Recruitment agencies and in-house teams each have advantages when sourcing candidates for companies. Agencies have extensive networks and experience recruiting for specialized roles, while in-house teams are less costly and can mobilize candidates faster. The best approach uses a combination of both - agencies help with difficult roles or large hiring needs, while in-house teams focus on internal candidates and take over once an agency identifies someone. Building strong relationships between recruiters and agencies leads to understanding client needs and supplying qualified candidates efficiently. However, attracting top talent remains a challenge.

1. October 2015 Middle East Consultant 7
On topic
F
or any company to stay at the top of their
game, having the right set of players
on a team is essential. Sourcing and
approaching the perfect candidate for the job
is never a simple task, which gives rise to the
question of whether to entrust the search to an
in-house team or use an agency.
While the methods used by the two may differ,
they each bring their own advantages to the table,
and therefore using a combination of the two is
likely to be more beneficial to a company than
relying solely on either one.
When it comes to the recruitment process
and sourcing a candidate, Mamoun Taraboulis,
regionalresourcingmanageratMouchel,saysthey
like to get a head start on things by teaming up
with their bidding managers and hiring managers
at an early stage when a project is identified.
"Wehaveourresourceplanningandweforecast
themanpowerrequirementforaperiodofoneyear.
We try to find a candidate ahead of time, and once
we have the new project awarded, we have almost
a majority of candidates who are identified, after
which we can expedite the mobilisation process.
"We first look internally at our own engineers,
some of whom may be looking to end up on a
project, so we give them priority. Additionally,
we also try to bring talent in from our business in
the UK, therefore we merge our local expertise
with our international expertise to bring valuable
skills to the client.
"Besides advertising on our websites, we use
social media, which is ideal for networking and
looking for talent. Word of mouth is also a very
effective and efficient tool. After all, the best
person to attract talent is someone who is in
the industry and knows who can be suitable
for the business. In addition, from time to time
we take part in recruitment fairs and virtual job
fairs as well.”
07
RECRUITMENT
How agencies and
in-house recruiters
source the best talent
for Middle Eastern
companies.
Davina Munro explores how agencies and
in-house recruitment teams work together
to head hunt the best talent in the region
Building
Human Capital

2. on topic RECRUITMENT
October 2015 Middle East Consultant 9
From an agency perspective, Charlie Parish,
directoratRedpathPartners,saysthattheyprovide
contingent and executive search methodologies
to the property and construction industries, and
when it comes to sourcing a candidate, it entirely
depends on the assignment from a client.
"We typically source from our extensive
network of passive candidates, i.e., candidates
who are not actively seeking a move but are
interested in suitable opportunities when they
arise. In addition, we have many long-term
relationships with our candidates who respect
our confidentiality and service, and who act as
an excellent referral network for us.
"Redpath Partners also shares an integrated
database across all our offices, which enables us
to source candidates from overseas. We also use
the typical social media tools at our disposal that
all recruiters engage with."
So what are the qualities they look for in a
candidate?
Taraboulis notes that their search depends
on the client's requirements and the nature
of the project. “We use a number of tools for
recruitingseniorpositions,includingprofessional
organisations such as the ICE, LinkedIn, and we
actively head hunt as well.”
“When looking for senior positions, we have
our own directors in the company who help us
in identifying the right candidates through their
networks. We enjoy the challenge of sourcing
for a senior level position, but we always need to
ensure that we have the right amount of rigour
involvedintheprocess,sowefollowvariousstages
like technical, behavioural, social and cultural, to
name a few.”
Parish says that as an agency, they focus on the
technicaldiscipline,butittypicallycomesdownto
the personality of the candidate. "We go through
a proper screening of our candidates and apply
a strong understanding of the culture and DNA
of our clients, which is just as important as the
technical skills and projects experience. Relevant
professional qualifications are also important."
"We follow confidential search principles so
that the candidates feel assured they are being
approached in a confidential manner. Wherever
possible, we will meet the candidate in person to
determine their suitability and genuine interest,
andthen provide afullreference andqualification
check where required by the client."
Havingbeenintheregionforeightyearsandin
the industry for six years, Mark Salisbury, head of
Recruitment at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, says
thatasanin-houserecruiter,heiswellversedwith
thebenefitsofusinganagency,especiallybecause
specialist agencies often have better knowledge of
a specific market.
"We use agencies and we will continue to do
so, because if used properly, and when there is a
goodrelationshipinplace,theyaddatremendous
amount of value. As a specialist recruitment
company in that particular field, it's their job
to add value and so they would have greater
knowledgeofthatspecificmarketthananinternal
recruitment team might have.
"For example, we'd use a specialist recruiter for
an executive role in a particular market because
that's their job day in and day out. You'd expect
Mamoun Taraboulis,
regional resource
manager at Mouchel
Consulting.
