What key things should you expect from your Allied Health Recruitment Agency?
When looking for allied health recruits, it’s tempting to try and save money by going it alone. After all, you work in the industry and understand exactly what it is you’re looking for on a resume. But recruitment is about so much more than posting job adverts and reading CVs. The right recruiter can actually have a positive impact on your business way beyond the initial recruitment process.
So why use an Allied Health Recruiter?
Put simply, it’s an investment. Getting professional help will not only save you time during the recruitment process itself but it will also help you to find high calibre candidates who can enrich your organisation in the long term. The right recruiter will be able to guide you through the entire process and ensure you end up with the best possible candidate for the job. They can offer you invaluable industry insight such as salary advice and help you to think outside the box for creative hiring solutions. Having said that, in a specialised field like Allied Health, not just any old recruitment agency will do. In order to get the best value for money and the right candidate for the job, finding the right recruitment partner is key.
What characteristics and best practices should you be looking for when choosing an Allied Health Recruitment Agency in Australia?
1) Specialist knowledge of the market
When it comes to recruiting allied health professionals, you need to know that your recruiter understands the industry inside out. You want someone who specialises in allied health and has access to clients and candidates Australia wide from both the private and public sectors. They will know how to spot someone who is better suited for locum opportunities versus someone who is looking to commit for the long haul. They will have an extensive network of candidates who specialise either in helping people with disabilities, children & young people, or the vulnerable or elderly. They will know exactly what characteristics, qualifications and experience is required for an Occupational Therapist and won’t need you to spell out what a Diversional Therapist does. This will not only save you time when explaining what you’re looking for but it will also ensure that your recruiter works efficiently, effectively and knows where to go to find the best candidates for your organisation.
2) They take the time to get to know your business
A great recruiter will take time to find out not only what your organisation needs right now but also what it might need in the future. A key difference between a locum and permanent recruit is that a locum needs to be able to fit in straight away and hit the ground running whilst a permanent staff member needs to be able to grow with your business. In both cases, however, the recruiter must have a thorough understanding of your organisation in order to find the right fit. Social care is a broad sector and your agency needs to have a firm grasp on what clientele you are currently working with as well as who you might be assisting in future. If they’re only interested in a bullet point job description, they’re not the right agency for the job.
3) They know how to sell YOU
A good allied health recruiter knows that the recruitment process is a two way street. It’s not just about finding the candidate that ticks all the right boxes for your organisation — it’s about making sure that your organisation ticks all the right boxes for the candidate. Once they’ve taken the time to understand your business, they’ll be able to attract the best candidates by selling your best attributes. They’ll know your employer value proposition and they’ll know what future opportunities the successful candidate can expect at your organisation. They’ll be able to get them excited about your company culture and give them a real insight into what life will be like at their new job. In short, they won’t just help you find the right candidate — they’ll make sure you secure them too.
4) They are proactive
Any decent Allied Health Recruitment Agency in Australia should be proactively approaching candidates. They won’t just sit around hoping that the perfect candidate will call them or respond to their job advert — they will also approach candidateswho are not actively looking for a new opportunity. Our first point becomes relevant again here because a recruiter who specialises in the field will be doing this anyway and will constantly be looking for new and exciting candidates across the board. They may even be in contact with uniquely qualified overseas candidates looking to work in Australia. With tangible experience in the industry, they will have built relationships with countless candidates at various stages in their career and will be able to access fantastic talent that you may have missed out on otherwise.
5) A robust screening process
Candidate screening is important in any recruitment process but it is absolutely vital when recruiting allied health professionals. With proven experience recruiting in allied health, your agent should know that soft skills like bedside manner, compassion and empathy are just as important as the right experience and qualifications. The bestAllied Health Recruitment Agency will have a robust and multi-step screening process in place which will ensure that the candidates they shortlist for you not only look good on paper but also measure up in person. Even when they’re recruiting for short term locum work, the right agency will have stringent reference and qualification checking processes to make sure that the successful candidate has all of the relevant paperwork and checks in place before they start.
Ready to take the next step?
If you need help finding the right allied health professionals for your business, get in touch with our specialist Allied Health team here or call today on 02 9218 2334.