The reasons to use a recruitment firm and how to select one

In the new age of social networking, many companies have decided to utilize sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, corporate P.R. streams and job boards for hiring individuals.  These avenues can prove to be effective for filling generic type roles and driving company exposure while also suggesting that the company is performing well thus the reason why they are hiring.

However, filling a position should not be based solely on the fee of a recruitment firm.

Here are a few reasons as to why companies use recruitment firms.

Workload and Time Constraints:

The human resources department is often too small to manage their department, implement corporate programs, scorecard activities and also manage a job search. As H/R departments continue to drive more progressive employee programs for their client groups, recruiting often becomes a cumbersome task that takes much longer than it should.  When a position is empty for too long, it costs the company money and can also cause undue duress for existing employees who are asked handle additional workloads.

Finding Passive Candidates for Competitive Positions:

“Head Hunting” is becoming more essential as new technologies have helped create specialist roles across all industries.

Recruitment firms specialize in targeting specific candidates and they also reach out to the best qualified candidates as oppose to only considering candidates who respond to an advertisement.

The best candidates are usually the ones that are performing in their current jobs and are not even contemplating making a change.

Hiring:

Often recruiters specialize in specific areas because they gained that certain industry experience prior to getting into recruiting.  Not only do recruiters have more experience in these specific spaces, but they often have been in the hiring manager’s position and can often better identify with their client’s specific needs.

Industry Knowledge:

Recruitment firms offer objective opinions on the industry for any job opening. Recruiters easily obtain salary information for positions and they are used by Human Resource departments as a strategic information source.

My clients continually ask me for my thoughts and input and I am happy to give it to them.

Company has Multiple Locations:

Recruitment firms often service multiple markets and know the candidates where various opportunities exist as oppose to just the location where the company’s head office is situated.

Confidentiality Issues:

In the last few years companies have been very active in upgrading talent to fit within new budget constraints.  When a firm needs to replace a person, recruiters keep this information confidential from other employees within the company.

Hiring the Right Candidate:

Recruitment firms guarantee a replacement if any selected candidate underperforms in their role.  This ensures that the corporate human resources budget is being efficiently utilized.

SELECTING A RECRUITER

When selecting a recruiter, the best approach is to ask professional connections which recruitment companies they use and why they prefer to partner with those firms.  I also highly recommend speaking to candidates regarding their personal experience with certain recruitment firms because the ethical recruitment firms treat both clients and candidates with respect and not just the side that pays the search fees.

Farewell,

Mike