Are you hiring only from within? You may want to consider an alternative strategy as your HR department wears more hats than ever before. One of the more time-consuming—but vital responsibilities is that of hiring. A partnership with an external recruiting company can not only help you find the best person for an open position, but it can offload the typically time-consuming search so your HR department can focus its energy in other areas.
Special Forces
One of the best reasons to utilize an external recruitment service is the
company’s specialization. With industry contacts, years of experience in
building relationships with talent and business, and a finger on the pulse of
quickly evolving trends, a recruiter can execute a rapid, targeted search for
applicants who can provide exactly the skills your company needs. This not only
saves your HR employees time and headaches, but also ensures that your company
engages with the best applicants possible.
It’s true that few employees understand your corporate culture as well as your HR department, but even the best employees may not have all of the necessary contacts to locate and hire technology workers. (Plus, your best employees tend to be the busiest—one other reason why providing support for an applicant search is a smart move.)
Shorter Swim, Larger Pool
Hiring from within can take a significant amount of time, and that’s time that
your HR employees could be using to address more pressing issues within the
company. Internal hires typically
require training to get up to speed for a position, and even then they may not
have all of the right skills actually needed for the new position (just think
of how many team members get moved into managerial positions and then burn
out).
External recruiters, however, already have connections to many industry organizations, companies, and a much larger applicant pool with just the right skills. This cuts down on the time needed to locate the best person for the job—and the larger applicant pool can also help you avoid a potential problem with diversity in your workplace.
Avoiding Problems at Home
Hiring internally offers employees the chance to move up at the organization;
it encourages loyalty to the company and shows that the company is willing to
reward excellence with advancement. However, hiring internally offers
significant problems, too. For example, hiring from within may result in a
fracturing of team cohesion as one individual is placed elsewhere in the
company. Bias is another issue that can
create havoc in a normally well-functioning workplace, since it can cause
creativity to stagnate. If your company
is forcing an internal search, it may be time to evaluate the recruitment
process.
External recruiters can help your internal HR department locate top quality talent, freeing them up to focus their energies on their other responsibilities. Since external recruiters have a strong background in their industry, they can quickly locate the types of applicants you need while helping to cut costs and avoid potential workplace issues.
If you have any questions concerning either internal or external hiring practices, or would like some assistance in locating qualified candidates for an open position, please feel free to contact us today.