1. Extended Reach for The Best Talent
A recruitment agency will have access to the best talent available; this includes access to candidates that are actively seeking work, as well as talent that is currently employed elsewhere.
If you use a recruitment agency, you’re statistically more likely to access the best job-seekers on the market; candidates who are actively looking for a new job position are more likely to register with a recruitment agency due to their efficiency. Most agencies will position job vacancy adverts on a range of job boards, understanding the logistics and marketing value behind using each one – invaluable knowledge that can only be accessed from working in the recruitment sector.
Finding the right candidates can sometimes be difficult, simply because they can be hard to find. If candidates don’t position themselves as ‘actively seeking a job’ then they are most likely to have a trusted, specialist recruiter who commits to job applications on their behalf – that’s access to a ‘talent pool’ that may be unreachable otherwise.
2. Saves Time
It’s common knowledge that in business, time is money; however, if you use a recruitment agency, you are saving time. Recruitment agencies save your business time because they take care of the initial steps in the hiring process. No more sifting through applications and CV’s, a recruitment agency will ensure that the time you spend in the application process is spent wisely on viewing those worth considering.
However, it doesn’t end there; a recruitment agency will then schedule interviews and prepare the candidates with all the information they need – all you have to do is prepare and turn up!
Recruitment agencies deal with all of the administration issues such as: communications with successful candidates and unsuccessful applications, as well as verifying candidate information like qualifications and references.
3. Extended reach
Some candidates are hard to find. They may be passive or they may be selective. If they aren’t responding to job advertisements, don’t see themselves as part of your ‘talent pool’ and are too busy to search full time then the chances are that they may have relationships with trusted specialist recruiters in your sector.
Even if they aren’t currently active, there’s a strong chance that a good recruiter will know who they are and how to reach them. Agencies have many networks – each consultant, candidate, client or collaborator has the potential to leverage their networks to help connect you to people with a range of skills and experiences, many of who would be off the radar of an in-house team or hiring manager.
4. Access to key strategic skills
The number one reason that companies give for using a recruitment agency is to gain short term access to key strategic skills, a reason that been growing in importance over the last 3 years, now overtaking covering leave and peaks in demand. With talent shortages now potentially hindering growth it’s not surprising that this is the case.
Whilst some of the reasons I’ve already given may refer more to permanent recruiters, many also offer the opportunity to bring in qualified, experienced help at short notice. These flexible solutions are particularly crucial for a long-term project or initiative.
5. Short-term and Long-term Cost Savings
Recruitment agencies will have allocations on the all the top job boards, so you can ensure that your business’s job advert is in the correct place – posting single one-off jobs with advertising agencies can be expensive.
The cost of sifting through CVs and conducting initial conversations adds up, however if business’s use a recruitment agency then not only is that cost reduced, but there is also the ability for the recruiter to help negotiate the best salary (giving both guidance and advice on what is fair pay) resulting a greater chance in hiring the top candidate.
Short term costs saved:
- Posting job adverts – cost removed.
- In-house staff can perform their other duties.
- Reduces potential overtime costs (temporary hire/overtime periods).
- Reduces the likelihood and cost of hiring a candidate unfit for the role.
Long term costs saved:
- Reduces training costs (some recruitment agencies offer candidates the chance to learn field-specific regulations whilst searching for a job)
- Future hiring costs are reduced due to trustworthy relationship with recruitment agent.
