This is a 2 part series on Service Level Agreements, and includes:

• Part 1:  Service Level Agreements Purpose and Benefits
• Part 2:  Key Steps in Establishing Service Level Agreements

Part 1:

Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) have been around for some time, and was a hot topic within the talent acquisition space dating back 6-7 years ago. I have been asked about SLA’s twice in the past week and views on driving success when implementing them in a recruiting function.

Service Level Agreements can be created for clients both internally and externally. The 2 most common I have come across in recruiting include hiring managers and HR Business Partners. What’s the purpose of a SLA?

• Define the services to be provided
• Establish the manner in which the services will be delivered
• Set quality standards to be achieved
• Determine the measurement criteria
• Outline the reporting process

I have also had the opportunity to personally implement SLA’s and have talked with recruiting leaders about SLA’s in their organization. Some have been a critical driver to establishing two-way accountability and have been very successful, while some have failed miserably. The common denominator with the successful cases: Client confidence and recruiting professionals with influence and sales ability to set the expectations, as well as ownership in the process.

When implemented properly, SLA’s have several benefits including:

• Establishes two-way accountability for a service
• Creates levels of service that are negotiated and standardized
• Documents service levels in writing
• Provides a basis for improving service levels
• Standardized methods for communicating expectations

In the end, SLA’s are only as effective as the team designing and implementing them. The piece of paper becomes meaningless without the right training, expectations, accountability, and skills to execute with clients.

Part 2 of Service Level Agreements in Recruiting will focus on the Seven Key Steps to Establishing a SLA.