The recruitment market is growing as more organisations appreciate the value that an experienced recruitment company can bring to their company when it comes to recruiting the best talent to move their business forward.
As the recruitment market becomes more competitive, it’s likely that you will be asked to provide a proposal to identify that you are the recruiter of choice they ‘should ‘be working with.
So, if proposal writing is new to you, here are a few suggestions on where to start.
Though before we start, let’s answer the question of why bother writing a proposal in the first place.
Writing a winning proposal can be the difference between gaining a new client and recruitment project and losing out to the competition. It will help your prospective client to make a more informed decision about the services that you provide.
It All Starts With Research and Planning
Before you start writing your proposal, there are a few things to consider, which will involve research and market intelligence.
- Researching your client is vital. You need to understand both their business and growth goals.
- What specific roles do they want to fill and what is going on in the market or business that has created this opportunity?
- Which recruitment companies do they currently work with or have previously engaged with to deliver placements?
- Will the project will be exclusive to you and the client, or will multiple recruiters be a part of the project?
- If you can establish what your client’s budget is, it will allow you to outline various pricing options that are a ‘win-win’ for both sides.
- Think about what questions they might ask, such as; your company’s experience working on similar projects, your recruiting process and the team members who may work on the project. Ensure you are fully prepared on this one.
When you think ahead like this by answering these questions in the body of your proposal, you demonstrate that you understand your prospective client’s needs and challenges, and demonstrate your attention to detail too.
[ Important: Unless this is potentially a massive opportunity for you, consider the impact of working with multiple recruitment companies on a project; our experience is it rarely ends well.]
Creating Your Proposal 5 Critical Areas
As you put a finger to your keyboard, remember when writing your proposal to be concise and to the point. Don’t use jargon unless its well-recognised sector speak that everyone in the process will be familiar with.
Keep everything on point and avoid going off on a tangent as it can confuse anyone reading the document. Focus on the client and how what you are recommending in the proposal will help them.
Timelines Are Key
When it comes to recruitment, timelines are vital. Picture the scene; you are recruiting for a new sales force build for a product launch that will add significant revenue to your client’s bottom line.
The sales people they want will also need to be trained on the new product as well as being the best available! So, timelines like; first and second interview, assessment centres, notice periods and training will all be critical to schedules and deadlines.
Your timeline doesn’t have to be precise, as in down to the day; an overall guideline is essential to clients and reassures them that you know what you are doing and how the process works.
Focus on The Benefits
You may want to go in-depth about your process; however the top line is what they are looking for with an understanding of workflows. Remember to the last thing you want is to give away your trade secrets either.
Remember to highlight their pain points in such a way that your proposal is the obvious solution.
Include Social Proof
A prospective client often wants to know what it’s like to work with a provider they haven’t partnered with before.
Most of them will carry out some due diligence checks like the background research you will have undertaken for your proposal.
Providing a case study will demonstrate how your recruitment company has assisted other companies in similar situations.
Therefore helping to form a relationship of trust and respect for your company.
Tone of Voice
Using an active voice and simple wording makes it easier to read and is the preferred choice when writing any business proposal.
Here is a classic example of how this works.
Passive: The candidates will be contacted in the first instance by our senior consultant.
Active: Our senior consultants will contact the candidates in the first instance.
People often use technical language to sound impressive. Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect, resulting in a less engaged reader as it’s more challenging to understand.
Keeping your wording simple, avoiding jargon, and making it relatable to your audience means your proposal will have more impact.
Tell A Story
One of the reasons many proposals get overlooked or rejected is because they don’t stand out from the crowd. Sharing examples and stories of previous projects can help.
In today’s changing business, world story is both King and Queen!
Here is an example I am sure you can relate to.
Let’s say you had the task of finding senior executives for several C-suite positions. In the early stages of the project the deadline for recruiting was shortened, and you had to identify ideal candidates at speed. By using your in-depth industry knowledge and network in conjunction with your extensive market mapping, you were able to promote the opportunity to targeted candidates.
Next Steps?
Remember to focus your client on the next steps. Some proposals end without an ending. There is nothing for the client to do, nothing to sign, no call to action.
Proposals that don’t ask the client to do anything after they have finished reading often get put to one side and forgotten about.
Stating what you want your potential client to do next or even requesting a signature at the end of the proposal to be sent back to you will keep the process moving forward.
In summary, being able to write a winning proposal is your opportunity to demonstrate why your recruitment company is different and is the ideal partner who can meet their needs.
While creating this type of proposal will take time, when done well, it can be one of the keys accelerating your business success.
Want Help Marketing Your Recruitment Company?
We decided to write this post as it’s a question we have had more than once in the past from our Superfast Circle clients. If you want to win more business and stand out from the recruiting crowd our ongoing support through SFC might be precisely what you need. To find out more call us on ++44(0)1524 784 331.
