Why Should Employers Use Staffing Companies?

Skilled recruiters add value to the onboarding process

Why should an employer use a staffing company when online job boards are cheap or free?

In a recent issue of Inc, Vanessa Merit Nornberg, CEO of custom jewelry maker Metal Mafia, described why recruiters are crucial to her business and online job boards weren’t good enough.

A Good Recruiter Saves You Time

As Nornberg described:

But hiring has always been a difficult task for me because each time I get ready to hire, it takes me forever to find the right type of candidates to even get the screening process started.

Recruiting is a labor-intensive process, even when you’ve leveraged online tools. It takes time to sort through resumes, screen candidates, and conduct interviews. Nornberg found that outsourcing this process saved money over the long run, by freeing her to focus on building her business:

The recruiter sent me the resumes of 10 entry-level candidates. I screened six by phone, met three in person, and found the right hire–all in a month. The cost suddenly became much less, because I saved so much time in the process, and because I got a pool of applicants who were decidedly better to choose from than in the past.

A Good Recruiter Adds Value

A good recruiter does more than just fill seats. A recruiter will have insights into the job market and you can benefit from that experience. They can advise you on the job requirements – for example, would you get better candidates if you asked for higher-level skills, or would that push you out of your salary range? Would it be better to hire a less-experienced candidate and train them?

When you post a job online, your first responses will be from people hungry for work right now, but those aren’t necessarily the best candidates. A staffing firm with a long history will be able to connect you with skilled candidates who are passively searching. A good candidate may be on a temporary assignment slated to end in a month or maybe willingly taking a break between contracts.

As your partnership with your staffing company grows, so do the benefits. As Adrian Kinnersley recently wrote for The Fordyce Letter:

There are many other more tangible reasons why service businesses won’t be replaced in the digital age. A good analogy is that the Internet won’t put barber shops out of business just because you can buy hair clippers on Amazon and get them delivered the next day. The margin for error and potential for public humiliation when cutting your own hair will prevent most sensible people from trying it themselves.

Your long-term staffing partner will be familiar with your business, your unique requirements, your company culture. That familiarity translates to candidates who are better fits for your positions and more engaged in their jobs.

Candidates are Using Recruiters

Online job search resources have exploded. Candidates are more Internet-savvy. This means that an employer using online job boards to directly source candidates can be deluged with an enormous volume of resumes – many of which may not even be relevant to the position. A job post that may have attracted 50 resumes in 2008 may attract 500 today… or more!

The best candidates know that competition for jobs is fierce, and they’re using recruiters to stand out. As Nornberg observed:

Even more interesting, perhaps, was an insight the right candidate shared with me during the interview process. When I asked why she had chosen to work with a recruiter rather than post on job boards, she said “because recruiters make sure your resume gets seen, while submitting via the Internet is like sending your resume into oblivion.” If most people these days are thinking like my new hire, the recruiters will clearly have the best selection of candidates every time. Looks like I’ve got an essential new hiring strategy.

How could Coast add value to your onboarding process? Let us know!