The past seven months have turned the world upside down, with virtually every industry in every country around the world impacted by Covid-19 in some way. For job seekers, this has been particularly challenging. What was a candidate-driven market has been transformed into the age of the employer, and with economies experiencing significant difficulties, we can unfortunately expect to see more candidates on the market in the coming months. The simple solution? Work with a recruitment agency.
For those organisations in the position to bring on new talent, the gloomy economic outlook and increase in redundancies will likely lead to an abundance of riches when it comes to candidates. There are more skilled and talented job seekers on the market now than we’ve seen in many years – but that doesn’t mean that identifying and securing these candidates is easy. In fact, the sheer volume of applications is proving to be overwhelming for many organisations, with one engineering firm receiving 15,000 applications for just 10 jobs. So, if your firm is fortunate enough to be hiring in the near future, how can you ensure you attract the best quality candidates without being inundated with hundreds – or thousands – of CVs?
Why working with a recruitment agency makes brilliant business sense
Many relationships between business and recruiter can last years or even decades, with agencies acting as an extension of the organisation. However, in tough economic times it’s natural that some businesses are questioning whether they can save money by bringing recruitment in-house. Here’s why that rarely works:
Time: If you’re looking to stop your time-to-hire from spiralling out of control, a recruitment agency is a great option. A good recruitment agency will evaluate all applications and CVs and only present you with a shortlist of qualified candidates to review. This can save your team days or even weeks, and means you’ll only need to look at a selection of CVs which have already been checked and approved. In today’s tough economic climate, time is money, and any time your team saves during recruitment can be better spent working towards business objectives.
Money: Recruitment agencies have access to systems, software and tools that many businesses do not. If your recruitment volumes are low, it can be tricky to justify an internal recruitment team, candidate tracking system and screening software – so why not save the money and invest in a recruitment partner? More money can be saved thanks to the improved quality of hire that recruitment partners can offer. If your internal hiring team is inexperienced in recruitment, time-poor or doesn’t have access to the right level of candidates, you may end up with a hire who is not the right fit for your business, which will cost you more in the long run. Partnering with an experienced recruitment agency can save this.
Energy: Your HR team and managers likely have more than enough on their plate at the moment, and adding hundreds of CVs for them to wade through probably won’t help. Rather than wasting your team’s talent on CV review and phone calls, outsource the bulk of the hiring to a recruitment partner to allow your team to focus on what they’re best at.
How to find the best recruitment partner for your business
When looking for a recruitment agency to partner with, consider looking for an agency that specialises in your field. While generalist recruiters have their place, many businesses are better suited to agencies which have specific sector experience and knowledge. Whether it’s sales, marketing, technology, engineering or something else entirely, look for a recruiter who has a deep understanding of your industry and the local market. They are likely to not only have a handle on hiring trends and market activity, but also have access to a pool of active and passive candidates within your field.
In addition to market knowledge, your recruitment partner should communicate openly, clearly and regularly, both to you and to candidates. They will represent your company during the initial recruitment stages so they should take the time to really understand your business requirements and what makes you tick.
Partner with BMS Performance to keep driving your businesses forward
If you’re inundated with CVs, a recruitment agency can help you in several different ways.
At BMS, we understand the times are tough for many organisations right now. That’s why we’re working harder than ever to support our clients and candidates and match the right talent with the right role. If you’re interested in partnering with a recruitment agency that really understands your business and industry, we’d love to chat. Contact us here or send us a vacancy so we can get started.
