What Makes A Great Contractor Provider?

I’ve been in contractor recruitment for more years than I can remember, so I know all about the importance of client feedback - not just feedback on your candidates but on how your company has delivered too.

The number one requirement for all good recruiters is to have a great network. To be knowledgeable enough to instantly know who fits the bill when a new role comes up - and even better if you’ve worked with them before, so you can vouch for their strengths and be honest about their weaknesses.

In simple terms, contractor sourcing is about finding the right candidate for a role your client needs to fill.

In real terms, a good recruiter has to take into account:

• The extent of the experience required
• The cultural fit
• The duration of the contract
• The size of the team
• How far along the project already is 

If you don’t ask the right questions, how can you possibly expect to provide the best service?

Over the years, I’ve amassed plenty of client feedback - both good and bad – and have made these conclusions about what makes a good recruiter:

• Someone who listens and asks all the right questions - never unnecessary ones
• Someone who provides candidate profiles explaining:
• why they are suitable for this specific role, while highlighting any areas of particular strength or weakness
• the day rate/salary expectations, availability both for interview and to start, and what else they have in the pipeline
• Someone who prepares candidates prior to interview so that no time is wasted re-explaining the details of the job
• Someone who takes into account cultural fit

Of course, any good recruiter can still come across candidates who fail to mention other opportunities, or raise their day rate at the last minute …but thankfully those instances are pretty rare.

What do you think makes a good contractor recruiter?