WHY HIRE A RECRUITING FIRM

“When I need a heart bypass, rest assured I won’t select my surgeon on the basis of what he charges.” That’s what an ailing executive opined when he was informed by his doctor about his arterial blockage problems. Why then are corporate executives so tightfisted when dealing with what is commonly thought of as the “heartbeat” of their companies . . . Talent?

So, you need to fill a role in your firm, but why should you hire a recruiter?

EXPERTISE

Nobody knows the candidate landscape better than a professional recruiter – this is literally ALL WE DO. Our reach extends deep into your competitor organizations, beyond the Linkedin crowd, and consists of real relationships with these candidates. We know our candidates’ motivations, pain points, risk tolerance, home dynamics and professional goals. We can match your unique company culture with the interpersonal skills (and quirks!) of the candidates in the marketplace. A job posting on Indeed or a chance meeting at an industry event simply can’t provide the level of insight and detail that Stetson Global delivers to our clients.

CAST A WIDER NET

A professional fisherman will always have more to show than a weekend angler. Stetson Global’s recruiters are in the marketplace day-in and day-out. We know the unfished coves, reefs and inlets that are unknown to others. The job-hunter bookshelves are filled with lore about the “hidden job market.” The same holds true for professional recruiters who have a detailed roadmap to the hidden talent sources which will never be accessed by Linkedin, newspaper ads, alumni associations, applicant databases, or the Internet job postings.

There are occasional pearls through these sources but you have to shuck a lot of oysters to find them. The Fathom recruiters only give you oysters proven to contain pearls. Your only job is to determine which pearl is best. Want to catch what you’re fishing for? Hire a guide.

COST

There is a misconception among employers that the cost of hiring the right candidate equates to what would be spent on job advertising or posting on job boards. Nothing could be further from reality. Try adding these to the true cost and you’ll see just how cost effective an outside recruiter can be:

Salaries and benefits of the employment/recruiting staffs plus those of managers involved in hiring; travel, lodging and entertainment expenses of in-house recruiters; source development costs; overhead expenses including telephone, office space, postage, PR literature, applicant database maintenance, reference checks, clerical costs to correspond with the hundreds of unqualified respondents and more.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Advertising or otherwise publicly proclaiming an opening, aside from its cost and demonstrated ineffectiveness for sensitive senior level openings, often creates anxiety and apprehension among the advertiser’s current employees who wonder why they aren’t being considered or worry about newcomer transition problems. Just as often it alerts competitors to a current weakness or void in the company.

SPEED

The recruiting process is always faster through a search professional who is continually tapped into the talent marketplace, rather than starting the process from scratch. For every day that a key opening remains unfilled, a company’s other employees must grudgingly do double duty. And this doesn’t take in to account the profit opportunities or competitive advantages lost to a company when a position remains open or is filled on a part time basis as a stop-gap.

POST-HIRE DOWNTIME

Not only is speed an essential part of the professional recruiter’s process, Stetson Global’s ability to locate a person who can immediately hit the ground running - with a minimum ramp-up time - saves time after the hire. All too often, a hire selected through less effective sources requires several months of expensive training and orientation, and may or may not be a strong culture fit.

REALITY

Stetson Global’s recruiters often recognize (and always have a duty to inform clients) that a client’s hiring manager may be mistaken as to the type of person sought, the feasibility of locating a “10 of 10” on the experience wish-list, the salary and compensation package required to attract strong talent, or the need for a position to be split across more than one individual. Too many hirers fail to understand that a professional recruiter’s primary function is not to fill a slot but to provide the right candidate for the client’s talent needs.

NEGOTIATION

As a buffer and informed intermediary, the professional recruiter is better able to blend the needs and wants of both parties to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement without the polarizing roadblocks which too frequently materialize in face-to-face dealings, especially in a competitive marketplace. You wouldn’t negotiate a merger without an attorney, both for their professional knowledge and to act as an intermediary between parties.

Reprinted with edits with permission from The Fordyce Letter