As many as 75% of companies report having hiring difficulties for various reasons.
These days, it can be very difficult for organizations to find the right talent. On top of that, the terms of contracts can be difficult to navigate, and traditional employment may not be suitable. Recruiting firms can provide an alternative solution that can benefit both companies and employees.
So what is a recruiting firm, and how do they work? Keep reading to find out.
What Is a Recruiting Firm-Definition and Role
A recruiting firm is an organization that acts as an intermediary between companies looking for workers and job seekers. They establish systems that help match the experience and skill sets of these job seekers with the requirements of the roles that need to be filled. In doing so, they can match candidates up with suitable job roles.
People often use the terms ‘recruiting firm’ and ‘staffing agency’ interchangeably. While they’re somewhat similar, there are differences between the two.
Staffing services will be involved in the process for the entire time that an individual is working with a company. A recruiting firm, on the other hand, focuses primarily on recruitment to help companies secure employees before handing them off.
How Recruiting Firms Work
A company could take care of recruitment in-house, but anyone who has taken on this responsibility knows that there’s a lot involved. A recruiting firm can help streamline this process so your team can focus on other areas of your business. There are several steps involved in employee recruiting that will ensure you find the perfect candidates.
1. Define Your Needs
Before you start looking for new workers, you need to specify what your business requires. Consider the roles you need to fill and the current skills gaps you have. This can involve both hard and soft skills.
Determine whether you want full-time, part-time, or temporary workers, and how many you need. You can then prepare job descriptions based on this information. All of this will help a recruiting firm match you up with the best candidates.
Note that recruiting firms will often help with writing job descriptions and job profiles if necessary. Still, it’s good to be proactive, as laying these out will make it easier for a recruiting firm to find the exact type of candidate you’re after.
2. Vet Suitable Firms
There are various recruiting firms available, so you should then search for ones that you think will be able to support your business well. You want to consider factors like experience, success rate, pricing, and recruitment process. It’s always a good idea to look at customer reviews to see what businesses who have worked with a firm in the past think of them.
You can ask some questions to get a better idea of what to expect. For example, you may want to ask about their timeline for filling roles. A talent shortage could cost your company due to a drop in productivity, so you don’t want to be waiting too long for new workers.
After settling on a recruiting firm, it’s time to contact them and begin the staff recruiting process.
3. Review the Job Description
You might not have created a job description. If this is the case, you can explain what you’re after, and the recruiting firm will do this for you.
If you have one already, review it with the recruiting firm to ensure you’re both on the same page. They may be able to make some suggestions to improve the job description and make recruitment easier.
4. Agree to Terms and Sign a Contract
You’ll need to discuss the terms of your contract to make sure it aligns with your budget, expectations, and legal requirements. Ensure you understand how the pricing structure works, as these can vary between different recruiting firms. Once both parties are happy, you can sign the contract.
5. Receive and Review Top Candidate Profiles
With a solid job description, the recruiting firm will now be able to start looking for candidates. They’ll select several who they feel are suitable, and present them to you. This gives you the opportunity to review the best candidates so you have multiple options available.
6. Make the Final Decision
Narrow down the list of candidates so that you have the perfect one. You can then proceed with onboarding and the candidate will be able to start working their new job.
The Benefits of Working With a Recruiting Firm
Some companies avoid working with recruitment firms because they feel it’s not worth it. In reality, they offer several benefits that can help almost any business.
Access to Better Talent
One of the biggest challenges that many businesses face these days is finding suitable talent. This is especially true when companies need to fill roles that require very specific skill sets.
Most employers only have access to LinkedIn and similar platforms. Recruiting firms use many more-often including their own-to give them a much larger talent pool to source from.
On top of this, they tend to have extensive networks that help with referrals, which are incredibly effective when it comes to hiring. Having this wide reach makes it easier for them to find suitable candidates for specific job roles.
Better Final Candidates and Hires
Unfortunately, many companies go all the way through the hiring process before realizing that a candidate isn’t suitable. This often happens because people lie about their experience and qualifications.
Recruiting agencies are experts when it comes to hiring, so they make sure to always vet hires thoroughly before putting them forward for jobs. Additionally, their knowledge and experience mean they’re very good at spotting red flags. Working with a recruiting firm means you’re far more likely to get candidates who meet all of your requirements.
Save Time and Money
People often think hiring in-house would be more cost-effective than working with a recruiting firm, but this generally isn’t the case. The hiring process is long-winded and takes a lot of time and money. By handing it off to experts, you can ensure it’s done efficiently and correctly.
If you make one of your employees responsible for hiring new staff members, you’ll then be paying them their standard wage, but they won’t have time to get their regular job done. This will result in a drop in productivity, and ultimately, they may end up hiring someone less suitable than a recruiting firm would offer you.
The chances of ending up with a bad hire increase when hiring in-house. This will also cost you time and money as they won’t be as good at their job. You may even end up having to recruit someone new to take their place, costing you even more.
Flexibility
It may be the case that you don’t want to take on a full-time employee. You might need temporary staff if your company is busier during the holiday season, for example.
A recruiting firm can be a simple and effective way to find workers on a temporary basis. The hiring process will be much faster and more streamlined, which is far more ideal when you’re not looking for permanent employees.
Risk Reduction
When you hire through a recruiting firm, they take on the legal and financial aspects of the hiring process. This includes covering things like insurance coverage, tax information, and labor laws. As they’re responsible for all of this, it will save your business both time and money while ensuring you’re not taking on any legal risks.
How to Choose a Recruiting Firm
The first thing you need to do is be clear about what you’re looking for. Be specific about the workers you need, and ensure any recruiting firm you’re looking at understands this. This includes the experience and skill sets, as well as whether you need full-time/part-time employees.
It’s good to find out about pricing early on as you’ll need to work with a company that fits your budget. A small business may not want to work with the same recruiting firms as mid-sized companies, for example.
You also need to look over any legal aspects of the roles you need to fill. Make sure you communicate any legal requirements to recruiting firms so that they fully understand them. Ensure this is all covered in your contract before signing.
Something else you may want to do is confirm how much control you have during the hiring process. Recruiting agencies will naturally take the reins, but some companies still like to have some input. If so, discuss this with the recruiting agency so you can come to an agreement on how things will be handled.
Finding the Right Talent
Now you’re no longer asking “What is a recruiting firm?”, and you have a clearer idea of the benefits they offer. If you want to make sure you find the top talent for your company, working with a recruiting firm is the way to go.
The Grady Group has been helping companies find new employees for decades and has made over 500 successful placements since 1999. To find out more about working with us, schedule a meeting today.
