Most of us would agree that direct hire agencies are great at helping us find talent faster than traditional recruiting methods, but that shouldn’t be the only reason for using them. Direct hire agencies can also find the best talent on the market – for any position. Here’s why:
1. They source from different talent pools.
Agency recruiters spend 39% of their time searching for candidates, and another 16% of their time maintaining candidate relationships, so they have a talent pool of both active and passive candidates ready to go at a moment’s notice. Top passive candidates, in particular, can be difficult to find without an agency recruiter because they want to keep their search confidential and are often looking for something very specific – so they may not be receptive to inquiries from in-house recruiters.
In addition to their existing networks, agency recruiters specialize in sourcing and are knowledgeable about where to find the best candidates for your jobs, and may even have additional tools to help them source. They know everyone else is looking on job boards and LinkedIn, and will get a little more creative when it comes to finding your next great hire.
2. They can uncover your candidates’ true motivations.
Candidates have been trained about what to say, and what not to say, during an interview to increase their chances of getting an offer.
For instance, they’re told not to give an exact number for desired salary and to say something like, “The salary doesn’t matter as much as the right opportunity,” if pressed. However, 21% of people leave their employer because of compensation (the #1 reason). So, one out of five people are actually looking for a higher salary when they begin their job search – but probably aren’t telling you that.
This is where a direct hire agency can really make a difference. As the liaison between you and the candidate, they can ask the candidate exactly what they’re looking for and get more honest answers than what the candidate would tell you. Are they looking for a higher salary? To work fewer hours? To have a better boss?
These things are all good to know when evaluating a candidates long-term potential with your company, but they’re all also things that you probably wouldn’t find out about on your own. If you want to hire the best candidates, you have to understand what is motivating them to look for a new job – so you can show them how you meet their requirements.
3. They can help you close 100% of your offers.
Along the same lines of helping you understand your candidates’ motivations, agency recruiters can also pre-close your candidates to increase your chances of getting an offer accepted. While you can do this yourself, remember that your candidate has been trained to do, and say, whatever it takes to get an offer.
Until the offer is in hand, they may not be entirely honest about other open offers, the salary and benefits they expect, and/or their hesitations with your company. They will, however, be a little more honest with an agency recruiter who can give them additional insights and help them negotiate the offer they’d like to receive.
Direct hire agencies will often pre-close candidates before a written offer is given to ensure that it hits all of the candidate’s requirements. So, rather than waiting to negotiate until after they have an offer, your top choice candidates will receive an offer they can’t refuse.
What are your top reasons for using direct hire agencies? Do you think their candidates are higher quality than what you could find elsewhere?