“We try to find a candidate ahead
of time and once we have the new
project awarded, we have almost
a majority of candidates who are
identified and then we can expedite
the mobilisation process”
Mark Salisbury, head
of Recruitment at WSP
| Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Charlie Parish, director
at Redpath Partners.
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3. on topic RECRUITMENT
October 2015 Middle East Consultant 11
them to have more knowledge than an internal
recruiter who's working several different markets
and different positions."
While in-house resourcing teams reduce the
cost per hire, and the time to find candidates
and get them mobilised, Taraboulis also agrees
that using an agency from time to time can be
significantly helpful. This is especially true when
it comes to massive requirements which can't be
handled by only the in-house team.
“Recruitment agencies can assist and help
with sourcing for challenging or difficult-to-fill
positions, and when we have mass recruitment
needs. In case we have very large projects and
our in-house team has no time to go through
all the requirements, agencies can help us cut
it short in terms of advertising vacancies and
arranging technical input. But if we can do it
internally, then we source the candidates and
close the position in-house rather than go to
an agency.
"Our relationship is more with the agents
than with the agencies. It’s about working with
an agent, so when you build up that relationship
withthem,theyunderstandexactlywhatyouneed
and they have their connections through whom
they can bring qualified candidates."
Parish points out that a specialist agency's
independent relationship with candidates also
means that they have the advantage of knowing
which candidates are willing to make a move
but would otherwise not speak openly about
their availability.
"Sometimes candidates often are in the top tier
oftheirprofessionandhavethehighlydesiredskill
sets that our clients are looking for, and prefer to
be represented by a third party as opposed to a
direct in-house recruiter. This is particularly the
case with senior appointments.
"Additionally, we also provide a seamless
extension of our client's recruitment and
marketing departments and enable in-house
teamstobemoreefficient.Thiswedobyreducing
those all-important time-to-hire ratios through
candidates we are able to supply to them, having
already saved valuable time through our own
“We go through
a proper
screening of our
candidates and
apply a strong
understanding
of the culture
and DNA of our
clients, which is
just as important
as the technical
skills and projects
experience”
Recruitment agencies
can help with sourcing
candidates for difficult
to fill positions.
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4. on topic RECRUITMENT
12 Middle East Consultant October 2015
internal candidate screening processes."
However, there are challenges in terms of
attracting the right talent and finding a good
agency–in-house match.
Salisbury says, "I tend to stick to a small
number of agencies with whom I have built up
a relationship with over the last six years, and we
are aware of how we complement each other. In
terms of the market, I think any company out
there would tell you that finding the truly great
people is always a challenge because they are not
ingreatnumbers.ButWSP|ParsonsBrinckerhoff
has a good reputation in the market.
"Last year, we got the Great Place to Work
award in which we ranked the 12th best place to
work at in the Middle East or the UAE. This really
does enforce us as an employer of choice, and it
does help us a lot with attracting key talent."
Taraboulis notes that another challenge is
ensuring that the agency specialises in one
particular field. “It's very important that when we
gotoanagency,theyarespecialistswhoonlywork
andfocusonthebusinessthatwedo,becausesome
agentshaveageneralbackgroundandtheyfocuson
different industries. It's always better to work with
“Social media makes the
world a much smaller place and
generally over half of our hires
last year came from our own
networks. This came from places
like LinkedIn and Facebook”
Despite social
media platforms
adding value,
there will always
be a need for
human nteraction.
people who focus on the main engineering aspect
because they have better networks as well."
In terms of challenges from an agency's
perspective, Parish says, "Relationships and
trust with in-house teams is important. We
work best with those who see us as a value-
add to their recruitment strategy, rather than
necessarily a threat."
Despite the challenges, the recruitment
process is evolving and the future of
recruitment will involve brands largely focusing
on capitalising on the opportunities that social
media platforms provide. "Social media makes
the world a much smaller place, and generally
over half of our hires last year came from our
own networks. This came from places like
LinkedIn and Facebook," says Salisbury.
"We use LinkedIn quite extensively, and we
have a very large global reach through this.
Couple this with the fact that people whom
we employ in the business are from all over the
world, we know that they bring with them their
network of good people they've worked with
in the past."
Taraboulis is upbeat as well and says, “The
future of recruitment is very promising.
We always focus on employer branding and
marketing and this is a key element in the
recruitment process. With current technology
and social media, we have a more visible platform
and can attract thousands of applicants without
spending much on advertising and agencies.”
Parish concludes by saying that while social
media adds value to the recruitment processes,
people still like working with people.
“There will always be a need for human
interaction, particularly when hiring for key mid-
senior or executive level positions. Ultimately, if
a company wants to have access to the best talent
in the market, the specialist agency recruiter will
always have a key role to play.”
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