Both companies and job applicants can benefit from third-party recruiters. Those in search of jobs can take advantage of the network of jobs the recruiters are trying to fill in. Companies, on the other hand, forego the first level of filtering applicants and find a shortlist of potential quality hires.
Small businesses and companies that already have their own hiring team may be hesitant about hiring a third-party recruiter. So, here’s everything you can expect when working with a recruiter and whether or not your company should look into hiring a recruiter to streamline your hiring process and find better quality candidates for a vacant position in your workplace.
What Is a Recruiter?
There are two types of third-party recruiters: corporate recruiters and contingency or third-party recruiters. Corporate recruiters work for their hiring company and have an exclusive contract between them and the company. These are often used for executive-level positions where companies will want quality candidates and want the recruiters to really filter out the list of applicants down to the truly qualified individuals.
Third-party recruiters, on the other hand, do not have an exclusive relationship with the company. This means that the company can look to other recruiters to fill in certain positions. Unlike corporate recruiters that have exclusivity and are paid a fee upfront and the rest of the balance when a candidate is hired, third-party recruiters are only paid if the company ends up hiring a candidate they brought forward.
How to Work with a Recruiter
A recruiter cannot simply send multiple resumes of unqualified individuals, otherwise they would be unemployed or their credibility would be lost. Third-party recruiters also only get paid for a successful hire, so it’s likely that they are focusing their resources on finding genuinely qualified candidates that are more likely to be accepted into a company.
A good recruiter starts by finding potential candidates who fit the bill of what the company is looking for. They would then ask the potential candidate if they would be interested in applying for a certain position and basic interview questions to assess if they are a match.
If this is successful, the recruiter will then forward the candidate’s application to the company. From there, the company’s Human Resources or hiring team will handle the hiring process, which can include additional interviews, examinations, and hiring employee background check services to ensure the candidate is not a liability and can fit in with the existing company culture.
Companies that hire recruiters want their recruitment needs met, but the rate at which candidates are applying may not be satisfactory or may not be getting the quality candidates they’re looking for. Recruiters are an additional expense of hiring, but companies still opt to hire recruiters because it means more recruits that fit the bill.
Your return on investment on recruiters will depend on the type of recruiter you hire. Corporate or retained recruiters require payment upfront and a balance paid after a successful hire, though they are the much better option for hiring higher-level positions. Third-party recruiters, on the other hand, are only paid after a successful hire. Assuming that the candidate does not turn out to be a bad hire, there will be a return on investment for the expenses of hiring a recruiter through the way the new employee helps improve the company’s operations.
For more information and inquiries about employee background check, don’t hesitate to contact Aptitude today.
Tips for Working with a Recruiter
- Give Feedback for Unsuccessful Candidates – It wastes everyone’s time if your recruiter constantly sends the same type of candidate when you’re looking for a different type of candidate. By giving feedback for every unsuccessful candidate, you are allowing your recruiter to fine-tune their search and focus their efforts on finding someone who is less likely to have similar applications to those that were previously rejected.
- Respect Your Recruiter’s Timeline – Some companies that take their time in their hiring process may find their recruiters rushing them for an answer. This process is a two-way street, so while recruiters do their job of finding quality candidates, companies need to be mindful of their recruiters’ times. Third-party recruiters have to field other offers and interviews from other companies as well as ensure that a candidate is still available before they find another job opportunity elsewhere.
- Be Specific – Nothing frustrates a recruiter more than an employer that gives vague job descriptions, qualifications, requirements, and more. Recruiters need concrete requirements because it is how they filter out the candidates they bring forward. By failing to provide this, you may be wasting your recruiter and your own time and resources because you were not specific about the type of candidate your company is looking for.
Do I Need a Recruiter?
Hiring a recruiter can greatly help in finding quality candidates, filtering out unqualified candidates, and getting more applications. So, even if hiring a recruiter costs additional resources for your company, some may find it a good return on investment to hire one.
Recruiters are especially useful when hiring for positions that have to be filled urgently. Streamlining the hiring process by finding recruits can speed up the hiring process without sacrificing quality or resulting in rushing which leads to bad hires.
Recruiters are also useful for filling-in executive or higher-level positions that need skilled or highly-experienced candidates. It can be difficult or rare to have people of these levels on the job market, and even rarer to have them apply for your company. Recruiters can locate these individuals and bring them forward as a qualified lead.
Recruiters are not a requirement for your hiring process, but they can be advantageous. When you want to streamline your process or find a rare candidate with a certain skill level, passively waiting for job applicants can take its toll on your company’s operations. Working with a recruiter can help you find the right candidate faster and exhaust less resources in the long-run.
I’m In! What Do I Do Next?
Reach out to Aptitude for a free trial of our online recruitment tests today and take advantage of our introductory promo. You’ll get a full overview of our recruitment tests as well as a sample report.