Before hiring a new employee, someone is needed to write job descriptions, source candidates, arrange interviews and prepare employment offers. To facilitate this process, the organization can hire an in-house recruiter to manage all the hiring responsibilities or it can outsource the efforts to a recruiting agency.
In-House Recruiters:
- Objective is to find talented candidates who are the right fit for the job, team and company
- Focused on the company’s long term plans
- Strive to fill multiple positions while keeping employee turnover to a minimum
- Tend to be more forthcoming with both hiring managers and candidates by trying to match people with the right backgrounds with the company’s needs
- More meticulous; will want to meet with hiring manager to fully understand criteria of a good candidate
- Collect candidates from multiple sources and screen before an interview
- Focus on hiring for a variety of roles across different departments
- Possess a deep knowledge of company values
- Will have to pay a salary or hourly rate and provide benefits
Agency Recruiters:
- Main goal is to generate revenue for the agency
- Focus on selling their services to both hiring companies and candidates
- Will likely welcome your company as a client without reservation and promise they’ll present you with an array of talented professionals
- Bring confidence to conversations with candidates by saying your role is an excellent opportunity that will elevate the person’s career.
- Move at a fast pace so they can fill the roll, get paid and move on to the next position
- May already have a database of candidates
- Specialize in hiring for particular jobs
- Understand exactly what skills are required and how to identify the best candidates
- Can be especially beneficial when hiring for technical roles and difficult to fill positions
- Almost always less costly
- Will only be charged when hiring takes place
Takeaways – When to Hire an In-House Recruiter
- Your company has a clear culture and wants to hire employees who fit in with the wider staff.
- Your company has long-term hiring plans and needs an internal recruiter to lead the effort.
- Your company wants a recruiter who will work closely with hiring managers to identify the right candidates.
- Your company has a definite need and budget for an in-house recruiter.
Takeaways – When to Hire an Agency Recruiter
- You need to fill a position quickly and don’t have time to source, screen and interview multiple candidates.
- Your company is hiring for a technical or difficult-to-fill position and needs a recruiter with a deep understanding of the role.
- Your company hasn’t yet defined its culture and is only concerned with skills and experience when hiring.
- You can’t afford or don’t need a full-time in-house recruiter.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be an either-or choice. Some of the most successful companies combine both recruiting models. Their in-house recruiting teams occasionally collaborate with a dedicated recruitment agency. That way, they are able to make the most out of both worlds.
If you are interested in a combination of the two, check out Staffer.cc. Staffer provides the experience and power of an agency recruiting company at HALF the cost of hiring an in-house recruiter - the best of both worlds!