The Resilient Recruiter Podcast with Mark Whitby recently featured an interview with several NPAworldwide members sharing their thoughts and experiences about split placements, our network, and more. The entire episode is available here, but I want to share a few highlights from the interview.
Split placements are helpful:
- When your own supply of existing jobs is low
- When you have too many jobs and need help filling them
- When a job is outside your normal niche
- When a job is outside your normal geography, perhaps in a different country
Relationships built on trust are a key element.
Panelist Jenn Anderson commented that many recruiters have a hard time trusting other people with information. They don’t want to share everything about the client because they’re fearful that the other recruiter will try to steal that client. Clear communication between both parties is essential, along with setting upfront expectations about the division of labor, the fee, guarantee, and other important details. Successful members rely on their partners as an extension of their own business. Jeff McGraw pointed out that he considers his NPAworldwide partners his “best clients” and structures his interactions around that concept. All of the panelists discussed the need to be open-minded—whether that means trusting a new partner, working a new way, or being open to new clients and opportunities.
Each panelist mentioned the importance of attending face-to-face meetings as the primary means of meeting new trading partners and building the trust that leads to new business opportunities. People like to work with people they know and trust, and it is just harder to get to know and trust someone in a virtual environment. Each person talked about deals that were made because they met someone at one of our conferences. Joint intake calls are common, especially for roles that are happening in another country or in a new niche for the job recruiter.
Member-ownership is important.
NPAworldwide is a cooperative. Each member firm is a part-owner of the cooperative. Each person on our board of directors is the owner of a member firm. Every organizational and governance decision is made based on what is good for our members, not for the financial benefit of a corporation or individual. Our board of directors works in the business every day, so they understand the challenges that face recruitment firm owners. It also means that members decide what the rules are, who can be a member, and even what protections are in place in the event of an ethical breach or non-payment of a split. Members want each other to succeed, understanding that when one firm does better, the entire network benefits.
Ready to team up with recruiters who value trust, collaboration, and shared success as much as you do? Join NPAworldwide and become a member-owner in a network where every split placement makes the whole community stronger. Your next great partnership starts at our next PowerUp conference.