Having been on the client side as a corporate human resources professional, I have designed RFP processes and worked closely with hundreds of hiring managers as well as staffing service providers. Whether it was deciding on which recruitment and staffing provider to place on our vendor list or awarding contracts, direct hires or temps, our number-one consideration was the quality of candidates.

What does quality candidates mean from your clients’ perspective? Many things contribute to the candidate quality and they include:

• Qualified, screened, tested to meet job requirements
• Present accurate, current resumes
• Available to start either ASAP or within 2 weeks
• Are professional in appearance
• Local or willing to relocate
• Have positive references
• Communicate well with good interpersonal skills.
• Able to demonstrate qualifications and provide sample documentation
• Prepared to perform well in an interview as well as in their role

At a high level, I see candidate quality supported by two parts within a recruitment process.

The first part includes activities that ensure that you have sourced, screened, and qualified a good candidate. These activities include employment testing, personality profiling, interviewing, and so forth. A solid recruitment process that is valid and reliable will help you consistently deliver on this part.

With a quality candidate at hand, this takes us to the second important part…to ensure that your candidates present well to your client!