Why should an employer use a recruiter to find talent?

Imagine a scenario where someone you know from a different area of expertise gave you a call seeking advice. This person was contacted by a potential customer who shared that they had posted a job advertisement and received a whopping 200 responses from interested individuals. Intriguingly, this customer also wanted to enlist the services of the person seeking advice. This situation left your acquaintance puzzled, leading them to ask you for guidance on how to navigate this challenge.

In response, you delved into the matter with great enthusiasm and conviction, discussing numerous aspects over a 20-minute phone call. In fact, you were so enthusiastic that you even declared your intention to write a blog post about it. And so, here is the essence of what you shared:

You questioned why the potential customer would be seeking assistance when they had garnered such a substantial number of responses. Had they sifted through all the applicants? Out of these numerous responses, how many were actually a good fit for the job? Could it be just 5 or maybe even just 1? Or was the whole lot a mismatch? The sheer quantity of responses, whether 200 or even 2000, doesn’t necessarily translate into value. Anyone who has ever put out a job ad knows that only a tiny fraction of applicants are genuinely suitable, making the process quite discouraging.

This brings us to one of the primary reasons why employers turn to recruiters. Why would a potential client with a flood of responses be reaching out? Well, the employer might not have the time, energy, patience, or determination to meticulously assess every single response just to find that one perfect candidate.

And here’s where a recruiter comes into play. A recruiter takes on this task because they are compensated for it. But a skilled recruiter might not even need to advertise the position. Some of the most exceptional candidates are already gainfully employed and performing well. They are the top achievers, constituting a small percentage of their professional field. They aren’t scanning job boards or ads; their resumes aren’t scattered across various platforms, and they aren’t making rounds at recruitment agencies just to boost the numbers of interviews conducted that day.

When you are actively seeking exceptional talent, you must actively go out and find it, as the term “looking” suggests. This is because these outstanding individuals are not looking for you; they are content where they are. Top-notch recruiters have the skill to identify and approach these types of individuals daily. They excel in guiding both clients and candidates, minimizing mistakes in the hiring process.

Recruiters serve as intermediaries, allowing clients and candidates to communicate openly without causing offense. This avoids premature conclusions, as both parties don’t directly engage with each other. Consider a scenario where discretion is essential—how can you reach out to a potential hire without revealing your company’s name until you’re certain about an interview? How can you establish rapport and trust with candidates in a way that a reliable recruiter can?

Returning to the discussion with your colleague, it was essential to convey to the potential new client that a recruiter streamlines the overwhelming process of reviewing countless resumes to identify suitable candidates. The recruiter does the heavy lifting, ensuring that only the most promising candidates are presented.

Many recruiters operate on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay when they successfully deliver a new employee. This kind of arrangement is quite unique among professional services. Consider this: what other professionals would commit to their work’s outcome without having much control over external factors that influence its success? Candidates might leave a job due to company or supervisor dissatisfaction, elements beyond the recruiter’s control, yet they still stand by their work.

Contrast this with a scenario where a client embarks on a full-scale recruitment search from the outset, investing resources in salaries for the search team. If, after a significant time investment, the client resorts to using a recruiter anyway, the time and money spent are wasted, affecting productivity.

At the end of the day, a significant advantage of engaging a recruiter is their role as both a buffer and an advisor. Candidates may not directly tell a potential employer, “Your offer undervalues my worth by at least 5%,” but a recruiter can do so without personal bias. They can also advise candidates on realistic expectations. This open conversation might not be feasible between an employer and a candidate, as offense might derail the process.

Consider the example of the frustrated HR manager who struggled for months to find the right specialized salesperson. She had to sift through irrelevant responses and deal with unsuitable profiles. However, with the aid of a competent recruiter, two suitable candidates were identified and interviews were scheduled within days.

So, as you ponder the process of finding the right staff, consider this: Is it going to be a challenging and arduous journey, or can it be a rewarding and efficient endeavor with the assistance of a skilled recruiter?

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