How To Attract Top Talent Using Your Recruitment Agency Website

There still seems to be a huge number of out of work recruitment consultants and talent acquisition professionals so as an employer you’re probably spoiled for choice when it comes to sorting through applications. However there are rumblings that the market is starting to pick itself up so this is likely to change over the coming months. And of course you may currently be receiving lots of applications for your open recruiter vacancies but are you attracting the best talent in the market? 

Attracting the best candidates for your recruitment agency requires more than just posting a job ad and hoping for the best. To stand out and appeal to top-tier professionals, you need a well-crafted marketing & recruitment strategy that showcases you as a company that they really want to work for, nay, must work for and will love working for/with! 

I’m going to go pretty in-depth into proven methods I’ve seen over the years from agencies I’ve worked for and from current clients when it comes to attracting top recruitment talent. We’ll also discuss how we can help you implement them effectively.

Cultivate a Stellar Company Reputation

A company's reputation precedes it in the talent market. High-performing professionals are drawn to organisations with a track record of success, innovation, and positive employee experiences. Proactively manage your reputation by:

• Recruitment partners: Work with a selection of recruitment to recruitment agencies to carry out some of the leg work for you. Regularly invite them to the offices and brief them on company developments, new technology, growth plans, new senior hires, press releases, etc. 
• Showcase consultant achievements: Highlight industry awards your firm has won, industry recognition, and positive press coverage. Consultants want to work alongside and learn from the best leaders in the industry. Show them you only employ the best and train them to be even better. 
• Training: Even the best consultants can begin to lose the edge and get lazy without proper training. Look to both internal and external trainers (keep things fresh) to train junior and senior consultants as well as management. And don’t just focus on standard sales, sourcing & recruitment training, expand this to include training on new software platforms, DEI & unconscious bias training, etc. 
• Promoting employee testimonials: Sharing real-life experiences from satisfied employees is a great way to frame your company and show real life work stories. People will always be a little cynical and sceptical when it comes to employee testimonials but I’d rather see an agency website with employee testimonials, than one without. 
• Glassdoor, Google Reviews & Trustpilot: Plays into the point above but hopefully amazing testimonials left by clients & candidates will show potential talent that your agency is an agency that really is able to build and maintain relationships. 
• Engaging in thought leadership: Participating in industry events and publishing insightful content. And don’t just leave it to the marketing team to publish content - this is the role of consultants and leaders too. Look to social media management tools to source and post content to social media marketing tools to make the whole process a little easier. Make sure your consultants and agency leaders attend industry events too. 

Nurture a Vibrant Company Culture

Company culture is the heart and soul of an organisation. It's what sets one company apart from another and significantly impacts employee satisfaction and retention. I’ve left companies because of the company culture and I’ve stayed at companies too long because of their company culture. Cultivate a positive culture by:

• Promoting work-life balance: Recruitment really is an industry where you’re expected to work harder than the niche you recruit for. You may get to the office at 8am some days and may leave the office at 7pm some days. There’s also plenty of days when you’ll end up working through lunch, eating a Tesco meal deal at your desk. Offering flexible work arrangements and encouraging employees to take time off benefits consultants and the long term productivity and profitability of your agency. Let them work from home on a regular basis, reward them with more than the average holiday allowance, etc. 
• Fostering a collaborative environment: Encouraging teamwork and open communication makes everyone happier across the company and also increases shared placements from my experience.
• Recognising and rewarding achievements: One of the biggest gripes I used to hear was consultants not feeling as though they were appreciated. They’d bill £150k, £200k, £300k per annum and see the rewards being enjoyed by upper management while they only got a small percentage of commission. Celebrate employee successes and milestones, even if they’re small ones. Celebrate interviews, new clients, placements, phone times and everything else in between. 

