Who verifies that your recruiter actually knows the profession?
A great many professionals who make important decisions on behalf of your business are required to document their competence. Accountants are certified. Real estate agents are licensed. Health and safety advisors hold formal qualifications. But the recruiter responsible for finding your next leader or key specialist? In most markets, there are no formal requirements at all.
In Norway alone, there are around 1,600 recruitment and staffing agencies – and beyond that, a significant number of companies employ internal recruiters to handle hiring directly. Across all of these, only just over 500 individuals hold DNV certification as recruiters. That is a small number relative to the total population of people making hiring decisions every day. The picture is similar across most markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
A poor hire in a key position typically costs between €50,000 and several hundred thousand euros – once you account for lost time, termination, a new process, and the period before a replacement reaches full productivity. Similar estimates are well documented across global markets. Yet many organisations select recruitment partners without asking what qualifications or quality systems are actually in place.
Quality is a key driver of success
At Sperton, quality is built into the way we work. We are certified to ISO 9001 and operate in accordance with ISO 30405 – the international standard for recruitment processes. We also have DNV-certified recruiters on our team, alongside internal quality systems and processes that ensure every assignment is handled in a structured, consistent and traceable manner – from job analysis through to placement and follow-up.
All Sperton advisors are trained in methodology and process. Every assignment follows a documented structure that is continuously reviewed and improved.
In May 2026, DNV will launch a revised and updated standard for recruitment professionals – incorporating developments in technology, stricter data privacy requirements and an increased focus on fair and objective processes. Sperton follows this work closely. Our Managing Director in Norway, Erik Mellebye-Giertsen, sits on the committee behind the new standard and holds DNV certification as a recruiter himself.
Certifications and standards only have value when they are applied in practice – not just referenced in a pitch deck.
Questions worth asking your next recruitment partner
Are your advisors certified or formally qualified? Do you follow a recognised recruitment standard? How do you ensure quality and consistency across assignments and advisors? What happens after the candidate starts?
If the answers are vague, that is worth noting.
We are happy to answer the same questions about ourselves.