4 Important Considerations When Hiring Professional Recruiters by Mari Luque-Hanchett
Posted on March 14, 2024
It can be exceedingly difficult for companies to fill jobs that require specialized skills, such as finance and accounting, especially in a tight labor market with low unemployment. With so many job vacancies available to a limited number of qualified candidates, businesses must use all the resources available to stand out from the pack, build relationships, and amass a vast pool of skilled talent from which to recruit for years to come. One critical resource to consider is a professional recruiting service with specialized experience in finance.
Professional recruiters provide businesses with a dedicated resource for identifying, hiring and retaining highly qualified job candidates. Their skill and experience help make the entire hiring process more efficient, eliminating countless hours and dollars company staff would otherwise have to commit to those responsibilities. They must not only understand a company’s unique needs, goals and selling points, but they must also take the time to build relationships with prospects and consider which candidates are more ideally suited for a specific company and which will be a successful match over the long term. After all, the costs of hiring the wrong person can be significant.
Following are four things to consider when evaluating recruiting firms for your hiring needs.
Do they understand your business and your brand?
One of a professional recruiter’s responsibilities is to sell your company to prospective job candidates. This means they must understand and be able to communicate what makes your company great, especially from the employee perspective, whether that be your culture, values or opportunities for career advancement. They should also take the time to understand the job description details and why the position is vacant at this time.
Do they understand the larger industry in which your business operates?
Most recruiters have a general understanding of the current job market and can provide you with valuable insight into emerging trends that impact hiring practices. However, to effectively garner the results you need in the required time, they should also be knowledgeable about the industry in which your company operates and the issues, challenges and opportunities affecting those in the position you seek to fill. This degree of detail can help them cut through the noise and attract better candidates while providing you with the guidance you need to make the most informed decisions regarding your hiring practices.
How proactive are their search efforts?
Successful recruiters use various methods to source qualified candidates beyond simply posting jobs and reviewing resumes. They research their clients’ industries and reach out to analysts, thought leaders, competitor companies and their employees to identify prospects and promote your company’s brand as a preferential employer. It is not uncommon for them to travel across the country to meet prospects in person and get to know them more personally to determine how they might fit within your organization. More importantly, they take the time to curate those connections and build deep industry relationships that help them create an ever-growing network of thousands of referral sources on which they may rely to find the right candidates for clients’ needs. This also allows them to uncover hidden opportunities that average job seekers and prospective employees may not yet know.
How do they charge for their services?
Most recruiting service providers charge their clients a fee of between 10 percent and 30 percent of the first-year salary of the position they are hired to fill. Generally, the fee increases along with the new hire’s title or required level of expertise. When examining the costs of outsourcing recruiting functions, it is important to consider the full range of services these professionals can provide, including technical and cultural vetting, background checks, negotiations and onboarding new hires. Staying on top of these tasks is not something businesses can afford to manage on their own and risk a significant drain of resources and time that could be better spent on mission-critical activities.
About the Author: Mari Luque-Hanchett is an associate director of talent acquisition with Berkowitz Pollack Brant and head of the firm’s Recruiting and Talent Acquisition team, which helps businesses source and retain highly skilled staff across the globe. She can be reached at the firm’s West Palm Beach, Fla., office at (561) 361-2050 or info@bpbcpa.com.
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