In light of the events in Boston this week, I thought this might be a good time to talk about disaster planning, and how it relates to recruiting.

Regardless of the disaster, be it natural or otherwise, it is important to know how your company, and/or those you recruit for, will react in emergency circumstances.  Many small businesses invest so much time, money and resources in making their venture successful, yet fail to plan well for the unexpected. I read an article on the SBA site last week that said a shocking 25 % of small businesses do not re-open after a major disaster. http://www.ready.gov/business.

Want to provide a true value for your clients? Get them discussing their workforce risks in the case of a disaster right now! Tell them how you can provide them with the security of knowing their workforce needs are addressed immediately in the event of a disaster. Their workforce, after all, can be their most critical investment. Imagine the situation a company would face if they were to wake up tomorrow with the majority of their employees unable to report to work due to emergency circumstances.

When real disaster strikes, your clients should know they can make one call, text, or email to initiate a plan for replacing the most critical positions in their company immediately. Start opening discussions with your clients about their crisis workforce planning sooner rather than later. Below are some tips I would offer based on clients I've worked with in the past:

Get Detailed Profiles for Every Position

It is impossible to determine which positions will be impacted by a disaster. While the initial reaction from most companies is the desire to ensure executive positions are filled,  what about the front line worker that keeps their doors open? Is it the CEO that is most critical to replace, or your web development team? What if there is no longer an HR team? Who decides how and when to begin replacing key roles? Eliminate questions involving role preferences and culture fit by have job descriptions, and profiles in advance. This will allow you, as the recruiter, to know what you will be expected to provide in the case of emergency, and if you need to have screened candidates in your database that you could call immediately.

Agree on Process and Screening in Advance

Think of every scenario up front when it comes to process, and have your plan in place. Is your client willing to let your firm make the final decision on some or all positions in the event that the typical approval chain is compromised? Will these hires be considered temp-to-hire positions, or permanent placements? At what point are you authorized to initiate immediate response? Phone calls and other communication may be very limited in the case of disaster. You should determine in advance individuals at various levels that can authorize you to begin workforce replacement efforts. I highly recommend having this information in a prepared contract on file. Include all of the necessary authority signatures in advance.

Determine Fees and Terms Up-Front

No one wants to be discussing fees and terms of payment with a company that has just lost 1/2 of their workforce. These companies will be struggling just to keep the doors open. Reasonable terms should be in place long before there is ever a need to implement them. As the recruiter, consider a considerable discount for your clients that are willing to trust you with this task in advance. The smart companies who consider risks in advance, and are prepared for these circumstances, will often be willing to offer you exclusivity or a retainer to provide them with an affordable resource for their recovery plan. There are also far fewer emotions in place if this is decided upon in advance. It will ensure a win/win for both parties.

Let me know if you have clients retaining you for disaster initiatives now. Are their challenges you see in providing your clients with this type of service? Sound off in the comments!

Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at REKRUTR. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for BIZCATALYST360°