Why Hire an External Recruiter?

By Gabriella Colantoni, Managing Director, DHR International

The War For Talent has been reduced to a minor skirmish given the current state of the economy, but hiring top talent is as important today as it was in the go-go 90's. An external recruiter can help you find the best employees for tough times.

From time to time the economy softens and companies may feel that recruiting is not the crisis it once was. But smart companies will use the softer times to acquire talent, build their bench strength, develop succession plans, and focus on equating top talent with increased shareholder value.

Hiring a reputable external recruiter means a company is hiring a skilled consultant who can identify the best executives in a particular industry or functional area of expertise (sales, marketing, finance, etc.). These individuals maintain a high level of confidentiality, a wide network of knowledge and resources, objectivity in their candidate evaluations, and negotiating expertise to ensure a win-win scenario.

Selection of the right executive recruiter is of key importance. In particular, companies should hire a recruiter who knows the industry and has experience hiring for the type of position the company wishes to fill. A bad fit between recruiter and company can be a big waste of everybody's time. A good recruiter will speak the candidate's language, will understand their accomplishments, and represent the client company in a very professional manner. Hiring a recruiter for their direct experience can, in the long run, save the company time and money.

If the position a firm wishes to fill is of a critical nature, and the company wants to "hire the best and the brightest," a recruiter can help find potential candidates that the client company typically cannot find on its own. External recruiters can assist the company in avoiding mistakes in the hiring process by providing an objective analysis of a candidate, and by thorough referencing. Often, companies don't have a problem identifying candidates as much as they do assessing the "fit" of the candidate within the firm's corporate culture. Assessing a cultural fit is often a difficult task for in-house practitioners, and as it is the most cited reason for executives not performing satisfactorily and not surviving within an organization. It is therefore of key importance to ensure that the "fit" is carefully vetted. A third party consultant can often add tremendous value in this arena.

Why should a company hire a recruiting firm in these soft economic times?

Specific Expertise. The old theory about doctors being cautioned not to operate on members of their immediate family may be applied to the in-house recruiter or human resources executive. These professionals are vulnerable to in-house politics and other cultural issues that a professional recruiter is largely immune to. The recruiter is a service provider hired for the added value and specific expertise they bring to the playing field.

Market Place Awareness. Professional recruiters spend their days talking to people who are knowledgeable about business. They know the competitive landscape, and what it will take to recruit a key executive from the competition. Professional recruiters also know where the hidden talent is located and can identify individuals that can't easily be found through the Internet, newspaper ads, databases or from resumes in a filing cabinet. Executive recruiters have an edge because they have expertise in the industry in which they are recruiting. They know the players who will be viable candidates for the client. They are intimate with the details of the potential candidate's career history, are aware of the kind of opportunities these executives are seeking in their next role, and can most effectively present a slate of executives that will provide the client with a real flavor for the wide array of talent available.

Top Talent Is Not Looking For A Job. Successful executives by and large do not spend time surfing the Internet for jobs, reading the classified ads or circulating their resumes on job boards. A professional recruiter's skill is often required to bring good people to the client company. The best candidates are recruited through the efforts of both the recruiter and the hiring manager. If a company truly wants the best people, they have to find them proactively, and not just wait for a resume in response to a job posting. Approaching these hidden prospects is not easy, but that is what trained professional recruiters do every day.

Negotiator. It is rare that an internal hiring manager will truly know what is motivating a candidate. The recruiter plays the role of a third party. They know the desires and budgetary limitations of the client. They have amassed considerable knowledge about the candidate, including details of the candidate's personal life and professional desires. With this information, the recruiter naturally is a better negotiator and can work toward bringing the two parties together in a win-win scenario. The professional recruiter is experienced in combining the desires of both parties to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement without going off-track, as often happens without a third party intermediary. The needs of both client and candidate are viewed from a position of mediation.

Speed. Speed is critical in both identifying and assessing the right individual for the opportunity, as well as locating a viable candidate who can fill the post and "ramp up" in terms of getting to know the position and the company relatively easily. Speed is also critical in terms of scheduling interviews, a key point in the process that can often get bogged down without the gentle persuasion of an external party.

Calibration in the Marketplace. Good recruiters assist in advising their clients in identifying the right type of person and the salary required to attract them. Additionally, external recruiters should add value to their clients, providing alternative possibilities that are outside of the obvious choices and industries. This type of consultation is often difficult for internal recruiters due to the political nature of these types of discussions.

Smart companies know that the fee paid to a good recruiter is a shrewd investment, not an unnecessary expense. However, it is important to develop an ongoing relationship with a recruiter, as they will help the client company keep up with industry, and remain current on compensation trends, employee benefits and succession planning. Reputable recruiters know their business, add value to their client and know what to do when things go wrong.

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