- 01-11-22
- user Richard Malpeli
As companies grow, they need to add to their workforce. To support this growth, they have to routinely undertake the work of finding, interviewing, shortlisting, and choosing the perfect job candidate for each opening that comes up. While it can be a cumbersome process with multiple stages to be managed, there are ways to make the work easier.
Recruitment agencies provide many benefits that can make finding suitable talent that is a good fit for the organisation simpler. Many employers have acknowledged that recruitment agencies can provide valuable support during the hiring process, which relieves much of the pressure on their human resource departments. These agencies can effectively weed out underqualified candidates and present employers with the best possible candidates for the job to choose from. With the job market having become increasingly competitive, this specialist support helps to reduce the risk that mistakes will be made during hiring.
Let us look at the key benefits businesses can derive from partnering with recruitment agencies to fulfil their hiring needs.
- Larger Reach: Every company has a goal when they set out to hire. That goal is often to find the candidate that will move their operations and profit margins forward in the most efficient way possible. To do this, you are going to need to have as many qualified candidates as possible to look through. Job boards, LinkedIn and word of mouth can only get you a limited number of prospects, but when it comes to finding suitable candidates in need of work, recruitment agencies always know where to look. This means that they will be delivering the best of the best to you, in larger numbers and well suited to the job profile.
- Time, Money and Productivity: There are many time-consuming tasks involved in recruitment, such as collecting CVs and assessing each one to identify suitable candidates. Recruitment agencies save businesses time and money by taking over these tasks and freeing up internal employees that would have been assigned these tasks to focus on more productive work. They can better focus on their primary duties that will prove more profitable to the business. Recruiters can work faster and more cost-effectively on the hiring tasks.
- Hiring Experience: Recruitment companies are experienced in the art of picking the best candidate. They know what to look out for based on your needs and that is something a company may not necessarily know how to do on their own. If one is extremely specific in their search, they can simply go to niche agencies. Simply put, they go to an agency that specializes in delivering the type of candidates that they need.
- Employer Branding: Businesses today have invested heavily in branding. They know that building the right image is important and will work hard to protect it. However, a shabby employment process does have the potential to damage this image. More so when you consider how easily word gets around through social and professional networks. Rather than risk missteps that could damage their brand, many organisations will opt to have professional recruiters like Cornerstone Global Partners handle their hiring needs. Engaging professional recruiters will ensure that the proper etiquette is used when handling candidates. This is especially critical during negotiations and other activities that must be carefully handled to persuade the desired candidate.
- Lower Risk: There is usually some form of insurance that comes with hiring through a recruitment agency. Agencies such as Cornerstone Global Partners O2O will typically offer an assurance that if the job candidate they recruit for you leaves for any reason within a set period. The agency will be obligated to find a replacement at no added cost to the business or refund the pre-agreed percentage of your fee.
While working with a recruitment agency does offer multiple benefits as those stated above, there are still a few possible downsides to consider.
- The One Time Fee: A lot of people have a problem with this fee but holistically, this fee is smaller than what the company will actually spend if they carried out the hiring process internally. There is also a higher risk of a botched hire if the company goes it on their own. Risk management is something that companies should not mind spending a little extra money on.
- Choosing the Agency: Just as in any other specialist business, there are recruitment agencies that have earned a bad reputation and tainted the image of the sector. This is why client businesses need to be discerning to find established and reputable firms like Cornerstone Global Partners O2O that can help them find ideal candidates when and where they need them. Looking into references and other means of authenticating an agency’s reputation is necessary to ensure they can deliver what they promise.
The pros of working with a recruitment agency clearly outweigh the cons, making it a smart move to partner with such a firm when looking to improve your hiring process. However, there is also the option of working with an agency versus hiring your own professional recruiter. Let us look at what the two options offer.
Why Is an Agency Recruiter Better Than an Inhouse Recruiter?
There are two types of recruiters that organisations can engage. There are agency recruiters and in-house recruiters. Agency recruiters work for recruitment agencies while in-house recruiters work for the employer company. In-house recruiters are dedicated just to the work of hiring suitable employees when the need arises. They have sometimes been considered the better option due to their proximity to the business and the fact they answer directly to the employer and not bosses at the recruitment agency. That said, recruitment agency recruiters do have a few benefits that may overshadow this option.
- The Cost of Paying your Own Recruiter: Agency fees are often one-off payments that are made when there is a hiring need, rather than contractual ones as it would be with an in-house employer. Most companies do not continually need to hire new staff. Having to pay salaries and benefits to an in-house recruiter, even when there is no hiring need is a waste of resources.
- The Risk Management Factor: When a recruiter works in-house, they are tasked with the job of bringing in people and are not burdened with the risk that comes with trusting employees will stay at a job while being of good conduct. Unlike recruitment agencies, in-house recruiters do not risk anything when hiring, and if the candidate is not up to par, they just go out and hire again without any reparations. Agency recruiters will give an assurance, that though typically for a limited period, may come with financial or other penalties that will be paid to the employer.
- Branding: Using an in-house recruiter risks the company’s image. If they make mistakes that bring the company into disrepute, it can be hard to restore the image of the business. Working with an agency recruiter ensures a higher level of professionalism that can boost the reputation of the employer company. And, if a mistake is made, the damage will be to the agency and not the employer brand.
Conclusion
Recruitment agencies like Cornerstone Global Partners O2O provide a valuable service that makes the hiring process easier for employers. They provide a higher level of skill and expertise at a fraction of the cost it would take to hire internally or use an in-house recruiter. They allow free up more time for your employees to focus on productive work that will drive the business forward.
For the best results, ensure that you effectively communicate with the recruitment agency you will work with. There needs to be a mutual understanding so they know what kind of candidates you want to be delivered. Let this professional service help in finding not just employees, but skilled talent that will help take your business to the next level.
