There is a good chance that as a hiring manager you will have to face the question at some point as to whether or not to use a recruitment agency (such as EPQ Recruitment) or posting on a job board to receive direct applications. This article will cut through all the noise and clearly identify the pros of both using a recruitment agency vs handling direct applications yourselves so you can decide the best course of action for your business.
The Pros of using a Recruitment agency 1.Recruitment agencies save time and resources. Recruitment can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Recruitment agencies save time by taking on the time-consuming tasks of advertising, resume screening, candidate sourcing/headhunting, chasing references, and preliminary interview screening - and that is not considering all the communication and admin that goes into managing candidates through the process. Organisations that want to focus on their core operations may choose to outsource their hiring efforts to a recruitment agency where they can benefit from the improved competency of a specialist agency. This can allow a busy HR (Human Resources) manager to save time and resources that could be spent on more profitable areas of the business. When considering the entire recruitment process and the time and money spent, and the loss of productivity within the business, even though there is a direct fee payable, many businesses find this is outweighed by the indirect savings thus making the opportunity cost overall cheaper. 2.Hard to fill roles. Roles that hard to fill such as those within niche industries, technical fields or executive level positions can benefit from a recruitment agency with expertise and networks within the given industry, allowing them to identify, target and headhunt top talent candidates that may not be readily accessible simply through broader based direct application methods such as job boards. Furthermore, recruitment agencies are experts in conducting DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and SC checks on candidates for roles which require specialist checks on candidates often saving weeks of chasing and delays. 3.High volume hiring Organisations that need to hire a lot of candidates within a short time frame, such as during peak seasons or for project-based work, can benefit from the efficiency and scalability that a recruitment agency can provide. They can handle the high volume of applications, screen candidates, and manage the recruitment process at a much more cost-efficient level than if many organisations tried to do so internally, furthermore recruitment agencies may offer partial refunds if recruits do not work past a certain time/probation period. Many recruitment agencies hold pools of candidates with whom the agency has built up a relationship, complete with appropriate checks and references, this allows the agency almost immediate access to pool of appropriate talent allowing them to fill large positions quickly. This is particularly useful if, as an employer, you have an immediate need as ‘temp to perm’ and temporary workers will often initially be engaged and paid by the agency until you are satisfied with them and their workload. Thus, again reducing your HR workload. 4.Immediate access to expansive recruitment networks Organisations with limited recruitment networks such as startups or organisation expanding into a new region can use a recruitment agency to leverage their extensive networks, databases, and industry contacts to identify and connect with potential candidates. 5.Confidentiality Companies that require confidentiality through their hiring process such as when replacing sensitive roles e.g., key executives can use recruitment agencies to add a layer of secrecy. Recruitment agencies can handle the process discreetly to protect the client organisations hiring information leaking to competitors. The Pros of Direct Application 1.Its Free Direct application does not involve payment to commission to be paid to third party and as such can be attractive option for organisations with little to no budget to put toward the recruitment process, although the time taken to recruit yourself has a resource and time cost that is often overlooked and not fully considered. 2.Full Control The positive side of having to control and monitor the entire process is that… you can control and monitor the entire process. This allows hiring managers to follow up on application based on their own preferences and timeline, ultimately placing full control of the recruitment process in the hands of the organisation, instead of having to rely upon the expertise of recruitment agencies. However, this can lead to unconscious biases and emotional candidate selection as the impartiality of an agency is removed. 3.Direct engagement with employers Direct application gives the candidate and the organisation the ability to engage with each other and build report immediately, allowing the hiring manager assess aspects such as personality at an early stage. This allows the candidate to build a relationship with the employer from an earlier stage, allowing them to showcase their skills and negotiate job offers directly. Hopefully, this has helped you as a hiring manager understand the pros of both using a recruitment agency vs direct application. Both have their place depending on the needs and capabilities of the organisation (such as if the organisation already has a dedicated recruitment department) and context of the industry in which it is recruiting in (for example if it is highly specialised scientist role). If you still have questions about whether a recruitment agency is right for you, why not contact us for free at EPQ Recruitment at recruitment@epqrecruitment.co.uk or call us on 03334441120.
