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A recruiting agency can prove to be an invaluable asset when it comes time for your company to hire new team members. Effective recruiters save considerable time and energy in the process. In fact, sometimes choosing the right recruiting agency for your company is the most difficult part. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind to streamline the decision process.
The Fit
Companies come in all shapes and sizes. Choose a recruiting firm that works with a company of your size. Larger companies tend to hire for more specialized positions since there are more team members on board. On the other hand, smaller companies with fewer employees sometimes multitask with their job positions. For example, a large marketing agency may dedicate an entire position to social media marketing, whereas a small in-house marketing team may have one person in charge of all aspects of digital marketing. Because companies are organized differently, its critical that the recruiting agency you choose has a deep understanding of the structure and positions within your company. That way, they can understand the scope of qualifications and prior experience your candidates should have.
Your Industry
Has the recruiting agency supplied your industry with successful hires in the past? If so, what’s their track record? Look for a number indicating how many of their recommendations have actually been hired, and more importantly, retained. If they’ve equipped others companies in your field with excellent team members, then it’s likely they can do the same for you.
Choose a recruiting agency that specializes in a few fields rather than picking a more generic company. They understand the nuances of your industry as well as the types of professionals who thrive in it. Finding a specialized recruiter is particularly important when hiring for an industry such as information technology that is changing and growing rapidly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for information technology workers is increasing faster than that for workers in almost any other industry. Researchers expect it to reach over 2 million jobs by 2024. As technology becomes more advanced, related fields are requiring more specialized skill sets. This is an example of when an IT recruiter is helpful in finding professionals with skills and experience specific to you industry. Whether you need executive recruiting expertise or lower level recruitment assistance, choose a recruiting agency that has experience in your industry.
The Age Of The Firm
Find out how long the recruiting agency has been around. It may be a good testament to their abilities. Companies that have been around for some time generally have well developed networks. They are well founded and since they’ve been in the business for so long, they’re typically good at what they do.
Younger companies have their merits, as well. Less established firms tend to be more data-driven, and they utilize digital resources such as social media very effectively. Agencies who are new to the scene can be tech savvy enough to keep up with inevitable digital transformations.
Their Screening Process
Ask recruiting companies about how they pass on candidates to companies. Mediocre recruiting companies will hand you a candidate without even screening him or her first, which entirely misses the point of even hiring a headhunter. Alternatively, successful recruiting partners have a refined screening strategy in which they carefully interview and sort candidates before handing them off to you. They conduct resume screening first and continue to screen throughout the entire hiring process. Companies with thorough screening strategies are more likely to identify qualified matches for your company.
Their Brand
The internet has made it easy to research all kinds of companies, recruiting firms included. Use Google to your advantage to find out what employees and clients say about the company on review sites. What is their overall impression? If you stumble upon a few bad reviews, though, take it with a grain of salt. Disgruntled employees have a way of shouting their grievances the loudest. At the same time, if their reviews are mostly negative, pass in favor of a less controversial company.
Find a company with similar values and practices as your company. That way, you will work together better and obtain better results. If the firm understands and even resonates with your brand mission, they’ll be more able to find professionals who do too
Your Hiring Timeline
Also consider what your company’s timeline looks like in terms of hiring and onboarding new employees. Depending on the size and network of the staffing firm, some recruiters can fit you with candidates faster than others.
Smaller agencies tend to be more specialized. The upside to this is that they can fit you with niche talent to meet the requirements of specific job descriptions or jobs in specialized industries. Say, for example, you’re in need of new leadership. In this case, it’s worth the extra time and attention to detail that executive level recruiters put into finding effective managers.
Larger recruiting firms, on the other hand, have far reaching networks and therefore larger talent pools. As a result, they can equip you with new members faster. If you need to build a team quickly, then they have the connections to help you do so.
Their Refund Policy
On occasion, hires aren’t all that a company had hoped they would be. Even with a top-notch recruiting agency and a rigorous screening process, bad hires can happen. Unfortunately, some candidates talk the talk better than they walk the walk, and companies only find out after offering the job. This is even true for companies that use the best recruiting practices for hiring.
Before choosing a recruiting agency, find out how they handle these hiccups. How do they remedy the situation? Do they supply refunds? Think of their repair plan like a car warranty. If they are confident enough to offer it, then you know there’s a lower chance that you’ll need it.
Hiring can be a tedious process. Fortunately, taking the time to hire an experienced, effective, and specialized recruiting company has big pay-offs. It has the potential to shorten all future screening efforts for your company. Furthermore, it can make the hiring process more fruitful by turning out excellent candidates. That’s why, with a few careful considerations, choosing the right staffing agency is well worth the extra time and attention to detail.
