Recruitment Tenders – How to be successful

Outsourcing is still front and centre for many corporations. The public sector outsources major functions to specialised and efficient service providers. With one main outsourced function, being recruitment.

Recruitment refers to the overall process of attracting, shortlisting and appointing suitable candidates. Often for specific job roles within an organisation.

There are many reasons why an organisation may choose to outsource recruitment. The most common reasons include:

- Reducing and controlling operating costs;
- Improving company focus;
- Gaining access to world-class capabilities;
- Freeing internal resource for other purposes;
- Streamlining or increasing efficiency for time-consuming functions;
- Maximising use of external resources;
- Sharing risks with a partner company.

The process will start with a recruitment tender opportunity, published by a public sector organisation. This will then generate competing offers to meet the specific requirements. These will be outlined in the contract notice.

The advantage of public sector tenders is that no matter how small your recruitment business, there is always an opportunity to supply the government.

Standing out from your competitors

There are so many Recruitment agencies in the market currently. We know you will feel a bit ‘lost in the crowd’. It is so important to stand out.

The real key to standing out is understanding what sets you apart from your competitors.

So, what can you do to exceed expectations?

- Know your Unique Selling Point (USP) – where do you add value? Look for your gap in the Recruitment market and own it!

- Care about your brand, not just your numbers! – targets are always going to be a top priority in Recruitment. However, it is important to think strategically. If you want your clients to be your biggest marketers, give them reason to be!

- Sell Differently – rather than focussing on selling the best CVs to clients, why not try something different? Offer a service which is totally tailored to their needs.

Questions to look out for in Recruitment Tenders

We have worked on many Recruitment Tenders and have won a considerable amount.

Due to this extensive experience, we have detected a pattern in quality questions.

When wanting to outsource the recruitment function, buyers tend to ask very similar questions. Likewise, they have comparable expectations.

Questions to look out for are:

Methods and Processes

Buyers want to know what processes you have in place, in order to get the job done. They need to know what internal systems you use, as this all affects the quality of the service you deliver. TOP TIPS:

- What is your general method for candidate provision?

- Do you have a step-by-step recruitment process?

- Have the internal systems you use been successful in other contracts? If so, what statistics can you provide?

Knowledge and Coverage

The buyer wants to know about your recruitment tactics. How do you stay up to date with current trends in the market? And how your current network will allow you to provide candidates, especially when given short notice. TOP TIPS:

- Discuss how you undergo sector-specific market research and analyse trends;

- Market Mapping – identifying holes in the market;

- Mention what networking works for you? i.e. conferences, events;

- Maintain a dedicated Account Manager – the buyer will want to see fully qualified recruitment specialists taking the lead. Those that have years of successful experience in the field.

- Provide statistics – powerful evidence will increase your chances.

Account Management

How will you build a successful strategic relationship with the buyer? They want to know your processes for making all communications transparent. What plans do you have in place to ensure constant, sufficient resources? TOP TIPS:

- Be adaptive – tailor your services to the unique requirements of each client’s workplace;

- Provide a step-by-step guide on how you will ensure a successful partnership. i.e. undergoing an operational analysis, attending performance reviews;

- Provide the buyer with your company organogram. It is important for them to visualise the key members of staff you are proposing. Highlight their relevant experience.

- Discuss how you would determine a successful candidate to an unsuccessful candidate. As well as how you would communicate these decisions to candidates.

- Determine the challenges you may face on that specific contract. Draw up a risk assessment on each potential challenge. Set out your proactive and reactive solutions. Mitigate the risk before it has even happened.

Top tips for winning Recruitment Tenders

Recruitment and the supply of staff is something that will be constantly sought after by a range of companies. Especially by the public sector. This is due to not having the time nor capacity to complete recruitment tasks in-house.

Due to our extensive knowledge of recruitment tenders, we know exactly what the public sector looks for. Likewise, the questions they like to ask. Here are our top tips for winning these tenders:

- Are you choosing the right recruitment tender?

It is important to read through and fully understand the specification requirements. It is crucial that you comprehend exactly what the questions are asking you. You need to ask yourself a question. Can you commit to this contract?

- Are your recruitment systems and processes properly documented?

Public sector buyers require detailed and thorough explanations. As well as hard evidence. They want to know HOW you are going to deliver this contract.

- Have you collected strong evidence from previous experience?

Providing relevant evidence and case studies is crucial. The right testimonial can overcome scepticism and create credibility.

- Do you have a clear plan for delivering the service?

How do you intend to fulfil the contract? In other words, do you have appropriate resources? How will you meet ongoing demand?

- Do you have strong compliance and safeguarding procedures in place?

It is important to state what policies your recruitment agency have in place. How do you implement them?

- Do you give extra value for money?

Public sector opportunities are awarded in accordance with ‘best value for money’. This is best known as MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender). When have you saved your clients money and time? Be prepared with statistics and be proactive.

Sourcing the opportunities

Looking for Recruitment Tenders? Look no further than our HR Tenders portal on Hudson Discover.

We source HR Tender opportunities daily from thousands of buyers across the UK. Our goal is to save you both time and money manually searching for new Recruitment Frameworks.

We have sourced opportunities for:

- Healthcare Recruitment;
- Professional, Commercial and Legal;
- HR;
- ICT and Support;
- Digital Technology;
- Project Management;
- And many more.

By signing up, you gain complete access to our one-stop-shop HR portal. The main benefits of our portals are:

- Your Dashboard screen will show the most recent tender opportunities – based on the personal information you provide about your company.

- You can manually track opportunities – no CPV codes or algorithms required.

- You can search for Recruitment Tender opportunities by using keywords relating to your services.

- Searches can also be made by location or budget.

- You will be assigned a dedicated Account Manager to help you throughout the tendering process.

“If an opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”. We are your door.

Get in touch

Upon finding opportunities within our HR portal, you and your organisation then have the task of writing the specific technical response. You will need to ensure the buyer’s specification is covered and the evaluation criteria are met. Often within a tight deadline.

We appreciate that recruitment tenders are one of the more difficult tenders to win. Due to the high volume of competitors within this field.

Ask yourself these questions; do you have the relevant resources in-house? Do you have the time?

The tender writing process can be really daunting. Especially if you do not have a team of professional, skilled bid writers at hand. However, we have a solution. Our bid management team at Hudson Succeed can help you and show you how to win a tender.

Our team of professionals have decades of experience and can tailor to your specific needs. We can successfully imitate your brand and voice. We write to win.

Our Tender Writing service is the perfect ad-hoc solution for businesses who do not have the time or the in-house resources to complete excellent bid responses.

Interested? Get in touch.