Recruiters, can you sell your ‘value’?

This topic makes me cry.

Well, metaphorically, at least.

But sometimes, almost literally.

After four decades of fighting the good fight as a recruiter who truly believes that we do a valuable thing, it leaves me deflated.

So many recruiters are unable to articulate their value.

Worse than that, so many don’t even believe in their value.

Witness the amount of people in our profession who are happy to say, ‘Recruitment, huh, it’s not rocket science.’

Read here to understand the negative message that sends and how it gives us a glimpse into the lack of belief so many recruiters have.

To be a great recruiter, it takes many, many things.

But first amongst those is a core belief that we deliver an excellent service, provide immeasurable value to clients and candidates, and are worth what we charge.

So many amongst us have fallen for the ill-informed drivel we read on LinkedIn and maybe hear from our pompous mates in the pub, who enjoy putting recruitment down. They seduce us into thinking what we do is shallow. Childs play. Easy. Trivial. “Not rocket science“.

Well, of course, it is not rocket science. But we are not building effing rockets, are we?

 We are doing something else that is extraordinarily difficult.

Not believing in what we do or being able to articulate its worth leaves you exposed to much that is ugly.

How can you advise a client on a process if you do not believe in your experience, knowledge and expertise?

How can you consult and provide insights if you think your own profession is flaky?

How can you defend your fees and margins unless you believe in the value you deliver?

So, a Mini-Masterclass on the value of what we do. Agency recruitment!

Firstly, let’s start with the intrinsic value of talent.

The key differentiation for companies to succeed in every business is acquiring skills. We make that happen – for them.

And those employers need us more than ever. The total spend on recruitment agencies in 2019 was USD 497 Billion. In 2024, it was USD 650 Billion. That’s money spent on Agencies to get staff. They need us more than ever. That reveals our value. If clients could hire the great people they need independently, they would! We know that. But they can’t. They need us. So, we deliver crucial outcomes. There is a fee for that!

So, let us break it down. I see four key pillars of value that great recruiters provide. This is what I mean by being able to articulate our value. You know these four things, but can you explain them with passion, pride, and credibility?

1.   Skilled recruiters help the client define the brief. There is massive value in this. Your client often does not know what they need in their next hire. Frequently, the client sets out simply to hire someone with the same skill set and profile as the person who just left. Meanwhile, the business and the role have changed, and the skills required have changed. You will ask the questions that expose that, calibrate, advise and construct a job definition that solves the client’s staffing issues and ensures the job is ‘fillable’. Advice on skills-set, salary, and best process are all included. Executive and Search recruiters usually charge a third of their fee upfront. That’s what it is for. The diagnostic! Most recruiters don’t do it all or do it for free. It’s part of the fee

2.   Finding people. This is something so many recruiters gloss over. We don’t just screen job board candidates that the client could have attracted themselves. Those candidates are included in the mix, but our primary offering is to find candidates the client cannot find themselves. Our database, our networking, our search, and our headhunting. Great recruiters have ‘unique candidates’, and given that the client’s commercial success is predicated on finding the best talent, and we can find them -that is extraordinarily valuable.

3.   Bringing candidates to the hiring tale. ‘Finding’ people is not the same as ‘recruiting’ them. Be brave and strong on this. The client has LinkedIn. Everyone is there. Why not use that, Ms Client? Just knowing who a candidate is is not the same as bringing them to the hiring table. That is a nuanced skill and involves the recruiter advocating for the client. The recruiter can get a candidate who never would apply directly. Indeed, the candidate was not even looking at Job Ads.

4.   Managing the process. The craft of managing the process still determines whether a candidate is offered and, crucially, accepts a job. Successful recruitment is not all about ‘sourcing’. It is about matching, too, sure. Then, crucially, you will manage each step of the process, usually by finessing the attitude of both the client and candidate. For the greater good, I might add. The candidate who was put off by the client’s interview style. Resurrected by the recruiter. The client who feels a candidate is aiming too high on the salary. Negotiated by the recruiter. The candidate is about to accept a counteroffer. Handled by the recruiter. You know you do those things all through the process. The client does not understand this. It’s of immense value, and you need to see that and articulate it when required.

The skill in articulating your value is the ability to sell your differentiators.

What is it that you have or do that makes you unique?

Finally, wrap all this up to understand the iceberg analogy.

The client only sees a tiny fraction of your work and the value you bring. Show the client the other 90%

As a little bonus, feel free to listen to this podcast I did with Jon Brooks, the best recruitment pricing expert I know! (Also, the only one I know, but…)

Free podcast on selling your value

Spotify

Apple

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