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Recruitment without risk. Is it possible to perfectly match an IT candidate with a position?

More than 3/4 of all qualifying interviews arranged by Awareson result in an offer for the candidate. Our offer-to-interview ratio is 76.47 percent. Such a result practically guarantees that the client will quickly and with minimal effort find a suitable candidate. What about the remaining nearly 24 percent? That’s why we present clients with, among other things, 3 candidates who are very well-suited to the role – if our first choice for some reason doesn’t suit them, they have an alternative. How to achieve such a result? Marta Prudel-Hankus, Head of PERM at Awareson, suggests how to achieve risk-free recruitment in 8 steps.

 

Step 1. Business Analysis.

You cannot perfectly match a candidate without a deep understanding of the client’s business needs. A good advisor analyzes the company’s goals and projects, including the time perspective, the company’s environment, resources, costs, and risks. The analysis should be conducted in the form of workshops with representatives of the business and HR of the organization – including the person making decisions in this area. Why? Because the specialist we are looking for must fit the task not only in terms of competencies but also personality.

Step 2. Market Knowledge.

An effective consultant must have a very good knowledge of the job market and IT services. It is important to expect them to know current rates, motivations, and the availability of candidates. They should also be aware of market trends, key investments in the IT industry, and competitive plans with respect to clients. The advisor’s role also includes educating clients and candidates and providing them with the latest, verified knowledge. This is achieved through regular Awareson reports.

Step 3. Technical Verticalization.

After analyzing business needs, technical analysis follows. A good consultant works within specific technical verticals such as SAP, Salesforce, Machine Learning, AI, Cloud & Security, IT management. No two projects are identical, but deep specialization in a particular area builds experience and relationships. Specialized consultants have a better knowledge base and a better network of contacts. Are you looking for a consultant experienced in S4Hana implementation? Work with a consultant who has already verified such cases and can assess their experience and competencies. Verticalization also means that the consultant will “speak” the language of the client and the candidate. They deeply understand the project and the role, gain the trust of candidates, and help avoid misunderstandings.

Step 4. Efficient Sourcing and Candidate Verification.

A network of contacts and a good database are essential, but not sufficient. An experienced consultant must efficiently filter the hard and soft skills of candidates in the context of a specific company or project. Not every seemingly perfect CV is suitable. The candidate’s motivation, actual achievements, and references from previous employers also matter. Always, but especially in the case of permanent recruitment, it is important whether the candidate fits into the team and can “get along” with their supervisor.

Step 5. A Well-Managed Recruitment Process.

Not every role requires a 3-4-stage recruitment process, but it is also not always reasonable to limit it to just one stage. This results not only in time and effort savings for the client but also in a more effective process. Quite often, companies skip or marginalize the involvement of the direct manager of the new employee and the actual decision-makers. The effectiveness of the process depends on the engagement of the right people. Therefore, the consultant’s task is to help the client prepare the right recruitment schedule and advise on which representatives of the client’s company should participate in it.

Step 6. Speed of Action.

Interest in good IT candidates, despite economic slowdown, is still immense. The best candidates often have multiple job offers. This makes time a crucial factor in recruitment. High operational standards require presenting the client with a minimum of 3 suitable candidates as quickly as possible. It’s ideal if this can be done within a maximum of 3 days. In the case of rare roles, with the client’s consent, this time frame can be extended, and for simpler roles, it can be shortened to even just a few hours. Success is also dependent on the client’s responsiveness. The consultant’s task is to steer the process in a way that the client doesn’t lose the best candidates to the competition.

Step 7. Negotiations.

In IT recruitment and outsourcing, it’s not about two sides pulling in opposite directions. The goal is for the candidate and the employer to work out mutually satisfying conditions. Here, the role of the consultant is crucial. They don’t negotiate on behalf of one party but seek a good and long-lasting compromise. Signing a contract is not the only goal; it’s about ensuring that the agreed-upon terms are satisfactory for both the company and the candidate in the long run. Therefore, the consultant’s role involves an objective and market-based assessment of conditions and expectations.

Step 8. Honesty and Transparency.

Painting the grass green leads nowhere. During the project, all declarations from the sales and recruitment process are verified. If a client is offering a non-market rate for a position, there’s no point in promising to find a candidate. This is a waste of the client’s time or, with a high degree of certainty, a risk that the proposed candidate lacks the necessary competencies. In an era of widespread salary transparency in IT, consultant honesty is essential. It’s thanks to this honesty that 99% of full-time employees hired by our clients stay with them after the probationary period, and 86% of contractors complete the contracts entrusted to them. A responsible consultant follows the principle of “we deliver what we promise, and we promise only what we can deliver.”

 

 

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