Finding and hiring the right person for your next job opening is an expensive, time-consuming and sometimes frustrating endeavor.
A poor hiring choice also has costs in lost productivity, poor employee morale, and possibly a negative impact on client solutions – which can mean a hit on your company’s reputation.
But why hire a recruiter? Here are three reasons we think you should have an outside firm find and select your final candidates.
- Objectivity – For a person who has to conduct interviews only a few times a year, it can be difficult to uncover the fluff and the padding in a resume. It’s even more difficult to avoid hiring someone based on emotion. Distinguishing the one with the best qualifications from the one you like the best is something most of us simply aren’t equipped for. A pro sees literally thousands of resumes a year. When you choose the recruiter who knows your industry, they can sniff out those who have, shall we say, embellished their resumes and eliminate them. Based on the qualifications you specify, they can send you the top candidates, saving you hours of sifting through resumes and conducting fruitless interviews.
- Hidden prospects – Your best next hire is probably already working – for someone else. The smart, the knowledgeable, the experienced aren’t reading the help wanted ads, looking for their next gig and, in fact, they may not even know you exist. A good recruiter has connections deep in your industry. They can approach candidates you have no way of knowing even exist. The recruiter also knows those who are looking, but don’t want it to be public knowledge. Which leads us to…
- Confidentiality – There are two sides to the confidentiality issue: yours as the employer and that of the prospective candidate. Some prospective candidates don’t want their current employer to know they are looking. Heck, some prospects don’t know themselves that they’re interested in a move – until the right offer comes along. A good recruiter, with deep connections in your field, knows who those people are.
Online advertising will result in a flood of applications
One the other side, an ad on Monster, CareerBuilder or Ladders can result in hundreds of resumes and none of them a good match. You and your human resources department are inundated.
Another scenario is the underperforming employee who hasn’t been able to keep up with company changes – or who was a bad hire to begin with. You’d rather not advertise that their position is about to be open. It’s terribly unfair to that employee and it deeply demoralizes the rest of the staff.
So, whether you are ready to add to your staff or to fill an open spot, a good recruiter who is knowledgeable in your industry can save you time, headaches and money. Finding a good employee should start with finding a good recruiter.
Morton Consulting is a Richmond, VA recruiting firm that has helped fill more than 500 technology jobs since 2006. If you’d like to find out how Morton Consulting can help you fill your next tech vacancy, contact us at 804.290.4272 or info@mortonconsulting.com.