Essential is above all else a relationship business and our aim is to work as an extension to our clients’ HR functions. When we reference Trust, Integrity and Delivery, these do not constitute marketing content or even a mission statement, they are characteristics and behaviours which form the very foundation of operating model. Over 90% of our client base has partnered with us for more than 5 years. We understand not only technical criteria for the roles we handle but the bigger picture of cultural fit, overall project/ programme needs and opportunities for development. Typically, we will meet (or at the very least have a conference call) with a client when a new role becomes available. We are expert at asking the appropriate technical questions to frame the role correctly but also crucially at soliciting the information the candidate population would most like to know. These two areas do overlap but also diverge considerably. The information we gain enables us to perform two key tasks: we can represent the role faithfully, accurately and thoroughly so that candidates are fully-informed, relevant and appropriately-qualified; we can highlight the benefits and opportunities of the role and answer all or most of the candidates’ questions.
This in beneficial in all kinds of ways. It means that Hiring Managers trust us to have a comprehensive understanding of their needs which therefore liberates them to continue with their day-job of managing their function. It also enables the candidate population to trust our work from the very outset because we’re able to offer them not merely a salary and job spec but an in-depth description of the company, its culture, the team in which they’ll be working, the technical requirements of the role and the prospects for skill acquisition and career development offered by the position. We can even tell the candidates where to park, what the building and offices are like (appearance-wise and socially) and the premium travel options for their journey.
Both clients and candidates feel that they are being dealt with by professionals who work with enthusiasm, integrity and diligence which in turn tends to generate honest conversations which inform and build trust between all parties at every stage. By the time an interview is scheduled, the process has been seamless, thorough and faithful meaning that non-attendance and wild technical/ cultural mismatches are extremely rare. Once this process has been repeated successfully a number of times, our clients regard us as trusted partners rather than distant suppliers and trust and successful delivery builds exponentially.
