Hiring exceptional talent can be a difficult, time consuming and sometimes frustrating process. The good news is though, whether you use recruiters or not; it doesn’t have to be.
The most important thing any hiring Manager can do is ensure they go into the hire with a well defined strategy. A good strategy should see the stress (and hopefully excess time) taken out of the process.
So, what can a hiring strategy look like?
1. 100% in House
This is for the companies that don’t like, don’t need or don’t have any interest in using a Recruiter’s services. Maybe they have their own internal recruiting team or exceptional networks – no matter the reason, they’re don’t want to, or have no need to pay a recruitment fee to get the staff they need.
This is usually achieved through strong attention to internal databases, company candidate networks, professional networking, company advertising, word of mouth and as mentioned, internal Recruiters / Headhunters.
2. Straight to Agency
This is often the route taken by Hiring Managers with a good hiring budget and so much on their plate that they don’t have the time or inclination to manage a recruitment process. So they let someone else (or their recruiter network) do the work for them and take advantage of different marketing strategies (without doing any of the marketing themselves).
This Hiring Manager may also know that their company doesn’t have the networks, database or advertising capacity to find suitable talent.
The trick to nailing this route – especially if you’re utilising the services of multiple recruiters simultaneously, is to be completely upfront / transparent with your expectations and stance on issues like introductions to ensure you’re not receiving the same candidate multiple times, or stuck in between recruiters.
3. Mix the Two in Series
The Hiring Manager tries their own networks first and then migrates to utilizing Recruiters afterwards if they’re unsuccessful or don’t feel they have tapped enough of the talent market.
This strategy still involves hitting their internal databases, advertising, headhunters etc but allows recognition if the results are not forthcoming. Where urgency is not a major issue, this strategy can work well.
4. Mix the Two Concurrently
This is often the most common strategy and involves a Hiring Manager using both their own resources and those of a recruiter (or several) simultaneously. The result is generally a faster hire with the knowledge a greater portion of the talent pool has been accessed.
This strategy involves going for it at full throttle, hitting internal and external resources and going with the best talent that pops up during the process.
The Danger of any Hiring Strategy?
Hiring the wrong person. Particularly for small businesses (but not excluding big), a bad hire in a strategically important role can be disastrous.
So whichever strategy your company goes with, reference (or have the recruiter reference), be thorough, have them meet multiple team members to check for fit and place yourself in the best position possible to feel confident the candidate is the right fit.
Interested in more information?
Feel free to get in touch either through the form below or by contacting hello@alra.com.au or 1300 002 572