I am a pretty independent and resourceful person. I like a good challenge. I am willing to try almost anything once. Maybe you are the same?
So when something breaks in my house, I will give it go and try to fix it myself. The air conditioner went out last week and I gave it a try. Flipping breakers, replacing filters, oiling fans, etc. No success. The feedback was pretty immediate; no cold air meant sleeping in a house that was near 85 degrees Fahrenheit, so fairly hot and uncomfortable for Michigan. Time to call a professional. Next day, the HVAC professional got us back on the path to cool air and comfortable sleeping.
When tax time comes around, I could do it myself for home, but the business is too important to mess with the do-it-yourself models. We are in business for reasons other than doing the taxes…that is something a professional needs to do. If I get a letter that requires legal review and attention, a professional is called in to help. Professionals serve a purpose and frequently do things better, more effectively and with less negative consequence than going it alone.
So what does this have to do with recruitment? These are tough times to find and attract qualified talent. So why are so many employers using homegrown, do-it-yourself, and internal methods? Maybe independent recruiters need to better explain the value they deliver. Or perhaps being a professional recruiter is so easy anyone can do it?
Here are some reasons I think using a professional recruiter makes more sense than homegrown methods of recruiting:
Top 10 Reasons to Call a Professional Recruiter
10. Hiring a recruiter keeps you focused on your core business.
9. Recruiters know employment law. One false move on your own could cost you way more than what you might save on a fee.
8. Recruiters can engage candidates that you cannot. For example, the best talent at a competitive business.
7. Your time is worth money. Your time and your staff time is not free.
6. Missing opportunities to get the right candidate can be very costly.
5. Recruiters will make you define the job requirements in a clear and accurate way. This gives you a higher likelihood of retaining top talent. People leave because the job was not what they were told it was.
4. Recruiters will find talent for you for years into the future once you have them on your radar. They may locate a talented candidate that is a super fit in your organization two years after a targeted search is completed.
3. Recruiters will help reduce the time to hire. Open positions are costing you money. Filling openings quicker saves you money.
2. Recruiters can negotiate salary, benefits and details less emotionally and with greater likelihood of success than you can directly.
And the number one reason you should hire a professional recruiter is:
1. A recruiter can make you money – if a professional recruiter finds even one significant candidate you might have missed on your own, or better yet, brings you a talented candidate long after a specific search is done, that candidate can drive thousands of dollars of profit to your bottom line over a 10-, 20- or 30-year career.
When it comes to attracting and retaining key talent, can you afford the homegrown, in-house method versus the use of a professional recruiter?
Dave, this was an excellent post. Loved the analogies and the reasons why to use a recruiter. I will use this as part of my selling tools. Thank you!
I’d also add that recruiters have access to and are familiar with recruiting tools and software. Outsourcing recruitment means that you’ll have access to these tools that make the process more efficient.
Great point, Sarah! Thanks for stopping by. :-)