What makes you a good recruiter? What are your background and qualifications?

Recruiters should be able to demonstrate an understanding of best practices for effectively sourcing, evaluating and selecting new employees. This includes an appreciation of organizational and team dynamics, cultural norms, competencies and other factors that account for job fit and success (not to mention legal standards and guidelines to protect you, candidates and your organization).

All members of The Hayward Group team are senior-level talent management specialists with years of experience in employee selection and development. They include professionals with graduate-level degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Development, Registered Psychologists, and ICF Accredited Professional Certified Coaches.

Are you a licensed employment agency?

Reputable recruitment agencies have licenses and certifications required to conduct their business. This includes a formal commitment to associations and governmental agencies to follow established guidelines that protect clients and candidates against unfair and unlawful actions, which can be particularly complex when considering and hiring new employees.

As a licensed employment agency, The Hayward Group adheres to a range of rules and guidelines that protect employers and job candidates, in line with federal and provincial Employment Agency Business Licensing Regulations. We also have extensive training and experience in talent management and employee selection, including the administration and development of best practice hiring processes and training materials for clients (e.g., employee selection course materials, interview guides, assessment procedures).

What evidence do you provide of candidate fit and capabilities (other than a resume)?

Recruiters should provide you with more than a resume, and be expected to do their due diligence in evaluating candidates against established competencies and job requirements. Otherwise, they’re depending more on luck to make a successful hire, than on a valid assessment of candidate fit and capabilities.

The Hayward Group’s screening and evaluation process includes not only a thorough review of applicant resumes but also the administration of job-relevant background forms, problem-solving tests, behavioural styles questionnaires, structured interviews and other methods that have been proven to predict job performance (many of which can’t be used without extensive training and certification). As a result, we can provide comprehensive reports on candidate strengths, needs, fit and potential, well beyond what could be gleaned from a standard resume or interview.

How much time will it take to receive and hire candidates?

Be wary of recruiters who make definitive promises about time-to-hire, especially if it’s significantly less than you would expect (and if they’re juggling many open positions). Regardless of a recruiter’s skill level and experience, it takes time and attention to effectively source and evaluate candidates for a specific opportunity, and the process shouldn’t be rushed. Even in cases where an agency has a database of pre-screened candidates, time is needed to ensure a complete understanding of your specific organization, team and job requirements - and to effectively evaluate candidates against these criteria.

The Hayward Group’s recruitment process is thorough yet streamlined, utilizing a range of methods to balance diligence and efficiency. That said, many factors impact the availability and capability of applicants (e.g., type of role, seniority, location, economic conditions), which can make it difficult to commit to a set timeline. However, we do commit to dedicated support from a senior-level consultant, who focuses on a select number of recruiting projects at any given time, and to frequent communication to inform you about our progress.

How much do recruitment services cost? Do you offer a guarantee?

Recruitment agency fees can vary widely, often depending on the leadership level or difficulty they anticipate in finding good candidates (anywhere from 15-30% of first-year salary). This may or may not include estimated bonuses and other benefits, particularly if these make up a significant portion of compensation. The fact is that recruiting is a challenging and time-consuming process, when done well, and fees reflect the effort involved.

The Hayward Group charges a standard fee of 25% of first-year compensation, typically salary, which includes the complete administration of our comprehensive recruiting process, along with an employee fit and performance guarantee. Ours is an exclusive contract arrangement in which we work entirely on your behalf, developing materials, procedures, custom assessments, and communicating with candidates with only your organization and position in mind (e.g., we don’t market candidates to other organizations). We also won’t invoice full project fees until the new hire has remained in the role for at least 6 to 12 months, well beyond their probationary period, and will replace them free-of-charge if they leave or fail to meet expectations.

Ask us about lowering costs by having us only administer select parts of the recruitment process, such as candidate assessments and interviews. You can click on the button below to see additional services we provide.

What support do you provide once the candidate is hired?

Unfortunately, most recruiting agencies don’t offer support to clients and candidates after the offer has been signed. This is a missed opportunity, in our opinion, especially considering the valuable insights gained from a well-conducted search, which could be used to help with candidate performance and development once hired.

One of the key benefits of working with The Hayward Group is that we continue to follow up with clients and candidates after a hiring decision has been made, and have the expertise to provide effective ongoing developmental support and assistance. We feel this is critical for ensuring that new employees remain engaged and reach their potential as quickly as possible. We also have access to a team of certified coaches and trainers, who can use the candidate’s assessments and reports to help them leverage strengths and manage any opportunities uncovered through the program.

What responsibilities do we have as clients*? How much of my time will this take?

There can be a wide range of expectations for you as a client, depending on the recruiter and services they provide. Ideally, a recruiting agency works as a partner to your organization, appreciating your needs and input while taking the most cumbersome parts of the process off your plate.

Our goal at The Hayward Group is to handle as much of the recruiting for you as possible, presenting only a select group of finalist candidates who have clearly proven their job fit and capabilities (often, the successful hire is one of the first 3-5 we present). That said, we do ask clients to provide input on the job postings and descriptions we create, and then meet and provide feedback on the finalist candidates presented. We handle all of the most time-consuming steps in between and afterwards, including offering guidance to hiring managers, negotiating offers and supporting and developing candidates once hired.

*clients being key stakeholders like the hiring manager and/or members of the HR team.

Do you have any references or testimonials?

An established recruiter should have no trouble providing client (and candidate) references and testimonials that reflect the value and benefits of working with them.

You can read some of ours below, and click to see more testimonials and details from our work with various clients.