Your Website

Your recruitment agency’s website is a brilliant tool to sell your company. And in most cases will do a better job than your consultants and hiring managers. It has access to reams of information and maintains a degree of impartiality somehow. People tend to believe what they read on websites as if it were fact: 

• Design: People like pretty things and if your website looks dated then you’re really making the process harder than it should be. Consultants want to join firms that are doing well, firms that are cash rich, firms that invest in their consultants and the technology that makes them better. If your website looks pants then I know as a consultant it's going to be a harder sell when speaking with clients & candidates. Get a website that performs well but also looks good! 
• Internal careers section: Even if you’re a small company with just a few consultants I would still recommend adding an “Internal Careers” / “Work For Us” page. It makes your agency look better than it is and also looks like you’re in growth mode. People are more likely to join companies that are growing, rather than decreasing in size. 
• Awards: Maybe you don’t have any awards but if you do then make sure you showcase them in the footer of your website and also on pages such as “Candidates”, “Clients” and your “Work For Us” pages. And if you haven’t won awards yet then it’s probably because you haven't entered rather than your agency not being good enough. Side note: draw up a list of all the recruitment awards shows over the course of the year, make a note when submissions open and go ahead and enter. Nominations are just one below winning so do it! 
• Images & videos: If you’re a small agency then it may be hard to avoid using stock images and video but try to showcase your company culture, office, social outings and your team through the use of video and images. People want to see who they’ll be working with. 
• Loading speed: No one likes a slow website. This is just going to put off potential applicants. Make sure your website loads quickly on desktop and mobile. 
• Mobile friendly: Speaking of mobile, this is pretty basic but I still see this lacking, especially from certain recruitment website suppliers but make sure your website is fully mobile responsive as applicants and active interviewing candidates will definitely be accessing your website on their mobile devices. 
• Chatbots & virtual chat: I still don’t see that many chatbots and virtual chat applications on recruitment agency websites, even though it seems to be a huge topic in 2022 & 2023. I feel as though they've been dwarfed by "Automations and AI", like they may have had their wings clipped and some of the limelight has been taken away from an underused potential option. They’re brilliant tools for answering consultant questions, lead capturing and also showing how your agency is willing to trial and invest in new technology. 

Pay & Benefits 

Probably one of the most important as recruiters tend to be very money and career driven. If you want the best talent in the market:  

• Basic pay: Let’s not get mixed up here. I don’t want to see you offering "competitive pay" and writing this on your job adverts. I want you to scope out your competitors, see what they’re offering basic wise and offer more. And write the salary range on your job adverts and job descriptions too.  
• Commission: Once again, do some digging and work out what your competitors are offering commission wise and make sure commission structure far exceeds this and really rewards those high achievers. 
• Benefits: And lastly offer some damn good benefits! Yes it’s going to take out some profit from your bottom line but your employees will thank you for it and will stay loyal. They’ll remember when that private healthcare kicked in and they got to see a doctor within 24 hours over something they were really worried about or how they were able to see a dentist without paying a fortune or waiting 3 months! 

Build Strong Relationships with Candidates

The recruitment process is an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with potential hires. Encourage your hiring managers to make candidates feel valued and respected by:

• Conducting personalised interviews: Tailoring questions to each candidate's background and experience. I’m a huge fan of using behavioural and competency based interview questions and aligning these to company  values if applicable. 
• Providing timely feedback: You’re a recruiter, you know how it is. Keep candidates informed throughout the hiring process, passing on feedback at each stage along with a plan for the next stage if applicable. If they are rejected after an actual interview stage then I would always recommend feedback delivered over the telephone with an email to support it. 
• Offering a positive candidate experience: Making every interaction with the company enjoyable and informative. It’s cliche but it’s a two way street. Arrange meetings based on their diary as much as yours'. Give them a tour of the office and mention local amenities - pubs, gyms, lunch spots, etc. Get them to meet with the team and so on. 

Emphasise Personal Fulfilment

Today's top talent seeks more than just a paycheque at the end of the month. They want to feel that their work has meaning and contributes to something bigger than themselves and I realise that can be hard in recruitment but there are avenues you should explore. Help your hiring managers and internal recruiters to convey a sense of purpose by:

• Clearly defining the company's mission and values: Communicating how the company is making a difference in the world. Maybe you’re pursuing B-Corp certification, maybe you’re aiming for a more sustainable business, maybe you help local charities. 
• Highlighting opportunities for growth and development: Offering training programs, mentorship opportunities, and clear career paths are all needed to compete with the top agencies these days. As mentioned previously, offer training from both external and internal trainers. If you’re a smaller agency then you could always look to offer access to recruitment & sales training platforms. Maybe you want to give employees a few hours each fortnight to focus on self development or offer a training budget each quarter for training courses, books or to attend events. 
• Encouraging employee involvement in decision-making: Creating a sense of ownership and empowerment is a brilliant way to create buy-in. Get employees involved in as many decisions as possible without slowing down the decision making process and without affecting adaptability and  the overall direction of the business. Look for their opinions on new websites, marketing campaigns, office moves, etc. 

