Recruitment is one of the toughest aspects of running any business, whether it’s a small start-up or a large enterprise. The talent market is incredibly competitive, particularly at the senior executive level, and conventional wisdom dictates that it will only get more competitive during times of economic uncertainty.
In years past, when a young company achieved a decent level of financing, it wouldn’t need to look far for talent, as it would be able to utilise the networks of its founding members. This is an approach that costs next to nothing and is undeniably convenient. But it’s an approach that simply doesn’t scale. This is where recruitment agencies come in.
Agencies might once have been seen as helpful, but unnecessary tools. However, in such a competitive landscape, business leaders not using outside help for recruitment are putting themselves at a serious disadvantage.
Hiring a recruitment agency shouldn’t be seen as an admission of defeat on the part of your own recruitment team, but as a powerful supplemental asset with a razor-sharp focus on sourcing the best talent for your company.
Choosing the right service, however, is more than half the battle. What you should really be aiming for is a quality service with a proven track record that specialises in your sector. In the professional services sector, for example, Leighton Taylor offers expert recruitment services at all levels of the sector.
Below, we’ll run through the 5 reasons why these agencies are the first places you should turn when you’re in the market for some fresh meat.
Whilst social media and the proliferation of online job boards has meant it’s easier to source new talent than it was decades ago, scouring social media profiles and online job sites takes a lot of time and patience.
A recruitment agency will take care of everything from finding and filtering candidates to checking references and sorting the interview, leaving you to get on with running your business.
Not only will a good specialist recruitment agency make sure that it’s on the PSL of the sector’s top talent markets, but they will be able to leverage existing connections that you probably won’t have and (most importantly) will know where to look and where not to look.
Their experience in the field might also prove invaluable. Even if you’re an experienced business leader you’ve probably only personally hired a handful of people in your career, whereas a recruitment agency will have hired hundreds or thousands. Recruitment might not be an exact science, but you should always leave it in the hands of those with at least a passing familiarity with the ‘chemicals’ and ‘algorithms’ required to make it work.
Knowledge and focusA specialist recruitment agency won’t only know the sector inside and out, but it will know how your competitors operate; what they pay, how they practice and what they know.
This is information that can prove absolutely crucial in netting top talent before it lands elsewhere. A recruiter will conceive of tactics and approaches that even the most switched-on business leader might not, and that’s where the real benefit is.
Leaving a position open for too long can prove costly, for both your earnings and the consistent job advertising costs. It can also lead to a dip in productivity that might be difficult to bounce back from. With studies revealing that a decent employee will generate up to five times their salary in value, leaving a post vacant for even a few months could cost you thousands.
With a specialist recruitment firm that has access to only the most capable hires in your sector, the groundwork will be done for you. They’ll write the ad, make the connections and fill your vacancies with the talent that the roles demand, saving you time and potential earnings in the process.
As the vast majority of recruitment firms operate on a contingent basis, you will only have to pay if the position is filled.
This not only incentivises the recruiters to do their jobs but means there are few downsides to at least testing the waters and letting someone with the right connections, the right knowledge, the right focus and the right expertise lay the foundations for your next major hire.