Perriam & Everett release survey results and white paper on recruiters’ recruitment experience

While many recruiters may be quick to chastise clients for their lack of expertise in hiring techniques, it seems that the industry is not necessarily practicing what it preaches.

During the first quarter of 2008, Perriam & Everett which places recruiters, headhunters and in house recruiters world-wide surveyed almost 1200 recruitment professionals to find out what they really felt about the industry they worked for and has produced a white paper on the findings:

• Almost 40% were dissatisfied with their interview process and over a third of respondents were looking for more structure at their own interview stage and experienced recruiters felt that the process was far too informal. As one respondent put it: “Get over the chat over a cup of coffee - put me through my paces.”
• Over a third (35%) felt that their current role and firm had not been accurately described.
• Almost a third (33%) were not satisfied with the level of training they received and almost half (48%) felt that they needed to develop business development skills.
• Over a third (35%) felt that the organisations goals and values were not in line with their own personal goals and objectives:

“The business is very results orientated but they pretend to be value focused. The values talk about behaviours that do not fit the aggressive financial results/goals for the year,” commented one respondent.

Commenting on the results, Aisling Tighe, Managing Director of Perriam & Everett said:

“There is some good news - induction programmes seem to be much more formal than in previous similar surveys we have undertaken and on boarding in general is much better. In previous years many recruiters have felt that after a ‘big sell’ they were left to sink or swim. However it’s important to remember that one of the main reasons recruiters join (and therefore leave) an organisation is the calibre of management and companies should therefore be investing in management development programmes to ensure that they not only keep their high performers - but attract other peoples.

If the recruitment sector is going to win its own war for talent, it needs to start taking some of its own medicine” she added.

A copy of the white paper “Rules of Engagement” and full results of the survey can be obtained on Perriam & Everett’s website www.perriam-everett.co.uk or by e-mailing zena@perriam-everett.co.uk.

Perriam & Everett will be hosting a breakfast seminar to discuss the results of the survey with some of their clients next Thursday 5 June in London. Any journalists wishing to attend should e-mail zena@perriam-everett.co.uk for details