While there are plenty of recruiters who are open to making split placements, there are just as many who are reluctant. They don’t see the value to their businesses, they’d rather keep the whole fee, or they worry about a rogue partner who doesn’t pay them. Since it’s nearing the end of the year, and it’s time to start planning for next year, I’d like to offer up three reasons why all recruiters should be saying yes to split placements.
Your client has a role outside your normal specialty. In recent weeks, I have heard two stories that illustrate this perfectly. In one instance, a new client needed help to fill an in-house legal role. The recruitment firm had absolutely no experience in the legal sector. With the help of a split placement partner whose specialty is legal, the recruitment firm was able to help their client fill a critical role. In another situation, a long-standing client in the healthcare field needed several physicians. While the involved recruitment firm specializes in healthcare, they had not previously filled any physician roles and did not have access to any candidates. By partnering on the role, they were able to provide the perfect candidate as well as educate their own team about some of the intricacies of physician placements. Now they can confidently offer physician recruitment to other clients as well. Without split placements, both of these firms would have turned down the business.
Your client has a role outside your normal geography. A recruiter in Australia recently had a coffee meeting with a hiring manager she’d worked with previously. The hiring manager casually mentioned they would be opening an office in Jakarta and had some roles to fill. The recruiter knew she had split partners in Jakarta who could help. The hiring manager had not even considered that a local recruiter could assist. And it doesn’t have to be an international opportunity. There are many times when a client won’t pay relocation and needs a local candidate that you may not have.
You have an excellent candidate that you are unable to place. A recruiter working a local market had an excellent candidate for a local role. Unfortunately, the candidate was not hired. But she was open to relocating to another market. The recruiter did not have any clients in that market, but a split placement partner did. The candidate was hired and happily able to relocate to a desired area.
You may find it easy to dismiss split placements as something you’re not interested in. When you stop to think about real-life situations that can — and do! — occur with clients and candidates, a quick dismissal may not be the best decision. What would you do in your own recruitment business in any of the above scenarios? Would you be able to provide service to your clients or candidate? Would you be comfortable saying no, even if that meant another recruiter could potentially take your place? Split placements can be a good option in almost any recruitment business. Keep an open mind and say yes!