Why use a recruiter in a candidate-led market

New year, new career? According to our latest poll, 74% of respondents are planning on changing roles in 2024, with a further 9% looking to make an internal move. Even though the market is becoming busier with active candidates, this doesn’t always make the hiring process easier. Here, Kerry White shares some of the reasons why partnering with a specialist recruiter will not only help you attract but also retain, the best talent for your business.

Serious or not

There might be a lot of candidates on the market but how serious are they in their search for a new role? Could they be doing it to get a counteroffer or to get leverage for a pay rise? As a recruiter, part of our service is to make sure candidates are interviewed, vetted, and pre-screened before they reach you. When we put a candidate forward to your organisation, we’ve discussed at length their reasons for looking for work, their motivations, and possible reluctances, to make sure they’re committed and are looking for a new role for the right reasons. This, in particular, will reduce the potential of counter offers or withdrawals at the last minute.

Recruiters are here as confidants to both clients and candidates; sometimes it takes talking to a specialist recruiter, such as Macmillan Davies, for candidates to be clear on what is important to them. We provide advice and guidance on the current market, their options and make sure they’ve looked at all eventualities. It’s not uncommon to receive a call from a candidate to say they are looking, but in reality, they’re not. Often, they just needed to have a vent, take stock and realise there are progression opportunities in their own business. If they’re applying directly to you, these conversations can take up a huge chunk of your time unnecessarily.

Job missed or job dismissed

You’re hiring, you’ve finally got the budget and agreement for that new hire, and you’re off. You write your job description, advertise the role, and are ready for the responses to come flooding in… but where do you advertise? Will your brand and job advert attract the right people? A direct advert may be dismissed pre-emptively or missed completely if it isn’t being advertised in the right places The words in the advert have the potential to only scratch the surface, a recruiter going out to market can really bring the role, organisation and culture to life. But, adverts do have their place and under a recruitment firm’s own banner, they’re usually included as part of the fee. These specialist agencies will use sector-specific and industry-leading job sites which your own organisation may not have access to or may have to pay over the odds for one advert.

In the market or on the market

So, is ‘just’ an advert the best approach to finding the best candidate for your business? No. A good recruiter will help find the best talent in the market, not just on the market. Established recruiters will approach the market proactively and make direct, subtle approaches to potential candidates on your behalf, as well as already being aware of prospective candidates and being able to call on their networks for additional recommendations. The reach of a recruiter’s network is another reason that candidates are more likely to register with agencies because they are in touch with various organisations.

Cost or investment

Yes, there is a cost for using a recruiter, but think about how much you are willing to invest to find the right talent for your business. A good hire will assist in the long-term success of your business and ultimately save you time and money long term. And don’t forget the old adage – buy cheap, buy twice – the same is true when it comes to recruiters. Lower agreed fees can mean Recruiters may just throw the first few CVs at you because they’re getting a higher fee elsewhere. Look to partner with a recruitment business with a consultative approach, with consultants who understand the market and spend their time researching, sourcing, and attracting the best talent.

You want a recruiter to be committed to you. Think about when you buy a car or a new household appliance, it’s an investment. You don’t just buy the cheapest one. Make sure you research, you look at reviews, you see what features they have, and if there’s a cultural alignment. The long-term investment far outweighs the short-term cost.

Time is ticking

You need to factor in not only the time it takes to recruit, but also the time it takes you away from your day job, particularly with the more niche, senior, or confidential roles. With the average time to hire at 6.2 weeks in Q4 of 2024 (Total Jobs) – that doesn’t include the successful candidate’s notice period – you can look to hire an interim. Recruiters will have a bank of interims at their fingertips to plug these gaps.

Even with a fantastic internal recruitment team (and I know how good they are, I’ve helped hire a lot of them!), sometimes, their time is also best spent elsewhere, which is where recruiters come in. Time is money at the end of the day!

Using Macmillan Davies

As the UK’s longest established HR recruitment consultancy, our consultants understand all the idiosyncrasies of the HR function. We understand the importance of a good hire and use our extensive market knowledge to provide a committed, partnered service with our clients on retained, contingent and interim assignments at all levels, across the UK and Europe. We are proud to work as a strategic partner with our clients, built through forming long-standing relationships that allow us to provide flexibility in our approach. We are committed to ensuring a high-quality service to deliver the very best result for every search.

Get in touch

Should you wish to have a confidential chat with Kerry White to discuss the HR requirements in your business market or your search for work/recruiting into your team, please contact her directly at kwhite@mdhr.co.uk

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