You may have noticed that we refer to our clients here at ML6 as “partners,” and there’s a good reason for that.
Similar to how we only hire team members with the passion, skills, and values needed to contribute to our culture and drive results for our clients, on the flipside, we also make an effort to only partner with clients willing to do what it takes to make those results happen.
That’s because candidates are trusting us to recommend workplaces we genuinely believe would be a good match for their interests and skill sets. We take that trust very seriously, and want to ensure we’re partnering with companies we 100% stand behind so that we’re setting our candidates up for success.
Over the years, we’ve developed a profile of our ideal partnership to help companies reimagine a better way to recruit, engage and retain talent. However, we know that a partnership is a two-way street, so we also hold ourselves accountable to these traits. So, if you’re interested in partnering with ML6, here’s what we look for:
1. Willing to be flexible and open to market intel
The candidate is in the driver’s seat in today’s market. This means that an ideal hiring manager is one that’s always open to being challenged about factors such as ideal profile, the structure of the role, and the compensation range.
Our partners who see the most success in securing top talent are those who see us as a strategic advisor not only in the talent market, but also the role and how it will be received in the market based on what priorities candidates value most.
2. Have a well-defined and streamlined interview process
While having a strong interview process has always been important, now more than ever, your interview process can make or break your ability to fill your most crucial roles. We’ve seen firsthand how an unnecessarily cumbersome or lengthy interview process increases candidate dropout rates significantly.
If a potential partner has such an interview process and isn’t open to revising it, or exploring ways to streamline it, it could prove challenging to produce results. No matter how well we do our job identifying top talent, people often won’t stick around if they feel like they’re being strung along. And in today’s market, candidates have lots of options, so you can’t afford to lose out!.
3. Focuses on feedback
Feedback helps us improve our efforts and build our partners’ employer brand and reputation in the market. This is because with feedback, we can make sure that candidates receive a “why” to being rejected, helping them feel respected and be able to perform better in the future.
Ultimately, constructive feedback is the foundation of a successful partnership. Being partners, working with our agency is not like a resume drive-thru; we want to create a relationship where feedback goes both ways. Potential partners who aren’t willing to dive into their reasoning or specifics around a profile — why they are or aren’t good — can be difficult to deliver results for.
4. Looking to hire people, not resumes
We believe that resumes aren’t everything when it comes to determining a candidate’s qualification. We still spend a significant amount of time receiving and reading resumes, but people are complex — they come from different backgrounds and experiences, and this doesn’t always come through on a single-page resume. Resumes also only highlight someone’s past, not what they’re capable of in the future, which is equally as important in determining their qualification.
Having a conversation and learning about people more holistically is what leads to making great hires. This is why we look for clients who value our human-driven process and are willing to interview candidates based on our recommendation, not just their resumes. This approach has the added benefit of removing a lot of unconscious bias, as well.
5. Takes decisive action
When a client asks us for more than five profiles, or wants to compare candidates after seeing someone they agree meets all of their requirements, it can be a sign of issues down the road.
This is because it typically means that they are window shopping and not yet ready to make the hire, or that the role itself is not yet defined enough and they are unsure of what they’re looking for.
Ideally, we look for a partner who knows what they want and can quickly decide if a candidate will make a good addition to their team. And if they’re not sure exactly what they want, we’re here to help! We encourage partners to lean on our expertise, stay open-minded, but ultimately be prepared to make decisions.
6. Wants a true partner vs. a transactional vendor
We look for companies that are looking to partner with us to solve their talent challenges — not have us compete against several other agencies and internal TA teams.
We work best with companies ready to work with us as a strategic long term partner, and allow us to supplement their internal efforts by working alongside existing TA teams.
While we have found these traits to be most important for an effective partnership, the most important thing we look for is a willingness to be helped. A client who keeps an open mind to possible solutions, no matter how many obstacles currently stand between them and their talent goals, is one we’re happy to work with.
For a better idea of what a recruitment partner relationship with ML6 looks like, be sure to read this article, or get in touch with our expert team of hiring professionals today!
About ML6
ML6 is a recruitment and talent advisory firm located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We provide customized solutions to support our clients throughout the employee lifecycle. We help our clients attract and retain talent by advising on people programs, processes, and best practices.