Prioritise Career Progression

Ambitious professionals want to know that they have opportunities for advancement within a company, especially in recruitment. Recruitment consultants are probably some of the most ambitious and hungriest people you’ll meet. Most want to move up as quickly as possible, will push for that next pay raise and ask for that promotion before they truly believe they deserve it. I’d advise to:

• Establish clear career paths: Outline potential career trajectories within the organisation. Are there set levels within the company? How is this structure set? What happens if I want to move up but don’t want to manage a team? What if I want to move up but progress more into management or operations or marketing?  
• Invest in employee development: This is a continuing theme but ensure you provide training programs and mentorship opportunities.
• Promote from within: I realise this isn’t always possible when there’s a specific skill gap or you come across an external candidate that you just can’t turn down but where you can, demonstrate a commitment to nurturing internal talent. If you feel as though internal employees aren’t ready to move up to the next stage then look to offer further training in those areas to upskill them. 

Optimise and Streamline the Recruitment Process

A lengthy and cumbersome hiring process can deter top talent from pursuing opportunities with your business. I’ve personally been involved in some lengthy interview processes, including one that stretched over 2 months on one occasion. Streamline your recruitment efforts by:

• Clearly define needs and wants: what is the role? Why is it needed? How did it come about? How will the company support this role? Who is the ideal candidate? If you can’t find them, who would you be happy with? 
• Writing clear and concise job descriptions: In my opinion most recruiters aren't great at writing job specs. Accurately reflect the role's responsibilities and requirements. Show the benefits of someone joining your company - why should they join your company rather than a competitor? Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with the job advert - maybe use some images or video content, pass the job spec and advert through unconscious bias tools, look at new channels and don’t be afraid of spending money to promote the vacancy. 
• Offering flexible interview options: As mentioned previously, look to  accommodate candidates' schedules and preferences as much as possible. People will appreciate this and remember it and you'll be more likely to meet with the candidates you should and want to meet by being flexible. 
• Providing timely feedback: As mentioned before so I won’t labour it but it is important - keep candidates informed throughout the process.

Leverage the Power of Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for attracting top talent and there seems to be a tonne of recruitment tech out there in the market. Don’t get bogged down in all of it but see what you can use to your advantage by:

• Optimising your career website for mobile: Ensuring a seamless experience for candidates applying on their phones. Most applicants will apply via their mobile phone or will at least be checking out your website on their mobiles at some point during the application / interview process. Ensure your website is fully mobile responsive and loads quickly. 
• Utilising social media for recruitment: Share job postings and showcase company culture on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Twitter. 
• Implementing applicant tracking systems: Streamline the hiring process and improve communication with candidates. Look to add a chatbot and/or virtual chat application on your website to improve communications with potential talent. Integrate your recruitment CRM with your agency website to allow applications to directly flow into your CRM. Also look to set up automations to keep candidates updated with the interview process. 

Showcase Diversity and Inclusion

A diverse and inclusive workplace is not only ethically sound but also attractive to top talent. Help your business grow by fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued by:

• Promoting diversity in hiring practices: Ensuring a fair and unbiased recruitment process. Look towards unconscious bias training for all hiring managers and internal recruiters. Pass jobs specs and adverts through tools such as Textio to ensure the language they use appeals to all target demographics. 
• Creating employee resource groups: Providing support and community for underrepresented groups. Look to employees to create groups for LGTBQ+ members of minority ethnic groups and reward them appropriately for this extra work! 
• Celebrating diversity and inclusion: Recognise and value the unique perspectives of all employees and what they all bring to the business.

Conclusion

Attracting the best recruitment talent in the market requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses company reputation, culture, candidate relationships, personal fulfilment, career progression, your website and technology. By partnering with recruitment to recruitment partners and recruitment marketing agencies to implement these strategies, you can help them secure the best candidates and achieve long-term success for your business.

And of course you’re probably in a position where you’re receiving lots of applications for your internal roles but the recruitment landscape is constantly evolving, so it's essential to stay abreast of the latest trends and adapt your strategies accordingly. By continually refining your approach and leveraging the latest tools and technologies, you can ensure that your business remains at the forefront of the talent acquisition game.