There is a common misconception that more means more… When in reality more, often means less. You see this when you decide to go for an all you can eat buffet, the restaurant has tried to create a number of fantastic dishes but dismally failed to produce anything of decent quality.

I find it equally as unsavoury when I hear from a potential client that they want to get the ‘best’ talent in the market and to do that they are going to engage exactly five agencies or to send it out to everyone on their PSL.

They then wonder why it hasn’t produced the superstar they are after??

Now, I’m not here to bash internal recruitment, or HR, for that matter, I am keen just to point out the problem with having a model where volume wins and how you can avoid making these mistakes when you make your next hire.

Many people fail to understand how recruitment agencies operate and their mindset. If only clients fully understood, in reality, what happens with multi-agency briefs, they might decide to approach things slightly differently.

In my earlier career at a large recruitment firm we were taught how to prioritise job roles, the theory was simple:

This isn’t just taught at one particular business, it is pretty universal in the big box recruitment industry.

Therefore the client may think they are getting ‘the best’ but in reality, they are getting what people can get their hands on quickly.

This is what also drives terrible candidate experience. As many agents ring, as many people as humanly possible (as quickly as possible) and then forget about it as they know they will never get any feedback!

For me, the solution is an easy one… (and this is why, when I launched re:find, I promised we would never work on multi-agent briefs.)

· Choose someone you like, who you preferably have a relationship with and who understands your business. They are more likely to get it right and go the extra mile for you.

· Ideally, give it to them retained or exclusively (with some time) to go and find the best in the market. Ultimately, this will save you time during the recruitment process and a headache in the long-run.

· At most, give the assignment to two businesses, one of them can be a large agency who utilise a database, the other a boutique firm that sources proactively, then you have covered all bases in the market for that ‘Superstar’ you are after.

· Ensure the firm you are using has good ethics and treats candidates well, you want to start your new recruit on a positive journey so that they are engaged about your business from day one.

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.