

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation:

﻿ What Actually Drives Results

Improving Fill Rates vs. Chasing Automation:

What Actually Drives Results?

Efficiency without effectiveness is a dead end

What the data says about actual performance

What Recruiter Insider does differently

Why automation alone falls short

The real solution: Insight-led performance

Last thoughts...

Why Fill Rates Deserve More Attention in Your Agency

Why Fill Rates Deserve More Attention in Your Agency

What does a low fill rate actually mean?

High fill rates don’t require higher workloads

The commercial impact of improved fill rates

How Recruiter Insider helps solve it

Finally…

The Power of Employee Engagement in Increasing Your Recruitment Agency’s Value

The Power of Employee Engagement in Increasing Your Recruitment Agency’s Value

Why Employee Engagement Matters

Lower Turnover & Reduced Hiring Costs

Increased Productivity & Performance

Attracting Higher Valuations

How Recruiter Insider Helps Boost Employee Engagement

Key Features That Enhance Employee Engagement:

The Valuation Impact of Strong Employee Engagement

How Engagement Affects Valuation:

Final Thoughts

How Recruitment Agencies Can Boost Their Valuation Before Selling

How Recruitment Agencies Can Boost Their Valuation Before Selling

Why It Matters

How Recruiter Insider Helps

Employee Engagement & Retention

Client & Candidate Satisfaction

Continuous Improvement & Scalability

Stronger Brand & Market Position

Valuation Impact

Conclusion

Why Recruitment Agencies Should Be “A Part” of Their Clients’ Business—Not Just a Partner

Why Recruitment Agencies Should Be “A Part” of Their Clients’ Business—Not Just a Partner

Why Recruitment Agencies Should Be “A Part” of Their Clients’ Business—Not Just a Partner

1. Data-Driven Hiring Manager Coaching for Better Interviews

2. Post-Placement Insights to Improve Retention

3. Benchmarking Hiring Performance Against the Market

4. Stronger Employer Branding with Data-Backed Insights

5. A Competitive Edge That Goes Beyond Just Filling Roles

Recruiter Insider vs NPS

1. The Downsides of NPS

2. Beyond a Single Metric: Comprehensive Insights vs. Basic Scoring

3. Industry-Specific Metrics for Recruitment Success

4. Contextual and Qualitative Feedback vs. a Standalone Score

5. Real-Time Analytics for Immediate Action

6. Benchmarking and Performance Comparisons

7. Better Consultant Accountability and Development

8. Performance Management for Employee Growth

9. Comprehensive Employee Feedback for Retention

10. Driving Agency Growth and Business Success

11. Enhancing Client and Candidate Relationships

Conclusion: Why Recruiter Insider Wins Over NPS

Benefits of Automating and Structuring Post-Interview Feedback

Key Benefits of Automating and Structuring Post-Interview Feedback

Here at Recruiter Insider we have released a feature that solves all of these problems and delivers feedback faster to the consultant and candidate whilst making the process easier for hiring managers.

For Hiring Managers

For Recruitment Consultants

For Candidates

The Bigger Picture

Real-World Proof

Reach out to us here for a demo.

The Role of Recruiters in Ensuring a Positive Onboarding Experience

The Hidden Cost of Low Fill Rates

What Actually Drives Results