The first meeting is the most important

Elisabeth Dellner, HR-specialist at Stockholms Hamnar

Ports of Stockholm began the process of hiring two managers before Christmas.

"A prerequisite of achieving good results is having good personal chemistry between us and the recruitment consultant," says Elisabeth Dellner, who is an HR specialist at the company.

"Ports of Stockholm operates in an exciting environment, and the company has an easy time attracting, motivating and keeping employees. We are a modern company with many interesting jobs to offer, and we are involved in everything from renovating the Skeppsbron Pier to events like the Volvo Ocean Race," says Dellner.

The company is currently involved in a number of major projects, such as Stockholm-Nynäshamn, Norvikudden (an expanded port in Nynäshamn) and the development of a new city district in Värtan-Frihamnen, where they are adding a new pier and cruise ship terminal.

The company has collaborated with Poolia on recruitment over the years, and contacted them again when the time came to find an Operations Manager and a Procurement Manager.

"We brought a draft of our requirement specifications to the very first meeting with Poolia. We had in-depth discussions all morning about what the job profile should look like, and how the announcement and advertising process should proceed," she says.

What is important to bear in mind at the first meeting?
"The first meeting is the most important. That is when you define the profiles for the positions. It is important to put all your cards on the table with regards to the position in question. It is important to be very open. Another prerequisite of achieving good results is having good personal chemistry between us and the recruitment consultant."

Why did you enlist a recruiting firm?
"We do a good deal of recruiting ourselves when we know the market and the position is a relatively easy one to find candidates for. But specialists and various types of managers can be hard to find. We do not always know the market. Sometimes we ask ourselves if a replacement for someone who is leaving the company after 20-30 years even exists, given the particular profile that employee had. And sometimes it may be that the new person shouldn't have the same profile as the person being replaced. In such a discussion, it is great to have a sounding board."
 
Can you describe the recruiting process?
"Once the requirement profile is set, Poolia provides three or four candidates for us to meet and conduct traditional job interviews with. We call one or two of them back for a second interview, and then collect references and give them a test."

How do you think Poolia differs from other recruiting firms?
"They have tremendous reach within the service sector. They have recruited everything from harbourmasters to a variety of other management positions. They are also fast, and it is important that the process be a short one, because potential applicants are generally searching for several positions simultaneously. They also keep us up to date on the candidates that they are finding. They are sensitive to how we want things done, and I am also impressed by the candidates they find, that they maintain such a high level of quality."

About Poolia and Ports of Stockholm
Ports of Stockholm has collaborated with Poolia on recruitment for many years. The current project involves the recruitment of an Operations Manager and a Procurement Manager.
Recruiting consultant Margot Estlander has a degree in accounting, and has previously headed financial departments and worked in accounting at a number of companies. She has been working at Poolia for 10 years, and has been key account manager for Ports of Stockholm for several years.

Updated: 23 September 2009.
Categories: international, recruitment, what-our-client-say-about-us.