Why you should use a recruitment agency

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

With only 16 per cent of all recruitment agencies existing before 2008, the last 14 years has seen incredible growth in this industry. The demand for recruitment services is continuously rising, but why? To put it simply, the benefit of using a recruitment agency is that it helps to identify and entice the right kind of talent while saving a huge amount of time and money – and this process usually results in better quality hires that meet businesses’ needs.

Recruitment consultants work with candidates on a daily basis, meaning they can use their experience and expertise to source the perfect person for the job, making the hiring process feel quick and seamless for clients.

Here we have outlined how working with a recruitment agency can be valuable to a business.

1. Speed up the hiring process

In today’s busy market, organisations need to work fast to secure the best talent and to fill gaps in the team, so workflow isn’t disturbed. In 2021, improving time-to-hire and growing the talent pipeline were two of the top five priorities across the recruitment industry.

However, it is often difficult for business leaders to prioritise hiring new talent when faced with other pressing concerns. Rather than wasting precious working hours scouring CVs, employers can supply a list of requirements and allow a recruitment consultant who is experienced in finding the right talent from an existing network of professionals. With specialist tools at their disposal, recruitment agencies can quickly screen CVs to find high-quality candidates in less time.

2. Access to highly skilled talent

Recruitment experts have spent years building great relationships with the talent in their network. They understand the capabilities, availability, rate and personality of the candidates they work with, so they’re able to make recommendations and placements intuitively.

By using an agency to support with the hiring process, employers can take advantage of this existing pool of talent. Rather than starting from scratch for each new role they need to fill, hiring managers can simply approach their specialist recruitment consultant for a short-list of the candidates that matches their brief and budget.

Related: The cost of a bad hire

3. Up-to-date industry knowledge

Recruitment agencies are immersed in the industries they consult for, so they understand current industry trends and in-demand skills or positions. With industry specialists and departments dedicated to each type of organisation, they are in a stronger position to be able to source just the right talent for a role.

Technical skills aside, extensive hiring experience also gives agencies an advantage in finding a candidate who is the right fit for company culture. By matching companies and candidates based on values and expectations, the onboarding process is seamless, and the working relationship between employer and staff member is more productive, more quickly.

4. Role and brand advertisement

There are now multiple platforms and social media channels (such as Indeed, Reed, Facebook, Instagram etc.) that can now be used to advertise brands as well as new and exciting job roles. However, when an employer advertises new vacancies, they sometimes find that the applications they receive are not right for the role or their company. There are a few reasons why this may happen, often it comes down to visibility, meaning the right candidates will not see the job post.

A recruitment agency will make sure the role is advertised on the right platforms to reach appropriate candidates, and consultants will also spend their time seeking out outstanding talent, who would be great for the role. Consultants will also be able to use their networks immediately and can quickly approach the right candidates through direct communication.

5. A smoother interview process

Another great benefit to using a recruitment agency is that the interview process is faster, smoother and more efficient than if a business was to advertise a job without any extra help. First and foremost, hiring managers will not need to sift through applicants. They will be able to talk to eligible candidates who have been vetted by experienced recruiters who are in touch with the businesses’ needs.

In 2021, 45 per cent of employers felt that they couldn’t find the talent that they needed. A recruitment agency can act as a filter and will help source the right selection of talent specific to the available role.

Every candidate is assessed before being passed on to potential employees, so it’s not only a faster interview process, but it’s also far more thorough and refined. A recruitment agency will even advise the hiring team on what questions to ask and what to look out for, so the process is easier, more efficient and saves a lot of time.

Related: How to analyse interview questions

6. Long-lasting relationships

Recruitment agencies are client focused, and they are experts at dealing with people. This means that over time, long-lasting relationships are formed between clients, candidates, and consultants.

This can work in the businesses favour in more ways than one. If a manager has used a recruitment agency before and enjoyed working with them, it usually means that they will know exactly who to go to if they have another job opening in the future, and they will already know and understand the business.

Consultants develop strong relationships with their candidates, which is also beneficial, as they will usually stay in contact with them and place them in a variety of roles through their career. This kind of knowledge and these types of relationships can only be found in a recruitment agency, and a specialist agency will be able to take this to the next level.

Feel free to browse our employers page for more on the benefits of working with a recruitment agency.