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"Hiring the right person for the right job" is a common saying that is much easier said than done. Like many other critical processes for organisations, recruitment done poorly can lead to costly consequences. In this blog post, we will discuss five common recruitment pitfalls that every hiring manager should be aware of and provide tips on how to avoid them.
1.Rushing to Fill positions. Underpinning nearly all other pitfalls on this list - and yet one of the most common mistakes hiring managers make - is to make hiring decisions based on expedience as apposed to thorough evaluation. It can be very tempting to take the first candidate who throws their hat in the door and says they can start Monday - but undervalue a thorough recruitment process at your own peril. Hiring an individual who may not have the necessary skills or cultural fit with organisation will incur costs on the organisation in terms of diminished quality of the work and time spent upskilling. Invest the time/capital into either creating a comprehensive recruitment process or use experts such as EPQ Recruitment and ensure you find the best possible candidate for the position. 2.Inaccurate or Imprecise Job Descriptions Job descriptions are a vitally important points of reference for both managers and candidates; inaccurate or Imprecise job descriptions can easily cascade into plethora of problems for both the individual and the organisation down the line. These issues may take the form of: - Hiring someone without the necessary skills that are required for the job as they were ill-defined. - Poor employee motivation as the employee is unaware as to the full meaning of their role within the context of the organisation and may feel hesitant in performing roles that they were unaware fell under there remit. - Training and upskilling employees becomes more difficult and costly without defined job descriptions as clear paths of progression become blurred. 3.Overwhelming candidate inefficiencies The first step many organisations may take when recruiting for a position may be to plaster the role on as many job boards as possible. Drawing in as many candidates’ applications as possible may seem nothing if not positive, however, an overwhelming number of applicants can make it difficult to effectively screen and evaluate each and every individual with the attention that they deserve. As result of the heavy-handed methods used in order to create a short list from so many candidates, an organisation may actually end up with sub optimal set of candidates. Methods such as attending networking events, using niche Job Boards, and directly reaching out to a smaller number of candidates that is more manageable for the company’s internal screening capabilities result in better overall candidate quality. Alternatively outsourcing to a third party such as EPQ Recruitment is a less resource intensive method to effectively ensure that only the highest calibre recruits reach the interview stage. 4.Overlooking Cultural Fit It can be an easy fix for hiring managers to base their decision purely on the candidates’ qualifications and experience without taking the time to consider whether the individual will fit with the company’s internal culture – or even what their company culture is. An organisation can hire the most qualified, most experienced candidate, but if they do not work in harmony with the companies’ values, mission, and overall work environment, they will clash with colleagues and management. This will nearly always result in negative impacts on the individual’s motivation and performance as they become disillusioned with the organisation and can eventually lead to leaving entirely, thus wasting all the resources that had thus far been put into the individual. Skills and technical knowhow are far easier, faster, and cheaper to teach than trying to make an individual adhere to workplace environment in which cannot suit their individual needs. To avoid this pitfall, we assess both the technical skills and cultural fit of candidates during the recruitment process. By Incorporating behavioural questions and cultural fit assessments we ensure that candidates align with your organisation's values and work well with the existing team. 5.Expecting New Employees to ‘Hit the ground running’. New employees – no matter how qualified – will need time to settle into the role and find their feet. It will typically take about 3 months for new starter to fully find their feet and begin to produce quality work in timely manner that meets the expectation of their new employer. It can be frustrating for employers, having put all this effort into hiring the ‘right’ candidate, only to then have to train them for the role they supposedly qualified for. However, it is incredibly important that when onboarding a new starter, the organisation makes them feel welcome and gives them the support and the network to seek advice and ask questions. Expecting a new starter to immediately start operating as if they were seasoned veteran of the company can lead to them feeling overwhelmed and stressed, which may easily spiral into disengagement and ultimately leaving the organisation. Recruitment can be a tricky process to nail perfectly, but it is vitally important to perform correctly for firms to successfully grow and improve its human capital. If you would like a professional organisation to handle all the risks that recruitment has to offer, then why not contact us recruitment@epqrecruitment.co.uk or call us on 0333 444 1120. |
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April 2023
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