7 Reasons For Employers To Use A Recruiter
17 Sep 2020
Brightwater
When talent attraction isn't your company's strength, it makes commercial sense to use a recruiter.
Every employer wants great people working for them but recruiting talent can be difficult, now more so than ever. Having great people is a hugely competitive advantage in business but how do employers source it in the first place? If finding talent is not one of your company’s core competencies, then it makes commercial sense to use a recruiter. Working in partnership with a recruiter is possibly one of the best decisions an employer can make. We’ve outlined just some of the reasons to use a recruiter below:
The first step is to find your recruitment partner. This could be someone you’ve worked with before either as a jobseeker or as a recruitment consultancy in a previous role. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. Always ensure you’re working with someone who specialises in your field or sector. A good recruiter will work on a consultative basis with you. Those will be the recruiters who know your market and will understand your requirements, sometimes better than you!
Sector Expertise: Recruiters can provide insights into the market other than just offering you a shortlist of candidates. A good recruiter will be extremely knowledgeable about their (and by extension your) sector. They know the roles that are frequently available and what roles job seekers apply for most which will be helpful with writing the job description. They’re also aware of what candidates are in big demand and what roles are the hardest to fill, therefore they will be able to manage your expectations on timelines.
They can give their clients insights into geographical locations of these candidates and if they’d be willing to move for the role. Recruiters can also advise on how competitive the jobs market is for that particular role or skillset for which you’re recruiting. What’s more important for you as an employer however, is that recruiters can also benchmark you against your competitors which is a strategic advantage when it comes to sourcing talent.
At Brightwater, we work in partnership with our clients, so if we find someone who would suit your company, we’ll let you know that we have someone with those skills even if you’re not hiring at the moment. That is what a true partnership with your recruiter is all about. Recruiters also understand that for continuous growth, companies should not hire one at a time, they should be on the constant look-out for talent that will add true value to your organisation.
Passive candidate market: There is a whole talent pool that employers are missing out on because they’re not taking into account the passive candidate. These are people who may be quite happy where they are, don’t scour through job boards or go looking on LinkedIn but passive candidates make up over 50% of Brightwater’s successful placements. These types of candidates will only consider a move when the move is presented to them. Recruiters are experts in finding passive candidates, be it on their own databases or through their network of contacts. They can also predict the key motivation for their reasons to move role and can advise our clients about the best way to both recruit and retain them.
Time Saver: Until they start the actual recruitment process, employers can easily forget how tedious and time consuming the process is. Working with a recruiter means they take the whole process off your hands. They are experts in sourcing and shortlisting the right people for our clients. Recruiters often work long hours, contacting candidates after hours to talk about your role and your company.
Access to national and international job boards: As recruiters, they have access to many more job boards at much more favourable rates than employers. They’re also skilled in finding candidates through Boolean searches on these sites. They have the tools, subscriptions and training to find your perfect fit.
Help with interview/on-boarding: When it comes to interviews, recruiters can be worth their weight in gold from managing time differences (particularly if candidates are based overseas) to organising logistics and advising on interview panels. Where a recruiter particularly shines however is around feedback. A recruiter will provide the potential employer with candidate feedback from the interview and vice versa. Constructive feedback will enable you as an employer to conduct a more successful and in-depth second interview and it will also allow you to get valuable information for brand awareness and a more constructive process going forward.
Candidates may also miss out on the role being applied for due to a lack of skills or experience but because the recruiter has properly managed the feedback process, they’re still left with a positive impression about your organisation. This means that when they do have the required experience, they may still return to an interview with you because of the positive experience they’ve had previously.
Salary benchmarking: Any recruiter worth their salt will know the salary variances in your sector and/or region. They will be able to advise you if what you’re offering is competitive or if it’s under market rate. They should also flag it to you if the salary you’re proposing is unrealistic.
Seasonal demand: Sometimes an employer will only need staff for a short period of time, whether it’s to cover busy periods such as the run up to Christmas, or to cover maternity or sick leave. Even the summer can prove tricky for employers with many staff members on annual leave. That’s where a good recruiter, specialising in temporary or contract recruitment can be a godsend. Recruiters have plenty of candidates on their databases who are looking for temporary roles only.
If you need assistance in recruiting talent for your organisation or advice on any aspect of hiring, please call Brightwater for a confidential conversation. Leonie Gleeson is Manager with Brightwater’s Cork office and can be reached on + 353 21 4221000 or by email at [email protected]