The financial impact of coronavirus has eroded ethical practices as recruiting companies struggle to meet quotas. When choosing a legal recruitment firm, make sure your business selects a reputable service.
The role of the recruiter
A quality recruiter is focused on long-term satisfaction for employer, and new employee. Aligning your company with an ethical recruiter who knows your market (in this case the WA legal profession) has far-reaching benefits.
As an experienced recruitment agency, McKenna & Associates understands many elements are in play during the hiring process. Area of practice, pay rate, potential for promotion, and office culture are a few of the factors that need to line up for employer, and candidate.
COVID19 has created enough worry in the workplace
The unpredictability of the present clime places unique pressure on your business, and on staff. Recruiting needs to be as stress-free as possible. While unsuitable staffing fills a quota, it rarely leads to a sustainable employment scenario.
No team should be dealing with problematic hiring choices in the midst of a pandemic. To avoid problems down the track, choose your recruitment agency wisely. Partnering with an unethical recruiter risks wasting time and money.
How to spot an unethical recruiter
Below are ten questionable practices that may be carried out by an unethical recruiter. Keep in mind employing these techniques means they’re unlikely to deliver the best possible long-term staffing for your company.
- Aiming for numbers over quality by inundating firms with inappropriate matches. Part of quality recruiting is having an in-depth understanding of the employer, and the available position, and pinpointing a small pool of exemplary candidates.
- Luring quality candidates with vacant positions that do not exist.
- Trying to change the commission rate mid-process.
- Placing staff, despite recognising they’re ill-matched to the employer.
- Offering a successful candidate another position after they’ve been placed, thereby doubling commission fees.
- Discriminating against candidates and removing them from the recruitment process on the mistaken assumption they’re less appealing to the employer based on age, gender or religion.
- Pressuring employers to hire inappropriate candidates.
- Telling a candidate with multiple options to take the position that returns the highest fee to the recruiter.
- Sending resumes to multiple potential employers without the candidate’s permission.
- Asking candidates for information they’re not legally obligated to provide.
Remember to research
Longstanding legal recruitment agencies work hard to ensure their reputation in the West Australian legal community remains unblemished. As a high calibre recruiter, McKenna & Associates knows the value of positive word of mouth from satisfied clientele.
Trusting an unknown recruiter may impact your firm’s standing. Make sure industry feedback supports your choice. Hiring unsuitable candidates can, over time, impede productivity, and turnover.
Cost cutting, and what you’re really losing
A number of factors have to be taken into account when considering value for money. As any lawyer who has been asked to lower their rate knows, quality of service is an important component of pricing.
A superior recruiter isn’t merely looking to earn a commission. They’re a trusted partner working to help solidify your presence in a competitive market by sourcing the best possible staffing fit for your team.
Make sure discrimination doesn’t happen in your name
The Australian Human Rights Commission offers a step-by-step guide to preventing discrimination in recruitment. Any recruiter you use should retain the standards outlined in thisdocument.
As a pre-eminent legal recruitment agency, McKenna & Associates is aware of our legal obligations. Transparency matters. The importance of honest, ethical relationships between recruiters, clients, and candidates cannot be overstated.