The demise of the recruitment industry has been forecast for as long as I can remember, with companies developing in-house teams, the advent of LinkedIn, job boards and social media reaching wider audiences and now AI promising to make the perfect matches between client and candidate. Yet, despite all this, the industry continues to grow, and whilst sectors of recruitment will arguably fall to technology (shift workers for example can be easily matched to roles based on basic skill sets), businesses that require specialist skill sets and senior talent have a lot to benefit from using a recruitment agency.
An extra arm to your business
If your business already has an internal recruitment team, a third party specialist can be a great compliment to that. Recruiters who work in a specific field spend their days speaking to the talent you’re looking to attract as well as your competitors and can add valuable insights into areas such as what candidates are looking for in order to change roles, how other businesses are attracting and retaining the talent you need as well as market trends. They can also make discreet approaches and have confidential conversations with candidates who may be awkward for your in-house team to contact directly.
Network, network, network
Most startups are aware that simply because they advertise a job does not mean they will get any applicants, and if they do, that they will be 100% relevant. The best recruiters don’t wait for job applicants to come to them or download resumes from job boards, they actively network with the talent in their space and through building relationships, know who is contemplating a move and who else may be open to a conversation with your business. There are also plenty of candidates who aren’t on LinkedIn (not everyone was a fan when Microsoft got involved) and a specialist recruiter will have a network of talent that your internal team may not be able to reach.
Help! I need somebody
The rise of the fractional working is going from strength to strength, especially in technical fields where niche skillsets are in short supply and those that possess them are not looking for permanent roles. If you have a short-term requirement, either project based or because someone’s left, a good recruiter will have a network of interim candidates they know are reliable, reference checked and available at short notice to help you out.
Cut the crap
Depending on the job roles you advertise, you could literally spend hours sifting through completely irrelevant resumes or those of candidates with not enough experience. Some of the resumes we receive are absolute horror shows, just because someone has “always been interested in money” doesn’t mean they perform the role of Finance Director, or if they’re “a bit of a gamer” doesn’t translate to them being hired as a Senior UI/UX Developer. A good recruiter will hone in on what you’re looking for in an ideal candidate; skills, experience, cultural fit, and ensure that each resumeyou receive ticks at least 8/10 boxes, meaning you only need to worry about your diary availability to conduct interviews.
We even wear the T-shirt
I’ve lost count of the number of times clients have told me, “don’t direct candidates to our website, it’s out of date and we’re building a new one”. Invariably though, the majority candidates we speak to google your business the moment we mention its name to them whilst still speaking on the phone. This is also what they do when they see a job ad or get an InMail from your internal team. By using a specialist recruiter who understands your business, has met with you and your team, seen your offices and got an understanding of the culture, you have an extra supporter who will take your brand out to the market place and represent you in the best light in attracting passive candidates. Who doesn’t appreciate some free, positive marketing?
A recruitment consultant should be just that, someone to consult with. If you find a good one with specialist knowledge in your space, you can add a valuable external member to your team whose sole purpose is to help you attract and retain the best talent, whilst saving you time and money in the process.
