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I recently attended a networking event held at the Halifax Club and I ran into a few new and old friends, and the most common question that I got asked was, “Why would a company hire a recruiting firm when they could do it themselves?”

Since the question came up, I am compelled to share my experience as to why companies decide to hire professional Recruiters.

Some of the reasons may surprise you:

Lack of time.

Companies are busy.  Not only are they focusing on building their business, leading teams and processes, they really do not have a lot of spare time to be proactive in hiring.  They want to work efficiently, and recruiting is one of those areas that can take a backseat to the day-to-day operations.  They may not have the resources to review and sort résumés for the most qualified candidates. How many times have we heard people say: “they look great on paper?" Also, consider the time it takes to create the ideal job posting, source appropriate job boards, network within industry, respond to applicants professionally, screen candidates, interview, check references  and the list goes on. Good Recruiters will take care of the entire process.  

Clients want a competitive advantage.

A dedicated Recruiter will source the top talent for the client. Clients are interested in meeting with candidates that have the best reputation in the marketplace. Top talent may not always be reading the job boards or actively looking for a change and that’s when Recruiters can jump-in and do the research, network, and make contact to the talent directly.  Recruiters are known for direct recruiting and they look for the skill sets a client needs. Recruiters are very professional in their approach to finding the right talent for their clients. How comfortable would you be calling direct into your competition?  Not likely a move you would do, but by hiring Recruiters, the process is confidential and respectful.

Clients hire Recruiters for their expertise. 

Hiring is a science and many hiring managers don't actually know how to interview well. A good Recruiter will spend time upfront with their client to really understand the role, the qualifications and most importantly what makes a good fit for their company. Many Recruiters have areas of specialty, which means that they have their pulse on what is happening in that industry.  Recruiters can ask tough questions and screen appropriately to ensure that gaps in skill sets are uncovered.  Recruiters interview people all-day every-day, and they have a strong ability to assess the candidates sitting in front of them.  There is a strong case for return on investment for a Recruiters’ expertise as clients hire the “A” candidate into their organization.

Clients need Recruiters to be sales people. 

The best candidates have choices and are sought after. Recruiters become the voice of the client and work with a candidate to ensure there is a good fit.  Recruiters have to sell the company and the job role to qualified candidates and then on the reverse side make a strong case as to why the client should hire a specific candidate – there is an efficient 360˚sales process that happens during the hiring steps.  Using Recruiters provides a comfortable negotiating process between the employer and new employee to-be.  The better the relationship with the client and with the candidate, the more successful the hire will be. 

Background and reference checks take time.

Professional Recruiters are diligent in the background, credit and references checks for their clients.  A recruiting firm’s name goes behind this critical piece in the hiring process.  They have specialists in their office that will complete very thorough references which are usually customized to a client’s job competencies and requirements.  They also conduct background checks to verify education requirements for example.  Some clients also request credit checks and not all companies have access to these tools, or know where to get them. Recruiters have these tools and can do these checks quickly and accurately. 

Clients don’t want to say no to people.

Rejection is never easy and clients would rather a professional Recruiter handle advising candidates of their status in a competition.  Letting people know that they will not be moving forward in the recruiting process is not a comfortable conversation for most people.  Good Recruiters will always respond to candidates, keep them up to date, provide them with feedback and ensure that they have had a positive experience. 

Clients like the added value of Psychometric profiling. 

These tools are quite valuable in the hiring process. They can be used to verify personality fit into a role, and can also provide the expertise around specific traits, leadership capacity, and communication style. Some recruiting firms have in-house experts that can manage these tools for you (http://www.kbrs.ca/human_resource/assessment).

I hope my professional recruiting experience and insight has helped answer the most common question I get asked: “Why hire a recruiter?”

If you would like to discuss my perspective further I’d be happy to hear from you (cmacdonald@meridiareruitment.ca).