Recruitment & Selection and Interim Recruitment are both important forms of recruitment services within Sterksen. As a potential colleague, it can take some time to find out how the work is divided at a new organization. This blog examines the differences and similarities between the two recruitment solutions at Sterksen.

What is Recruitment & Selection?

The strength of Recruitment & Selection at Sterksen lies in the depth and quality with which the partnership with both client and candidate is built. The goal is always to achieve the best result for all parties involved. With Recruitment & Selection, we focus on long-term solutions, where recruitment is preferably carried out exclusively for different clients. By exclusive recruitment we mean that we take on the entire recruitment process of a vacancy. This means that we carefully consider all candidates, regardless of their origin (such as a work at page, referrals or actively hired candidates). We assess these candidates and make a selection of the professionals who best fit the vacancy and the client's needs.

This creates commitment on the client side and creates partnership. In addition, you also build a relationship with the candidate by guiding them through the entire process as well as possible. This involves extensive personal intake interviews, interim update calls, close supervision throughout the process and guidance through the deal-closing process.

The focus in Recruitment & Selection is on (business) IT roles, which is dynamic due to the rapidly changing industry. For the more experienced recruiters we also have executive search assignments, where we fulfill non-IT management positions in addition to IT. Think of positions such as Commercial Director or CEO.

What is Interim Recruitment?

Interim Recruitment has a dynamic character. This is therefore faster and more flexible within Sterksen than Recruitment & Selection. Here too a relationship is built with the client, but the process is more volatile given the speed required in the process. You often have only a few hours to days to introduce the suitable candidate to your client. The goal: to bring supply and demand together as quickly as possible. To achieve this, there is a short intake with the client. This is concise, but with a personal touch. We want to understand what the client is looking for in order to make the right match.

Because the recruitment process for interim assignments has a shorter cycle, the interviews with candidates are often somewhat shorter and less in-depth than in Recruitment & Selection. However, there is often more interaction with potential candidates, as the interim employees themselves actively show interest.

After your candidate is placed, it is crucial to maintain intensive contact with both the hiring manager and the candidate. This not only helps to further strengthen the partnership, but also to keep both parties committed to you for as long as possible and make the relationship lasting.

The similarities in our recruitment solutions

Recruitment & Selection and Interim Recruitment at Sterksen also have similarities. They are both roles with a commercial character. Both solutions are about bringing supply and demand together for both client and candidate. The two recruitment solutions also work closely together internally to jointly provide the best solution for the client.

There may be times when the pressure on a client's open position is very high, yet there is a need for a permanent candidate. In such a case, the two services can work together. By first placing an interim professional, while at the same time we start the search for a permanent employee.

Recruitment & Selection focuses on in-depth, long-term partnerships with extensive intakes and personal coaching. Interim Recruitment, on the other hand, is faster and more flexible, with a shorter intake and faster follow-up to achieve quick results.

With interim, the process is not complete after the placement; you remain in close contact with the candidate throughout the assignment. In addition, you are responsible for contractual agreements and dealings with both the client and the candidate.

In short, at Sterksen both Recruitment & Selection and interim recruitment offer effective solutions, each with its own approach. The diversity of recruitment solutions within the organization ensures that you have plenty of internal opportunities to grow and develop yourself further. Would you also like to benefit from this and make yourself a real matchmaker? Then take a look at our vacancies and apply immediately!

What is RPO?

RPO stands for Recruitment Process Outsourcing. An organization outsources the recruitment and selection process to an external recruitment organization. This can be for various reasons, such as lack of expertise, cost or time savings. For an RPO recruiter this means that you are employed by a recruitment organization and placed with one of their clients in the role of Corporate Recruiter. Here the client is relieved in the recruitment process from A to Z: filling vacancies, referral, employer branding and innovation in data and systems (ATS) are the responsibility of the RPO recruiter.

Why is this the next step for you as a recruiter? 

Because, as an RPO recruiter, you are employed by a recruitment organization and placed with a client, you wear two different hats. This means that you gain a large network, gain a lot of experience and make strides in stakeholder and project management, among other things. You are surrounded by other RPO colleagues who in turn also bring experience, which you learn from. In addition to finding the right candidates, you will develop with strategic recruitment projects. As an RPO recruiter, you are the recruitment expert for a client, making this the next step for you as a recruiter.

RPO at Sterksen

Sterksen has decades of experience in RPO projects. We are characterized by a team of experienced and committed professionals. We are of relatively small size with large international clients on RPO. Almost every large IT organization, is a client of Sterksen. In an RPO project we always try to be two steps ahead, for example with new recruitment marketing initiatives or data reporting via BI. We are sparring partners; we work with and not for the client. In addition, we learn and laugh a lot with colleagues. Monthly we organize RPO meetings and regularly we do a fun activity: from bingo to ChatGPT knowledge sessions.

What does this mean to you?

Sterksen is originally an organization from Brabant and it shows. Placements are regularly celebrated with sausage rolls at the office: a nice change from often more corporate environments at the client. This brings an interesting dynamic. In addition, Sterksen is not an average recruitment organization when it comes to 'individual scoring'. Also as an RPO recruiter you work as a team to get the best out of recruitment for our clients. Our culture ensures that you will quickly feel at home at Sterksen and work with confidence for the client.

Are you curious about RPO, Sterksen and/or want to know more about your next step as a recruiter? Feel free to ask me, Robert, your question at Robert.VandenOuwelant@sterksen.com or +31 6 52758134 Always nice to spar!