Recruitment is a key component of any operational strategy. It plays a crucial role in defining the trajectory of success for an organization. This is specifically true for entities working in the development sector as those that attract the best talent on the market are more likely to win projects funded by international donors. However, effective recruitment is a challenging task that calls for proactive efforts accompanied by a human approach and a set of indispensable tools.
DevelopmentAid, as the leading provider of recruitment solutions in the development sector, invited Ben Symonds (Managing Director at Symonds Recruiting), Marina Olari (Senior Client Manager with Recruitment Services Department at DevelopmentAid), and Sergiu Casu (Head of Business Development at DevelopmentAid) to discuss and share the best practices for recruiting international experts for donor-funded projects during a thematic webinar.
Choose the right approach
Recruitment is, in a way, similar to cooking in that giving identical recipes and ingredients to different recruiters does not necessarily bring the same results so selecting the right approach might just be the solution. Ben Symonds shared the recruitment principles that he has gathered over the last 10 years and that he employs on a day-to-day basis:
- Human focus – recruitment should be personal. Aiming to connect with a candidate at a personal level and building trust is paramount in Ben’s view. Moreover, he encourages organizations to be clear, open, honest, and direct with candidates at all times.
- Multi-source approach – digital databases, such as DevelopmentAid or LinkedIn, are great tools to use for sourcing and connecting with interesting candidates. Sometimes, recruiters may also use standard search engines for sourcing needs.
- Quality over quantity – it is important that recruiters prioritize the way they approach those candidates seeking to receive a decision after each call/interaction they have. Sending mass emails may sometimes not have a positive effect.
- Understand what you’re looking for – recruiters need to demonstrate a good understanding of the assignment at hand, the pre-requisites mentioned in the Terms of Reference, and any industry-specific keywords, acronyms, etc.
Select the appropriate tools
Recruiters can significantly improve their results by selecting the appropriate tools relating to the aspects of sourcing, due diligence, or remuneration. Organizations often use different sources/providers for their needs which in turn may diminish the speed and impact of their efforts. In this context, DevelopmentAid acts as a one-stop shop offering a wide array of tools specifically designed for recruiters working in the development sector. Sergiu Casu invited all participants to discover our solutions:
- Sourcing instruments – DevelopmentAid provides access to over 80,000 expert profiles through two distinct databases (Default and Advanced). Each profile contains the consultant’s contact information and has a CV and Cover Letter attached for easy reference. Moreover, the Advanced database offers the ability to download experts’ CVs in the formats required by the World Bank, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.
- Due-diligence tool – recruiters have at their disposal a database of about 2,000 sanctioned individuals resulting from the cross-debarment agreement between five of the largest development institutions.
- Remuneration assistance tools – DevelopmentAid recently introduced the Expert Fees tool which is a unique instrument that helps organizations to deduce the appropriate fees to offer experts for their services.
Fig.1. Experts fee chart example
Delegate your recruitment processes
In certain instances, organizations may choose to outsource their recruitment needs to a service provider. This can be due to a heavy workload, vacancies that require specific skills, or because of urgency. In this context, Marina Olari encouraged interested parties to discover DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions (DRS) which provides support for talent acquisition for roles in the international development sector. With over 15 years of experience and over 1,700 candidates successfully placed in short and medium-term projects, DRS develops recruitment strategies tailored to clients’ needs taking into consideration their culture, vision, mission, and available budget.
Fig.2. Examples of DRS services
For those who did not have the opportunity to join us for this online event, a link to the recorded version can be found here. The presentation materials used during this webinar can be requested from i.ilasco@developmentaid.org.
We invite you to join us for our next webinar on “How to secure jobs and assignments in the development sector: Tips from top recruiters” which will take place on March 3, 2022, at 4 PM (Brussels Time) / 10 AM (Washington DC Time). Our speakers, Giulia Pilia and Valeria Bobeica will share some tips on how to monitor, prepare for and land rewarding jobs and assignments in the development sector.
You can register here.
DevelopmentAid is the leading provider of business information and recruitment tools designed to assist those active in the development sector. Join today and gain access to exclusive information on the full array of upcoming funding opportunities from over 180 international donors.
