However, all of my past and present recruiting-related goals have noted a major theme: finding ways to add value to the customer’s organization -to their processes; exceeding their expectations; i.e., ‘partnering with the customer.’

Recruiters know that it is their job to partner with the customer. HR folks would probably not argue that point, but I think we’ve spent so much unproductive time butting heads with our HR counterparts that our point has been lost.

Unhappy with the annual survey results that typified the strained relationships between HR Business Partners and Recruiters, I decided it was time for a change. I initiated a monthly meeting that served the purpose of ‘getting all the liars in the same room.’ With the promise of coffee and choclate, I coaxed the Partners and the Recruiters in the same conference room on a monthly basis for a meeting called ‘HR Community Update.’ I used this forum as the opportunity to update the HR leaders regarding every aspect of recruiting: hiring metrics; hiring initiatives; customer concerns. The meeting was created with their benefit in mind and it served the purpose of communicating to the Partners that we were serious about keeping them informed.

Most importantly, it communicated that we were seeking their input – that we wanted to be THEIR partner.

Was it a success? They (the HRBP’s) loved it. Did it change the results of the annual HRBP Survey which historically trounced the recruiters? In the words of Napolean Dynamite, ‘Ginormously!’

Moral of this long and boring story: Great recruiters have the skills to partner with even the worst of customers. If we use this same approach with our cohorts in HR everyone is better served – especially our customers.

Certainly the relationships between In house and TRP’s are strained due to problems caused by both parties, however I would go farther to say the following:

In House HR people do not like to have to ask for help because it shows a weakness whether it be due to a lack of the skill set to recruit for the position or a lack of time to focus on it. It also means spending hard dollars vs soft dollars ( time). Ultimately at the end of the day they are held accountable for their actions and of the actions of the TPR’s that they use. Hr people need to take the time to listen to the approach that the recruiter uses and select a few vendors that they believe they can trust and that deliver the service and candidates.

Recruiters have the challenge of building trust with the HR folks who think that all TPR’s are evil two headed money grubbing monsters (what is ironic is that the first people that HR people turn to when looking for a job is often the same recruiters). Recruiters also must understand that how they treat the hiring manager is often seen as a reflection on the HR person and their ability to source and select preferred vendors. Lastly recruiters can spend less time asking traditional questions (what is your budget, how many other positions can I fill for you, and how quickly can I expect to be paid) and spend more time earning the right to be a partner with the company.

Lastly, Hiring Managers must trust HR enough to tell them when they have a recruiter that they trust and want to do business with. They must however trust HR when the TRP is not a good fit for the organization to work with.