Why are we obsessed with customer feedback?

When Neil and I formed Stanton House 14 years ago, it was driven by a passion to deliver an exceptional customer experience. We both recognised that our industry does not consistently achieve this, particularly when it comes to supporting professionals looking to change jobs, and we saw a real opportunity to set ourselves apart and make a positive impact on the industry.

We know that moving jobs can be a life-defining experience. We know the right job can transform a person's life for the better. It’s how most of us pay for the roof over our heads and support our loved ones. When we started the Company, we set out to ensure we would commit completely to treating all our customers with courtesy and respect. We would differentiate ourselves by delivering value and creating an exceptional customer experience.

We know that is a high bar, and we don’t always reach it - but we do measure it. We measure it obsessively.

How do we measure customer satisfaction?

We ask our customers for feedback with questions contextual to specific interactions. For example, after we have met with a client, after we first meet with a candidate, after a candidate has interviewed for a job, and so on.

Their answers are used to track how happy they are with our service and how likely they are to recommend us. The latter is known as the Net Promotor Score (NPS).

How do we calculate our Net Promotor Score?

NPS is driven by the universally recognised approach of asking the following:

 ‘On a scale of 0-10, how likely is it that you would recommend Stanton House to friends or colleagues?’

Respondents are grouped as follows:

• Promoters (score 9-10)
• Passives (score 7-8) 
• Detractors (score 0-6)

Subtracting Detractors as % of total respondents from Promotors as % of total respondents yields our Net Promotor Score.

Getting a high NPS is challenging as you need to generate a significant number of 9s and 10s as a proportion of total responses to get a strong Company-level NPS, and all 7s and 8s (passives) are excluded from the calculation.

How are we currently doing?

Over the last 12 months, we have sent out over 6,000 requests for customer feedback and our customers have given Stanton House a Net Promoter Score of 64%.

To put this into context, Global NPS standards classify 50% NPS as excellent and 70% NPS as world-class, so anything over 50% indicates exceptionally high levels of client or candidate satisfaction.

For context in our industry, research by Clearly Rated found that the average NPS scores given to staffing firms (derived purely from their placed candidates) was 30% in 2023.

It's promising to witness the upward trend in the Industry Average over recent years, yet it's crucial not to solely rely on feedback from successfully placed candidates. At Stanton House, we prioritise soliciting input from both candidates and clients, irrespective of the outcome of job placement, recognising the value of comprehensive feedback beyond mere placement success.

I'm immensely proud of our Net Promoter Score reaching 64%, and I extend my gratitude to all our valued customers who have graciously provided feedback and comments. When considering broader comparisons, our current NPS places us in the same league as renowned service leader brands across various industries, as illustrated in the chart below. While this achievement is commendable, we remain committed to continual improvement and to surpass the 70% milestone in the months ahead.

Published NPS scores for brands across industries:

Consistent themes driving our NPS

Clients scored us highest for having researched them and their business, having a very strong understanding of their business goals and for sharing insight which gave them genuine pause for thought. Candidates scored us highest for the exceptional interview preparation, feedback, support, and guidance they received. We are so proud of our people for doing such a professional job!

Here's just a small sample of the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have recently received:

“I’ve recently embarked on a change-of-code to the interim world, and Tim Sarnowski & Kevin Culverhouse went to bat for me in the market, ultimately landing me an exciting opportunity. All of my interactions with Stanton House have been exceptional; the team presents an erudite understanding of the market, the clients, and indeed my own wants. In a recruitment industry of >40,000 UK firms, where reputation is not always good, Stanton House sets the bar deliberately and impossibly high.” Accountancy & Finance Candidate

“As a director, I get lots of approaches from agencies and without exception, they are all shockingly poor. Ben was different, he engaged over an article I had written, researched our organization, asked for a meeting to introduce himself and your services and to discuss my article. The meeting was enjoyable and has started a relationship that I trust and value. If Ben’s approach was standard practice at Stanton House kudos to you. If not, Ben is exemplary, and you should learn from him. A young man who demonstrates knowledge of how to build relationships that I have not seen in years and rarely even in experienced agents twice his age.” Transformation Client

“Never had an experience with a recruiter like I did with James. He offered real insight with no prospect of immediate gain for himself. Given my background, I was always puzzled why my resume didn't get more attention - I think he nailed the issues and I'm confident in it now.” Cybersecurity Candidate

“From experience, I know that Stanton House has always provided phenomenal briefings for roles - as well as ongoing in-process support. However, before now, I had assumed it was the uniqueness of a single consultant. However, I now understand - it is the Stanton House way - which you absolutely embodied during this time.” Accountancy & Finance Client

I’d like to say a massive thank you to our client and candidate customers, for trusting us to find you a great job or to find and hire top talent. We are privileged to work with you all, and thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback. It means the world to all of us at Stanton House.

Do you have some feedback? If you have any feedback, especially on how we could improve, I would love to hear it. Please do get in touch.