Movieclips Monday: A simple request

In our daily interactions with customers, we occasionally encounter “simple” requests that are anything but. This rings true with most customer-vendor or employer-employee relationships — and basically any relationship when you think about it.

In the clip below, Dr. Evil’s simple request isn’t that simple.

While I’ve never had a customer ask for sharks with laser beams attached to their heads, I have encountered some unique requests that, on the surface, might make the customer relationship seem difficult to manage. At the core, a successful engagement comes down to managing expectations at all stages of the customer relationship. Here are three places to start:

Engage

Before working with our recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) customers, it’s crucial for us to engage and establish a solid framework around each partnership. We have to be sensitive to customer requirements while setting realistic expectations through SLAs, scope of work, and cost agreements. A solid contract that is well thought out and reflective of the customer needs — and the RPO provider’s abilities — will provide the structure necessary for a successful partnership.

Set expectations

It’s essential that the ongoing management of any new partnership be based upon the expectations set upfront. This ensures that recruitment strategies remain consistent with the guidelines set forth in the underlying statement of work. This will also be effective in heading off any requests that are outside the scope of service delivery.

Be transparent

Through a solid metrics program, RPO providers can clearly demonstrate the ROI of the partnership and identify areas that might require a course correction. Being transparent helps the relationship move forward and improve.

Set your RPO partnership up for success by listening to your clients’ requests and requirements, discussing the opportunities or obstacles that might arise, and agreeing on the metrics by which your performance in pursuing these objectives can be judged. And perhaps most importantly, keep up the transparency throughout the entire engagement. Let your customers know where you are succeeding and where you are running into roadblocks, and work together to course correct or identify new objectives along the way.