Customer-centricity is marketed as a new way of doing business, and has become an increasingly popular phrase in the last few years. Essentially it’s the idea that you put the customer at the heart and forefront of every aspect of your business.
It’s about adding value for the customer at each stage. It might seem like an obvious approach to the way you do business, but it takes customer service to another level.
Rather than breaking down the different ways to be customer-centric (you’ve probably read about all those before!), we’ve instead looked at the benefits it can offer your recruitment business:
You can gain the competitive advantage
If you’ve tailor-made your process to deliver on the needs of your client, then you’re going to leave your competition far behind. Imagine your client gets a consistent level of service throughout the recruitment process. Not just from you as the recruiter, but also from every other aspect of your business, such as your back office functions.
You can then carry this experience on to your website. If you create an online journey that’s efficient and meaningful, you’re going to draw the right candidates back to your site time and time again.
You can save money
By focussing on the needs of your customer, you can make your processes more efficient. This in turn leads you to becoming more productive and therefore saving money. After all, we all know that poor service costs a business heavily.
You can see areas of growth
When your client is at the centre of your business, and you have a carefully considered process, it allows you to see more clearly the areas for growth. Also as you watch yourself transform from supplier to partner, you’ll find new opportunities will open up for you.
When you take the time to really understand what your client wants from the process, then not only are you better equipped to provide it, but you can also find ways to improve it every single time.
You build a better company culture
If you’re employing a team within your recruitment business then offering a more effective customer experience will create a positive working environment.
They’ll know what the company stands for and how to deliver it, with measurable metrics to assess the company’s, and their own, performance.
You strengthen your brand
Being customer-centric is a way to really establish your brand, particularly if you’re a relatively new recruitment business. With open and clear communication, whether that be through your marketing campaigns or simply day to day conversations, you’re showing exactly what your company is all about.
A strong brand isn’t just important for clients either, it’s a way to attract talent to your business if you employ staff or decide to expand. A company who knows who they are and who they want to be, is a desirable thing for top talent.
You can build a clear customer target
Possibly one of the biggest benefits of being a customer-centric recruitment business is the fact that it allows you to build a profile of your ideal client. Once you’ve done this, you’ll no longer waste time chasing the wrong leads.
You’ll also build a clearer picture in your own mind of who you are as a business, and be able to drive your agency forward with a renewed focus.
You build longer lasting relationships
You know that the key to growing a successful recruitment business is developing long-lasting relationships with both clients and candidates. By listening closely to your customers you’re giving yourself the opportunity to continuously improve.
It’s almost not a case of “if” you should apply a customer-centric approach to your recruitment business, and more a case of “when”!
