Why using a recruitment agency beats direct advertising

At Sitka, an important part of our role is using our experience and knowledge to help hiring managers and HR professionals understand how to attract the very best talent. While we believe direct adverts have their place in the recruitment process, the benefits of using skilled recruiters can be far greater than those gained from advertising alone.

Six months into establishing our own recruitment business, we wanted to share with you our views on how working with a good recruitment partner beats direct advertising.

A recruitment agency can give you market insight

An experienced, reputable recruiter will have an up to date understanding of industry and market trends. They will know what talent is out there, the salaries being offered, and whether your competitors are actively recruiting. A good recruiter will understand job seekers’ expectations and drivers and be aware of the quality of candidates in your specialist field. Most importantly, they’ll be able to offer advice on the challenges you’re likely to face in recruiting talent. All this expertise can be invaluable when writing a job description that appeals to the particular candidates you need to attract.

A recruiter can reach candidates that a direct advert can’t

Some candidates can be hard to reach; an advert will only attract candidates who are actively looking at the market and not the more selective, less active job seekers. Whereas a direct advert may be dismissed or completely missed, a good recruiter will approach the market proactively and make direct, subtle approaches to potential candidates on your behalf. They will already be aware of prospective candidates and be able to call on their networks for additional recommendations.

Through direct conversation with recruiters, prospective candidates are better equipped to make an informed decision about an opportunity rather than discount it due to a misperception.  More often than not, it’s through such direct approaches that your strongest candidates will be found.

An agency can save you time whilst increasing the quality of candidates

Your time is precious, as is that of your team and organisation. A direct advertising campaign requires a great deal of investment in time from HR departments, internal recruitment teams and managers to filter and assess candidates. You may be inundated with applications only to find that very few meet your required standard. Conversely, a recruitment partner can supply you with 3-5 strong candidates who match the essential criteria and specification for the role; when their shortlist reaches you, you should be in a position where you’re spoilt for choice.

The fees you pay should allow for peace of mind that your recruitment partner is committed to getting you the best possible person for the role. What’s more, you’ll get regular process updates. With adverts, you won’t know the calibre of applicants until after the closing date; having to re-advertise can result in unexpected costs and frustrating delays to the recruitment process.

Agencies are more likely to find candidates with the right cultural fit

Investing time in finding a recruitment partner you can trust to attract the very best talent is a wise move. When searching for candidates on your behalf, an informed agency can provide them with valuable insight into your organisational culture. By sharing information about your culture, work ethics and management style, they can filter out unsuitable candidates and concentrate on those that will be compatible with your organisation.

As we mentioned in our previous blog, cultural compatibility is absolutely critical to successful recruitment, and this is another area where an advert falls short of the mark. By meeting the hiring manager in person and having meaningful conversations with prospective candidates, a recruiter is much better equipped to source a candidate who is the right cultural fit.

Recruiters prepare candidates to interview at their full potential

With a good agency on your side, you can rest assured that interested candidates will gain an accurate and positive understanding of what you’re looking for from the outset.

Your recruitment partner will not only provide additional information to that which can be gleaned from an advert, they will support candidates through the process and ensure they are well prepped for interview. This can avoid the cost and hassle of having to conduct additional interview rounds. Ensuring candidates are coached to perform to the best of their ability is integral to our role as trusted recruiters.

An agency can help you avoid unnecessary cost 

One of the most compelling reasons to use a recruitment agency is to avoid the cost of replacing someone after an unsuccessful placement. Most reputable recruiters will offer a 12 week guarantee period, giving you the option of a free replacement or a tiered rebate. They will also offer to take references to reduce your risk if that’s something you’d like them to manage.

Direct adverts definitely have their place and can be fantastic in supporting a campaign, but it can be risky to depend solely on adverts if you want to attract and retain the best talent. A recruitment agency can save you valuable time and money and make the recruitment process a seamless and straightforward experience.

At Sitka we are 100% committed to building the personal relationships necessary to ensure excellence and integrity throughout your recruitment process. To find out more about the service we can provide to you, please get in touch.

To find out how we can work with you, please drop us a line