Are you scratching your head at the title of this article?
We know, it seems a little counterproductive for a recruiting firm to tell you why not to use our services! However, since we’re really confident in our ability to help you find (and retain!) great candidates, we want to be as candid as possible in order to make sure you’re making an informed decision for your business.
Why do companies use recruiting firms?
There are a variety of reasons why you might choose to ask for outside help. Research has shown there are significant costs to turnover: Namely, 16 – 213% of a worker’s annual salary, depending on their position. Plus, the stakes are higher than ever in a competitive job market for HR to get hiring right the first time around.
Access talent. It shouldn’t escape our mention that hiring isn’t HR’s only job, while it’s our dedicated job to focus on finding you eminently qualified candidates. Agencies like TDG are professionals who recruit for a living and have access to, and an overview of, a large talent pool where your future employee may already be waiting.
Hire faster. Since the hiring process is usually quite resource-consuming, recruiting firms can help you find candidates faster, saving your HR department time. You may be wondering how to best represent your employer brand, spread the word about your company’s mission, or how to attractively package your benefits. We can help with that!
Ensure qualified candidates. Finally, recruiting firms are able to expertly narrow down your selection to only the most highly skilled candidates. Whatever your hiring problem, we’ve seen it before. We are able to put your needs into perspective, or perhaps give a much needed outside opinion, to find you both a great cultural and skills fit for any open position.
That being said, not all companies need the extra hand. Here are 4 reasons why working with an agency may not be necessary for your candidate search.
When shouldn’t you use an agency?
You don’t have the resources to invest in the search
Recruiting firms streamline the hiring process for your HR department, but that doesn’t mean there doesn’t need to be clear and efficient cooperation between company and recruiters. We can save you time in the search process, but you must also have the money, time and headspace to invest in us working together effectively. Enlisting a search firm is the equivalent of investing in a consultant or executive coach; it doesn’t work unless you also put in the time to provide timely feedback to your recruiter (who’s working in the best interests of your company) and interview candidates quickly (before they accept a position elsewhere).
You have lots of extra time and back-up
On the other hand, if you’re not in a rush to fill a particular vacancy and/or you have extra time available, you won’t necessarily feel the same pressures of the recruiting process.
One of the benefits of hiring a recruiting firm is that we can save you time in the hiring process. If your HR team has a lot of time to invest in sifting through applications and following up with candidates, as long as your goals and priorities are clear for the hire you’re looking for, you may feel you are able to manage this solo.
In addition, some companies already have an employee in line to cover the responsibilities of the vacancy until someone new is hired. When filling a vacancy is a long-term goal rather than a more urgent need, hiring a recruiting firm may not be the best option.
You have the necessary resources at your disposal
Many companies who choose to work with recruiting firms, like startups and small companies, don’t have an in-house recruiter or large enough HR department to undertake the search for key positions. They may lack the resources to source qualified candidates or ensure the process is done effectively, whereas the help of a direct-hire firm strengthens the company’s professional image and reputation.
Even if an HR department is theoretically well-equipped, many struggle with the follow-through of finding and attracting qualified candidates. If you have a talented in-house recruiting team and a solid pool of candidates ready to choose from, you may not feel as strong of a benefit from seeking outside help.
You’ve already invested in a quality talent pipeline
There are so many great ways to create a talent pipeline. Nurturing a shadowing or internship program is one. Many companies maintain ties with a group of prior or “alumni” workers. Another way is to make a positive impression even on the applicants to whom you don’t offer a job and to keep the lines of communication open for vacancies that are a better fit for their skills.
As time goes on, more companies are learning that their employees are their secret recruiting weapon. If you’ve done your work right and cultivated brand ambassadors among your staff, you’ll have access to a range of potential applicants up to 10 times as large your company’s own followers both via word of mouth and social networking.
Having a well-built network for employee referrals and a strong social reputation that gets you access to passive candidates is an excellent way to recruit. If you’ve been playing the long game well, you’ll have your pick of highly skilled and qualified candidates.
That being said, building such a network takes quite a bit of work and coordination from the top down. Many companies have not invested in these methods because of the time and resources needed.
Here’s one great reason to use a recruiting firm
The research is in, and unfortunately, companies are bad at both hiring and retaining diverse employees. This is true even for the giants in the acronym FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google) who have committed to increasing the diversity of their employees but have made little progress, by their own admission.
You may be unsure where to start looking for the diverse talent you seek, although you know organizations that blend out-of-the-box thinkers from a diverse range of backgrounds can create the necessary energy to drive new ideas and productivity.
If investing in a wealth of experiences and ideas is one of your goals, you can likely benefit from the outside perspective of a firm like TDG’s, including our access to the wider, pre-vetted talent pool we offer.
What do you think?
After all this, have you concluded that you may be in need of a recruiting firm after all? We’re your all-inclusive direct search experts. Take a look at our services and reach out today.