Why use a recruitment firm?

Also known as employment/staffing agencies and head-hunters, recruiting or search firms are in part HR, recruiting, marketing, and talent agent.  A search consultant becomes an ambassador for the client employer, marketing its unique features, culture, position requirements, and future opportunities.  In consultation with the client, search firms use an exhaustive and detailed process to find candidates with the right technical and non-technical fit factors.  Their tools include strategic advertising, a large private curated database of candidates, a large referral network, and cold-calling. Often they can respond with good-fit candidates quickly.

Speed to Hire: Firms can provide clients with immediate access to a vast database of pre-vetted candidates, shortening the hiring process. Instead of posting jobs, screening resumes, and interviewing candidates, firms often have a roster of qualified applicants ready for placement, often within days or even hours.

Specialized Skills and Candidates may be more difficult to find through traditional hiring methods. Firms often have highly specialized candidates ready for immediate placement.

Lower Recruiting Costs: By outsourcing the hiring process to a firm, employers save money on advertising job openings, conducting interviews, and performing background checks. Firms already do the heavy lifting of sourcing, screening and vetting candidates, saving employers time and money.  They also often build a nuanced understanding of candidates’ interests and strengths.  Search consultants also help streamline the hiring process by dealing with compensation early on, preparing people for interviews, counteroffers, competing opportunities, and negotiating offers.

Active Talent Pool: Search consultants continuously invest in relationships with – and grow their pool of – highly qualified candidates who they can reach quickly.

Quality, not Quantity: HR has traditionally focused on attracting a large volume of applicants that then has to be filtered and communicated to; alternatively, search consultants quickly present only a short list of ideal candidates.

Expand Talent Reach: The best candidates are often not applying to advertised job posts.  They’re too busy but still passively / selectively looking.  Recruiters are networkers so they reach and stay in touch with these candidates ‘off the radar’.

Market Intelligence: Specialist search consultants in your niche have their finger on the pulse; they have a deep understanding of the skills and experience required for the job, and they’re sometimes the first to know when a highly qualified candidate becomes available.  And not all jobs are publicly advertised.  Many employers only work with firms to fill roles discretely or to access a pool of talent that is pre-screened.

Reduced Risk in Hiring: Temporary staffing arrangements allow employers to “test” employees before committing to permanent hires. This reduces the risk of making a poor hiring decision and helps employers make informed decisions regarding long-term employment.

Temporary/Contract Personnel:  When hiring through a staffing firm, the agency assumes the responsibility of payroll processing, taxes, benefits, workers compensation and other administrative tasks.  This frees up internal resources, allowing employer HR departments to focus on more strategic tasks.

Candidate Relationships: Search consultants build for the long-term, offering personal guidance and support around work life and career.  They help job seekers identify suitable roles based on their experience, skills and preferences, often saving time and effort.  They are resume and job search experts.  They can offer market trends, know companies that are hiring, and companies’ strengths, weaknesses and compensation.

Why use a workforce management system?

The past decade has seen exponential growth in companies using an external firm to manage their contingent hourly pay workforce. The reasons for this growth are numerous, including reducing administrative costs and manpower, enforcing compliance and adhering to CRA regulations, managing a workforce on one platform, automated reporting and analytics, and helping with workforce retention.

Management Team