Getting the right staff is hugely important for a business, but there can be an feeling of ‘I’m not paying a recruiter to find me someone, I can do that myself’. And yes, it is easy to find someone to do a job, but getting the right one is not always straightforward. And it’s important to get the best person that you can- graduates are your future.
The truth is that most SMEs have difficulty in finding the right graduates; adverts are placed, and a lot of (mainly unsuitable) applications are received. Jobs are usually filled; but often the graduate who would be the best match isn’t even aware of the vacancy or business – and they end up working for a competitor.
Adverts can be effective, but not everyone sees them. It can take a lot of proactive, time-intensive work to lessen the risk of this happening; which not everyone has the time or tools for. I can do this for you: I spend hours searching for suitable candidates, using various methods; and speaking with them when they are free (often outside office hours). I take great care to ensure there is a good mutual match. You can be confident that all bases are covered; and a fee is only payable if one of my candidates joins you.
A good consultant can offer huge value, save you time and money, provide industry knowledge including guidance on salaries, and can find you high-quality candidates.
I use many different methods to find graduates, with each being responsible for filling a certain number of vacancies. And if you don’t have a number of bases covered, there is a risk that someone who could be ideal will not see your advert. For example, not all will look on each job board. And most will not have heard of specific SMEs, so they are unlikely to see it on your website; unless you have a very high profile, which most SMEs don’t have (read more in this blog).
8 reasons why SMEs should consider using a specialist graduate recruitment agency:
- Job sites are saturated; so many businesses are looking for people, and this is the most obvious way to find someone. There are many adverts- and yours can get lost, meaning the right people don’t apply (though many unsuitable ones will). And not all graduates will use each job board. It often needs a proactive approach to find someone. I do have paid access to several jobsites, but they are not the only way I find people, and they currently account for just over half of my placements.
- The way your advert is crafted is also important, and a job description alone is not enough. The best graduates will want to know why they should choose you over other offers they may have. You really need to make your opportunity stand out, and this is something I have years of experience in. I can make your job come to life.
- I pay a lot of money for the premium service for job sites, and LinkedIn. I can proactively search these, not just wait for responses to adverts. I have an eye for what to look for, and invest time in it. If they are out there I will find them. It can then take various methods of contact before reaching someone. If you were to do this yourself, you would need to pay for the access, and also spend time on searching. For each job I work on, I will typically spend several hours searching for and speaking with candidates; sometimes spread over several weeks, if it’s a particularly tricky position to fill (though most vacancies are filled in a shorter timescale).
- If placing an advert then you will generally get a lot of applications. Possibly dozens to hundreds (and for one recent vacancy I received over 1,500 applications. Just think how long they took to process). Most will not be close to being right, and it can be a real slog going through them. Or, depending on the role, you may get many who appear to be a good match on paper, and it can be tough getting this down to a manageable level. But this is something I am used to doing. I can either get it down to a shortlist for interview, or continue the search if none turn out to be of the required standard (it can happen).
- You may have direct links with a university, and these can often work very well. I myself have some very good partnerships. But the quality of service from universities varies; some are very switched on and helpful, others are not. And many don’t have a good connection with graduates, meaning most aren’t aware of job vacancies that are advertised. Again, this varies but I can guarantee that at every university there are graduates who just don’t engage with the careers service. For example, a recent piece of research by Lancaster University used focus groups of students to find out where they searched for jobs. Their own graduate jobs board was not mentioned at all during these focus groups; despite there being 100s of jobs on it. This is a common issue across many universities. Only around 5% of my jobs are filled from the portals where jobs can be added. And there are some universities where I don’t bother adding an advert at all now (for example, some have taken weeks to approve an advert, by which time the job is usually filled). Many employers rely on these boards to get applications, and assume everyone suitable will see the advert- but this is not always the case. Even if your university is one of the good ones, if you are just using them you risk missing out on graduates who have studied in another city, and returned home for work. You are also limited to a set number of candidates, with often significant variations in overall employability and work ethic.
- It can be tough for SMEs when up against the huge graduate employers, who are highly visible across universities. They have teams whose job is to go out and recruit students. There are even books showing the top 100 graduate employers. And unfortunately many graduates are already snapped up at an early stage. How can you compete against that? I can help, as I regularly advocate for working with SMEs. Spreading the word through a variety of other methods, including direct work with universities and students, and social media channels. Something that is very important when dealing with graduates.
- I speak with a lot of students and graduates on a daily basis; in addition to hundreds of SMEs. This means that I have a good idea of what is happening in the market, and can advise you on the right course of action to take. For example, if there is nobody on the market who is suitable and interested, you may need to revise the criteria that you are looking for.
- I just work on student and graduate roles; my clients often ask me to look for more experienced people for them, but I respectfully decline. This way I can keep my focus on my area of specialism and there are no distractions. With a more generalist agency, there may be a temptation for them to prioritise vacancies where more experience is required, over your graduate roles, as there is generally a higher salary, and a higher fee for them.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss anything related to the graduate employment market. I work with a range of businesses, including with internal recruiters. You can find out more about how graduates can benefit your business here.
Matthew Parry
Director. SME Graduate Employment
Email: matthew@sme-graduates.co.uk Telephone: 0370 7749500
The specialist graduate recruitment agency for SMEs