Chapter 5: Suppliers & Agencies 🤝

📖 What are Suppliers & Agencies?

A Supplier or Agency is a company or individual that helps you find and recruit candidates. They might be recruitment firms, staffing agencies, or labor contractors.

Why Use Suppliers?

• 🌍 Access to larger candidate pools
• ⚡ Faster recruitment process
• 🎯 Specialized recruitment experts
• 📊 Reduced time to hire
• 🤝 Long-term partnerships for future needs
• 📋 Help with compliance and documentation

Types of Suppliers

Type	Description	Example
Recruitment Agency	Company that specializes in finding candidates for jobs	ABC Recruitment, Gulf HR Services
Staffing Company	Provides temporary or contract workers	Adecco, Manpower Group
Labor Contractor	Supplies workers for specific sectors (construction, hospitality)	Local labor contractors
Consultant/Individual	Individual who sources candidates for commission	Independent recruitment consultant
Overseas Agent	Agent in home country who recruits workers for you	Agents in India, Philippines, Pakistan

➕ Adding Suppliers

Step-by-Step: Create a Supplier Profile

1. Go to Partners Menu Click "Partners" → "Suppliers" from the left menu.
2. Click "New" Button
3. Fill Basic Information - Company Name *
   - Email *
   - Phone *
   - Website (optional)
   - Country
4. Add Address Details - Office Address
   - City
   - Country
   - Postal Code
5. Add Contact Person - Name of main contact
   - Their phone
   - Their email
6. Add Business Details (Optional) - Business license number
   - Registration number
   - Type of agency
7. Add Notes Your working relationship, specialization, payment terms, etc.
8. Click Save Supplier is now in your database!

📝 Supplier Information Fields

Basic Information Section

Address Section

Contact Person Section

Information about the main person you work with at this supplier:

• 👤 Contact Person Name (e.g., "Ahmed Al-Mansouri")
• 📞 Their Direct Phone (e.g., "+971 50 123 4567")
• 📧 Their Email (e.g., "ahmed@abcrecruitment.ae")
• 💼 Their Title (e.g., "Recruitment Manager")

Business Details Section (Optional)

• 📋 License Number (if required in your area)
• 🏢 Registration Number (official business registration)
• 🏷️ Type (Recruitment Agency, Staffing, Labor Contractor, etc.)
• 💼 Specialization (Construction, Healthcare, Hospitality, etc.)

Notes/Remarks Section

Add any important information:

• Working relationship history ("Partner since 2020")
• Payment terms ("30-day invoice payment")
• Commission rate ("10% of first month salary")
• Quality feedback ("Reliable, good candidates")
• Languages spoken ("English, Arabic, Hindi")

🔧 Managing Suppliers

Viewing Supplier List

1. Go to Partners → Suppliers
2. See All Suppliers View list with company names, locations, contact info.
3. Click on a Supplier To view full profile and manage.

Searching for Suppliers

• Use search bar to find by company name
• Filter by country or location
• Filter by type (Agency, Contractor, etc.)

Editing Supplier Information

1. Open the Supplier Profile
2. Click "Edit"
3. Update Information Change contact details, address, notes, etc.
4. Click "Save"

Marking Supplier as Active/Inactive

If you stop working with a supplier:

1. Open the Supplier
2. Find "Status" Field
3. Change to "Inactive" They won't appear in active supplier lists anymore.
4. Add Note "Stopped working with them in Jan 2026"
5. Save

Deleting a Supplier

You can only delete suppliers with no associated data:

1. Open the Supplier
2. Click "Delete" from Actions Menu
3. Confirm Deletion

📊 Tracking Interactions & Performance

Recording Communication with Suppliers

Keep track of all interactions with suppliers:

1. Open the Supplier Profile
2. Find "Activities" or "Communication" Tab
3. Click "Add Activity" or "Log Call/Email"
4. Record Details - Date
   - Type (Phone call, Email, Meeting, SMS)
   - What was discussed
   - Outcome/Next steps
5. Save

Example Interactions to Log

• 📞 "Called Ahmed about 5 electricians needed by Jan 25. He'll send CV list by Jan 15."
• 📧 "Sent email with job description for construction supervisor role. Waiting for candidates."
• 💬 "Meeting with supplier - negotiated commission rate down to 8%. Will send best candidates first."
• ⚠️ "Last 3 candidates sent were not qualified. Discussed quality requirements with them."

Evaluating Supplier Performance

Rate suppliers based on their performance:

Metric	What to Measure	Good Performance
Response Time	How fast they respond to your requests	Within 24 hours
Candidate Quality	Are their candidates qualified and suitable?	50%+ suitable for the role
Timeliness	Do they deliver candidates within deadlines?	Always on time
Number of Candidates	How many candidates do they provide?	Sufficient quantity
Communication	How clear and helpful is their communication?	Professional and helpful
Cost/Commission	Is their fee reasonable compared to others?	Competitive pricing

Adding Performance Notes

1. Open Supplier Profile
2. Find "Rating" or "Performance" Section
3. Add Rating (1-5 Stars) 1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent
4. Add Comments "Great candidates, fast response, reasonable fees. Definitely our top supplier."
5. Save

👤 Managing Supplier Contacts

Why Maintain Contact List?

• 🎯 Know who to call at each supplier
• 📞 Have multiple contacts if one person is unavailable
• 💼 Track personnel changes at suppliers
• 📊 Better communication and relationship management

Adding Contacts for a Supplier

1. Open the Supplier Profile
2. Find "Contacts" Tab Usually shows in the form.
3. Click "Add Contact"
4. Enter Contact Details - Full Name
   - Title/Position
   - Email
   - Phone
   - Notes (e.g., "Our main contact")
5. Save Contact

Contact Information to Keep

• 👤 Primary Contact: Main person you deal with
• 👤 Backup Contact: Someone else if primary is unavailable
• 👤 Manager/Owner: Decision maker for important matters
• 👤 Finance/Billing Contact: For invoices and payments

❓ FAQ & Troubleshooting

🎯 Key Takeaways

🚀 What's Next?

Now that you understand suppliers, learn how to create and manage the contracts that formalize your employment relationships.