On the power of “collaboration”: “Only agencies with a warm network will survive”
Not many recruitment agencies have managed to complete 21 years. The Amersfoort-based WerfSelect succeeded, thanks to many “PastPrecies-matches” and “the power of collaborative recruitment”. But what do they actually mean by that?
Peter Boerman Werf& On Oct. 22, 2019
“Only the parties with a large, warm network will continue to provide added value,” predicts Annelies Ruis (pictured above), founder and director of WerfSelect, a recruitment and selection agency in Amersfoort that mediates interim managers and permanent professionals in (online) marketing, communications and sales.
“Only those parties with a large, warm network will continue to add value.
And such a warm network, you can leave that to her. Her agency has been active in the market for 21 years, with clients such as Grolsch, Spa, Velux and Bovag on one side and many candidates on the other. Many of them were recently present at the anniversary party, where, among other things, the strategy “The power of collaboration” was presented and Grolsch explained the labor market campaign “Echt.Karakter”. But what does “co-recruitment” really mean? And how does it take shape in practice? Time for a closer interview…
You have been around for 21 years, quite a lot for a recruitment agency. What is the reason for that?
“When I started in my well-known attic room in 1998, I wanted to build the company I wanted to work for. That meant real personal contact, partnership with a long-term focus and exceeding expectations. These elements have only become more relevant in my view, even though the market may now seem to be moving in a more impersonal and technology-driven direction. But we all remain human beings who want to be seen and to work together in a pleasant way. Of course, technology can help organize and validate things conveniently, but then so supportive of personal contact.”
“The other day, a candidate told us that he had also met his wife at our client.
“With these principles we have been working for years on what we call: PastPrecies-matches, and we still do so every day with immense pleasure. The other day, for example, we received feedback from a candidate that he not only had a very successful working period with our client, but had also met his wife there. Then we jump in the air. It gives meaning to our work; and so that makes us extremely happy. We want to help candidates find work they can put their hearts into. We believe that by doing so they can make a difference for our clients.”
“A far-reaching partnership with our clients, so that we optimize everyone’s strengths in recruiting the right new employees. By truly working together, we achieve better and more sustainable results. That’s why we also work on the basis of exclusivity. Our client does not throw the vacancy over the proverbial fence, but we work together to fill it in the best possible way. That makes you more of an (external) colleague than a hired agency. We are now supplementing this strategy with other services that help companies to optimize their recruitment of commercial personnel, using our knowledge of this target group and large network.”
And what does that mean on the candidate side?
‘We want to help candidates take the right next step based on an in-depth intake interview and joint plan of action. We do that for free, and often candidates thank us after a personal interview at our office. They experience it as a conversation akin to coaching that helps them make the right choices in the career field.
“According to research, nearly 90 percent of an employee’s success depends on things that are not on the resume.
Research has shown that nearly 90% of an employee’s success depends on things that are not reflected on the resume. Think: learning ability, emotional intelligence and temperament. Therefore, our interviews focus on personality, drives and competencies and only to a limited extent on work experience. This allows us to make a better match. We believe in the power of our network and referral. Thus, candidates are not only selected by us, but also by their peers. An extra security. This is how we do business together with our network. Another form of recruiting together, in other words.’
To what problem is “collaborative recruitment” the answer?
“For many companies, the realization is sinking in that finding the right staff is priority No. 1. And that scarcity and therefore competition is high. That means they have to pull out all the stops to bring in the best people. Currently, the choice for employers basically consists of: do we do it ourselves, or do we outsource it to an agency? All or nothing, in other words. Often the company starts by itself and if that doesn’t produce anything an agency takes it further. That means costly waste of time.”
“Many companies understand that finding the right staff is priority No. 1. And that scarcity and therefore competition is high.”
“With ‘The Power of Collaborative Recruiting,’ we want to offer a palette of options so that everyone’s strengths are used to their fullest potential, resulting in greater reach, at a lower average cost and faster success. And above all, we are continuously involved in team building, rather than only when the need is high. In addition, through intensified cooperation, we know better who fits a particular company/team/culture/challenge and so we can make an even firmer match on personality and competencies.”
To what extent is this different from a catalog of (modular) services you offer?
“The final product is a catalog of services, as well as customization. However, it is about a fundamentally different starting point. With us, there is no longer a wall between employer and agency; we get it done hand in hand. We want to be the extension of our clients and even communicate from their name, if that is convenient. For example, by adding an interim recruiter to the client’s recruitment team. Or by setting up campaigns on social media and job platforms for them. At the other end of the spectrum, it is also possible, in addition to our own recruitment, to post the vacancy in our network. Of course, in all cases we then check whether matches meet the PastPrecies standards.”
Wencke Ellenbroek (Grolsch) recently told you about the “Real.Character” campaign. Why?
“In 2018, Grolsch selected agencies for partnerships in a variety of fields. We were then selected as an exclusive partner for marketing, sales and corporate affairs positions. During a joint afternoon, the selected agencies were taken through the plans for Grolsch’s employer branding campaign, where they could give input. So for us that was the start of our collaborative recruitment.”
“At first, 60 employees reluctantly participated. But now there are already 200 portraits.”
‘Initially there was hardly any budget and little capacity available within the team. But a good employer branding campaign was much needed, not least because of the location: Enschede. Grolsch sets the bar high for new personnel and wants to reach people from outside the region as well. So for a new campaign they deliberately chose their own people. After all, people make the organization’s success. Initially, 60 employees reluctantly participated and were photographed completely naturally and close-up. Now there are portraits of 200 employees.
“With the images of “Echt.Karakter” we give candidates in our recruitment a glimpse of the special company that Grolsch is. We have noticed that the campaign fits in very well with the image people already have of Grolsch. It has a particularly positive effect on candidates coming from corporates. These people regularly struggle with the many reorganizations and the “small cog” that they are at these large companies. The Grolsch campaign meets their need for “the human touch”. Through this campaign we can make it even clearer to them what Grolsch stands for. A strong example of cooperation in practice, in other words.
What services do you think are especially suited to the needs of our time?
‘Recruiting has become marketing. Companies are working on their employer brand by using social media and job platforms in a smart way, among other things. We have always worked in partnership with our clients. In recent years, we increasingly advise them on how to build their (online) marketing, communication and sales teams. Because we are continuously involved, we can match much better and even proactively monitor whether interesting talent becomes available for them.
“Someone who is also welcome at Unilever now regularly chooses a start-up with purpose and potential.
“For now, demographically, the job market remains tight. Millennials in particular are being pulled a lot. They are more into quality of life and meaning in their work than traditional hierarchical careers. Employers who are not only focused on profit, but also on taking responsibility and giving back to society are already very popular. In this regard, the size of the company has become less important, we notice. For example, someone who is also welcome at Unilever now regularly chooses a start-up with purpose and potential. We give them access to such companies with a mission and advise on what suits them.”
How do you envision the future of recruitment?
“We think that only the parties with a large, warm network will continue to provide added value compared to the platforms (such as Google for Jobs) and technologies that companies will soon be able to deploy (matching with artificial intelligence). By the way, by also making smart use of the available technology and platforms, but without losing personal contact.”
Photos taken from anniversary meeting De WerfSelectie at the Eemklooster in Amersfoort. © Twycer / www.twycer.nl
