Quick poll: Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt frustrated by the lack of transparency in talent acquisition process – either as a candidate or recruiter yourself…
Now we both look silly with our hands up looking at our screens 🤣
Now, let’s imagine a world where everything is laid bare: Recruitment metrics, realtime project status and value recaps.
Sounds amazing, right? That’s the beauty of a transparent recruitment model.
We at Field of Talent have been making the case for transparency for years. So the question is…
Why isn’t transparency the default? Why don’t recruitment firms want you to know the truth about their work?
What is transparency in recruitment?
Compare these two scenarios and tell me which would you prefer?
You contract an average recruitment partner to fill an important role in your software development team. They work with you to understand what exactly you need, the timeframe in which you need to hire, and how you’ll work together to fill it as quickly as possible. Then it’s off to the races. You don’t hear from them for a few weeks while you assume they’re scouring the market for top talent. They return to you with two candidates, their resumes and a recommendation to hire one of them. Maybe they are the right candidates? Maybe not. But wouldn’t it be great to know how they got to those two?
What were they doing for those few weeks when they went incommunicado? Why did they think only these two deserved further interviewing? And who is the human being behind their final recommendation?
You work with another recruitment firm to fill that same role. But this time, your partner values transparency. Instead of expecting you to tell them what to do, they create a strategy to help you reach your talent goals. Then they set out to find the talent you need to get there. Regular meetings, a project dashboard, KPIs – It’s all established before you begin. You’re not surprised when they provide excellent resumes and interview details for 5 all-star candidates. Now it’s time for your final interview and decision.
Transparency is honesty. Transparency is openness. Transparency is trust. Metrics, realtime project status, strategy recaps.
These elements make for a successful relationship with your recruitment outsourcing partner.
Feeling in the dark about your recruitment execution? Time to find a new partner.
Why transparency matters in recruitment
Assumptions are dangerous. To assume your recruitment partner is doing right on your part isn’t safe. Especially when they’re supposed to be representing your company and your brand.
When you outsource talent acquisition, you expect them to represent your interests and hire talent as if their livelihoods depended on it – just as you would.
And that’s why transparency is so important. You have the right to know how your recruitment partner represents you.
In the traditional recruitment model, that’s just not always the case. So we’re doing something about it 😌 Here’s what transparency means to us:
Trust
From the very first conversation you have with a new recruitment partner, you should be able to trust them.
- Have they gotten results for organizations like yours before?
- What do their clients say about them?
Openness in their methodology is key. How they’re going to hire amazing talent for you is critical. They shouldn’t have anything to hide.
Efficiency
Trust isn’t enough. Results are required.
Just because they’re open doesn’t mean they’re efficient.
The faster they make decisions, the more likely you get elite talent on your team.
Communication
We’re all adults here. We appreciate clear, direct communication.
Something went wrong in the hiring process? Mistakes happen, sure. But you expect ownership and repair. Excuses not allowed.
Any time your partner tiptoes around the truth, things will go south.
Just as you deserve directness from your teammates, work with a talent acquisition firm that values fast and direct communication.
Decision-making
More information equals better decisions by both parties – you and your recruiters.
For example, we offer all our clients realtime project dashboard access. So they can see into the process, compare metrics and see why we qualify and advance certain candidates. Plus, at the end of recruitment projects, we present Value Recaps that show how much money we saved our clients vs. a traditional headhunter model.
Information is power.
Competitive edge
Speed is everything in recruitment. The faster you make decisions, the better access you have to the labor market’s best talent. Even a few days can be the difference between an average candidate and an elite draft pick.
And with more trust comes faster decisions.
So trim your time-to-hire. Hire better talent.
Transparency in action: How we practice what we preach
Field of Talent walks the talk when it comes to transparency. Whether we’re your recruitment partner or not, you deserve to trust yours.
Here’s how we prioritize transparency:
- Candidate info — You always have access to the resumes, notes and contact information for your candidates. Want to know why we loved candidate #14? We’re happy to show you.
- Realtime dashboard — At any point in your hiring process, you can see into the process and make sure we’re hitting the KPIs we set together before we kicked off.
- Value recaps — At the end of each hiring process, we confidently show you how you saved time and money versus traditional recruiters. Transparency on steroids!
If you read this essay and realized “Hmm… I think we need a more trustworthy partner,” we can help. Schedule a consult with Field of Talent and we’ll show you how a transparent recruitment model will save you time and money – and hire the talent you deserve.
