How To Choose the Right Recruitment Firm for your Business

Choosing the right recruitment firm takes careful consideration.

If you're reading this, you already know your business needs support filling a job vacancy. Chances are your HR team already has a heavy task load, and the prospect of finding, engaging, qualifying, interviewing, hiring, and training a candidate seems like a tall order right now. However, continuing in this situation indefinitely while missing a team member hurts productivity, morale, and the bottom line.

Not to worry. This is where a good Recruitment Firm comes in. Recruiting firms exist to support your HR department and do the leg work in successfully facilitating talent acquisition from start to finish.

That said, not every Recruitment Firm is built the same. Some are focused on specific work niches, some on temporary contracts, and others on direct placements (if these terms sound unfamiliar, read about different service types here). Some recruitment firms have a history of success with a proven track record and happy returning clients. Others, well… don't.

As the hiring company, it's in your best interest to do your homework when choosing the right recruitment firm for your business. In this article, we're providing a "checklist" to help you select a recruitment agency that meets your company's hiring goals and avoids any significant mistakes.

Here are 4 Steps to choose the right recruitment firm for your staffing requirements.

1.      Familiarize Yourself With The Types Of Recruitment Agencies

Whenever you're getting into the market to purchase a product or service, you need to have, at the very least, a preliminary understanding of the terminology and the service or product types. Fortunately, with all the world's information easily accessible, researching that information is a straightforward task. Here are the basics to get you started.

Recruitment firms will offer different hiring options based on your requirements. A contingent recruitment firm will be the top pick for a permanent or direct hire. If your needs are more along the lines of temporary or contract workers, a contract recruitment office (or staffing agency) will suffice. However, if the role is unique or specialized, find a recruitment office with experience hiring in that niche.

For an organization searching for a senior role (such as an executive or C-level position), a firm with executive search capabilities will be critical. C-level searches require more time, resources, and a negotiation skillset, meaning the firm will need the capacity and staying power to sustain a long-term, high-investment search.

(Soft plug alert: Specialized Recruiting Group proudly offers all these recruitment services. Click here to learn more.)

2.      Determine Your Budget

Budgeting is all about balance. Keeping costs low and benefits high requires a give-and-take. Don't expect to be able to cut every corner and have the luxury price experience. After all, you can't have your cake and eat it too. As with every industry, the experienced option is never the cheapest.

Prioritize working with a recruitment firm you can afford that also has a history of success. Take advantage of third-party market data to inform your expectations of an acceptable wage for the position you are hiring. A transparent recruitment firm should offer third-party market data as a complimentary service. They will be able to advise you on what kind of salary will attract the candidate your company needs, and you can negotiate an acceptable rate from there.

Remember the bigger picture during pricing. While the quote may seem expensive initially, don't forget the long-term benefit your company will receive in time and money savings. Each employee is an investment; ensuring you hire the right employee first try is good for morale and productivity.

3.      Interview A Potential Recruitment Firm Like You Would A Job Applicant

If you only take away one piece of advice from this article, make it this. Treat a potential recruiting firm as a potential new hire. How would you prepare for an interview with a potential employee? Well, you would want to understand the role, responsibilities, and qualifications required to succeed. Then you would develop a question set that would pull out the relevant information to tell you if they are a job match.

Take the same approach here. Understand your business needs, the position's goals, and what you are looking for in a successful candidate. What qualities and experiences are necessary?

This foundation will be critical in determining the right recruitment firm to work with. Ensure the recruitment firm has experience working with the specialization you are looking to hire.

Here is a list of questions that will help you get the right answers.

1)      Ask them about their experience, the size of their network, and what recruiting strategies they use.

2)      What kind of candidate pool do they work with?

3)      How do they source candidates?

4)      How do they determine if a candidate will be a great match?

5)      How long will the recruitment process take?

6)      How long has their company been in operation?

7)      What are some other clients they are supporting?

8)      What does the hiring process look like?

The right recruitment agency will not only have answers to these questions but will be delighted you've taken the interest to ask.

4.      Check Recommendations and Reviews

As the saying goes, "the proof is in the pudding." Luckily for you, others have already tried the pudding, so lean on the experiences and testimonials from previous clients. Gather as much intel as possible on what it will be like to work with this recruitment firm. Google reviews, client testimonials, or even give a quick phone call to a previous client to either confirm or call into question whether this recruitment firm is the right one for you.

Now, you have a solid foundation of information to choose the recruiting partner that will facilitate your next big hire. There are many choices, but these tips will point you in the right direction to find overall success and profitability for your company.

Still not sure which recruitment company to choose? Click here to read a recent client case study or here to connect with our team and learn more about our process.