In a cut-throat industry where consultant is often pitted against consultant, Alexander Appointments’ collaborative approach to recruitment is a shining example of teamwork at its finest.

It would seem logical that consultants in a recruitment agency should work together to get the best possible outcome for their clients and candidates. However, Director of Alexander Appointments, Daniel Negro, explains that in many recruitment agencies in Australia, this is not the case.

“This is because they follow the UK model which, in a nutshell, means that each individual consultant is on their own,” says Daniel.

That is, the full recruitment function, from placing the ad to placing the candidate and every step in between is managed by one consultant.

“It’s very similar to real estate where the individual consultant is essentially running his/her own little operation striving to reach monthly targets set by management.

” While this doesn’t sound so bad in theory, this system opens itself up to a multitude of problems.

“We’ve heard of consultants withholding ‘their candidate’ from other consultants, working in the same agency, who might be able to put them forward for their ideal job. Also, because commissions are involved, the best candidate that comes through that agency will not always be matched to the most appropriate role,” explains Daniel.

Having one consultant complete all functions in the recruitment process means that the consultant is sometimes forced to work outside their strengths often leading to poor customer service. “

The potential end result of this ‘each for their own’ mentality is dissatisfied clients and candidates who may feel they’re not receiving a service tailored to their best interests,” says Daniel.

Alexander Appointments follow a different, more dynamic structure which views each staff member as an integral part of the team.

“The staff work as a team for the overall benefit and success of the business. We have individual and more importantly team bonuses in place to encourage this team culture. At the same time, staff are placed in positions that utilise their strongest skills and experience.

“In our agency, there is no withholding of candidates for personal gain. The best candidates that come through our doors are matched to the most appropriate roles we have. All consultants are across all job orders which means that each consultant can assist and act promptly with enquiries and issues about any job on our books.”

The benefits of this collaborative approach are evident across the whole spectrum of the client-agency-candidate relationship.

“Our clients are confident they genuinely have a full team working for them rather than just one individual who may have many agendas whilst our candidates draw on our entire experience of the team for advice.”

Ultimately, the team at Alexander benefit by working in a cohesive friendly environment where everyone looks after each other.

“While it may sound old-fashioned, our success is testament to the fact that a team-based approach works.”