Why you should outsource recruitment: leveraging agencies to boost your hiring process

​In a busy corporate environment, there is very often barely a moment to consider recruitment and retention issues, particularly when the best talent is very difficult to find and other businesses are ruthlessly picking off the cream of the talent.

Yet, recruitment and retention are the lifeblood of businesses large and small. An integrated, fully-functioning team will help a business grow and prosper; a team that is directionless and unbalanced might just do the exact opposite.

“But we have an HR person/team,” you say, “surely that’s enough?” It can be, of course, if your recruitment process is limited to in-house talent or new blood from the local area. But what if you want to attract more specialist candidates or potential recruits from across the country? Is your talent acquisition team up to the task of finding such people, or do you need a little more expert help?

​Why do people outsource recruitment?

​If you do need an extra boost, consider working with a recruitment agency. Agencies such as PPR, with our decades of experience, help to connect job seekers with companies looking for workers, focusing on matching candidates to current vacancies depending on their skills and experience. As a leading RPO provider, we can make a big difference to your talent acquisition function.

​Recruitment agencies can save companies money in the long run, as well as reduce time-consuming tasks such as looking at piles of CVs, answering emails and arranging interviews that inevitably come with talent acquisition. The recruitment agency, particularly those in specialist sectors, will have a stock of candidates on its books that match the company’s requirements, helping to cut back on the amount of paperwork needed to find the right person for the job.

​What are the benefits of outsourcing recruitment?

​Choosing to work with a recruitment agency also broadens the depth of candidates who might be a good fit for the role. Recruiters don’t just limit themselves to the applicant coming in off the street, CV in hand. They scour a variety of sources for top talent, understanding that today’s working world is full of people from diverse backgrounds that you may not have previously considered.

​Additionally, you may decide that you need workers from abroad. Following Brexit, this is a much more complicated process than it was, so specialist help will be a real advantage here, particularly around placing adverts internationally and dealing with visa procedures. Also, recruitment agencies can assist with salary expectations, relocation services, and may also know what your competitors are offering, thereby helping you to put together a realistic salary and benefits package.

​How do you choose a good recruitment agency?

​Finding a good recruitment agency to work with can be challenging, particularly when there are so many out there. An informal chat with other businesses operating within your sector might help to identify the most suitable agency for your requirements. Any agency worth its salt will have testimonials from both clients and candidates and will be able to offer a range of bespoke terms and conditions before any contract is signed.

​It is vital that your recruiter knows exactly what your core business is about, your recruitment needs, and where they are likely to find the right candidates. An agency like ours, which focuses on firms looking for construction workers, along with many other large installation or network projects, knows exactly how to target its audience and meet its client’s needs in terms of skill set, delivery and smoothness of operation.

​How does outsourcing recruitment work?

​Once the range of potential candidates has been narrowed into a shortlist, the employer can then make the final sift before offering interviews. The recruiter acts as an intermediary between the candidate and employer during this process, helping the candidate prepare for the interview and sharing feedback once the process is over.

​There is a cost, of course- there always is! A referral fee is usual if the successful candidate has been recruited via the agency, and this is often in the form of a percentage of the candidate’s salary (paid by the employer). Of course, it may be cheaper simply to place an ad online, but when you consider the time and costs involved in going down that route – plus a higher chance of actually recruiting an unsuitable candidate and having to go through the whole sourcing process again – recruitment agency fees are, on balance, very cost-effective.

​Is recruitment outsourcing for you?

​We’ve mentioned time costs, and it’s worth reiterating that finding the right staff for a particular role can be time-consuming, especially if you’re doing it yourself. Surveys have shown that it can take around 40 days on average to find the right new employee – which isn’t great for you or the candidates, who will no doubt be wondering what’s happening with their application. Using an agency will speed up that process considerably, enhancing the experience all around.

​Finally, a side benefit of outsourcing recruitment is the data that can be gleaned from the process. A trusted recruiting firm will keep tabs on responses to adverts, seeing where they ‘hit’ and where they don’t. Information like this offers valuable insight into the process, giving them a competitive edge and enabling greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in future recruitment drives.

​Try PPR to find the ideal candidate for your next role.

​From our head offices near Uxbridge, West London, we provide a personalised service with a focus on customer care. As a leading RPO provider in the UK, we offer workforce solutions.

Give us a call at 01895 808188 or contact us online to find out how we can help you today.