One of the key problems when recruiting staff, says Ian Hoyles, Senior Consultant at specialist mortgage recruiter Vanilla Consulting, is “muddling” through the recruitment process. “Recognising the potential problems in advance is the key to successfully recruiting for personal assistant, administrative or support roles”, he says. “Many brokers often make the mistake of muddling through the process without realising the damage being done to their reputation”.

Here Hoyles alludes to the mistakes of ineffectual recruiting: time spent ineffectively vetting and interviewing the wrong type of candidates and, perhaps most importantly, making the wrong hire as a result. According to Hoyles, once you have decided that you need to appoint additional support and administrative staff, or even hire a personal assistant, you need to decide whether to use the services of a recruitment agency or source someone yourself.

There are both positive and negative points associated with both methods says Hoyles; the key is making the decision that is right for your needs. “If you choose to advertise yourself, you must prepare for the process to be time consuming and take you away from your core business. You must also be prepared with a defined job description, salary range as well as understanding the legalities of what you can and can’t say in an advertisement to comply with anti-discrimination laws. You will also need to know what current market rates and trends are to ensure you are able to snare the best person for the job.

Advertising in normal print media and on the internet can also be costly, not to mention the ineffectiveness if you are not strategic on the placement of your advertising. “On the flip side there are certain benefits when advertising the position yourself, says Hoyles. “You will know your business and they type of person you are looking for, thus cutting out the ‘middle man’ and the need to pay a fee”, he says.

If you decide to use an agency, then you should be very particular in the agency you choose because the process (if it is done right) should be viewed as a partnership says Hoyles. “Naturally, utilising an agency attracts a fee however, the agency will generally factor in the cost of the advertising as well as the selection process. One thing that people forget is the fee is only charged after you appoint someone and there is generally a guarantee period attached to the general terms of business.

Be sceptical of an agency that doesn’t take the time to visit you to truly understand your needs as this is instrumental in them doing their job correctly. You should be clear about the role and your expectations as well as your company culture and direction. Taking time to crystallise this initially will save a lot of time and frustrations down the line. And try to choose an agency that is aligned to your industry rather than one of the larger multinationals as they will have a greater understanding of your specific needs”.

In short, the agency route can be equally frustrating if you choose the wrong agency however, if you choose wisely then you will be working with professional services organisations who can really add value to the process as well as consult and provide guidance along the way.

This article first appeared in Mortgage Professional Australia (MPA) magazine. To subscribe or find out more about the magazine, please visit www.mortgagemagazine.com.au or call MPA on (02) 9439 4566.

www.mortgagemagazine.com.au