The pros and cons of using an external recruiter rather than an in-house human resources team are varied and it can depend on the nature of the job, how many people the business is recruiting and often what the turnover of staff is like in the business or industry sector.

There are some industries that lend themselves to using recruitment companies and, in many cases, when the client wants to remain confidential a recruiter is a perfect solution.

Pros: Reduces the initial exposure to the costs of bringing on a member of staff

The time that is spent in finding new candidates can take up valuable resources in an HR team, which is often firefighting with limited applicants for each job. A recruiter will do all of the leg work in resourcing candidates, carry out checks and keep on top of the candidate coming in for an interview. They can also employ the candidate on a temporary to permanent basis giving the employer the chance to trial out the new person.

Cons: Some businesses like to keep control of every candidate, especially if they are larger companies and may have multiple vacancies, they can then move candidates into different positions.

Pros: When a company is looking to remain confidential until the job offer is made

A recruiter can carry out all of the advertising and the client will remain confidential, this can help if the business is a brand which is launching or relocating and there may have been redundancies due to the relocation.

Cons: Candidates can often be put off when they don’t know who the employer is, and this can mean losing a good applicant at the beginning of the process when there have been costs associated with advertising.

Pros: Recruiters have access to a wider pool of candidates and will have built a database of temporary workers over a period of years.

Recruitment consultants are talking to candidates every day whereas most HR depts are also dealing with other people’s issues, eg: sick, training, pensions, company growth or redundancies,  a recruitment consultant provides specialist industry knowledge focused entirely on attracting new talent.

Pros: A recruitment partner offers a company flexibility, this is particularly important when there is instability in the market or there is economic uncertainty. Being able to onboard skilled workers for contracts and projects can help with cash flow and allow the business to upsize when the contract is live.

Using a recruitment agency doesn’t suit all businesses but for many, the team is an extension of their in-house talent team and will have often worked for the company longer than the in house HR staff so bring longevity and additional recruitment experience.

If you are looking to grow a relationship with an external employment agency, we would be happy to have an initial discussion with you.