Many businesses make the mistake of thinking that having an HR person in place negates the necessity of utilizing an outside recruiter. That’s not always the case. If a business is experiencing difficulty in attracting qualified candidates or has a high-level niche role that needs to be filled, then taking advantage of an outside resource can help expand the scope and result in a broader, faster and superior hire.

An organization’s HR department is responsible for a multitude of tasks, and recruitment tends to be done on an “as-needed” basis. If you want to hear genuine fear in someone’s voice, talk to an HR manager who just got 40 new positions assigned that need to be filled ASAP — and this is on top of the HR manager’s daily duties.

Recruiters, however, specialize solely in recruitment and can channel time and effort into filling some of the more difficult positions that demand so much time.

Think of a recruiter as your partner. The recruiter can help you focus on what you want, inform you of current market trends and help keep candidates engaged, all while marketing your organization as an employer of choice. This method allows your HR department to focus on internal strategies and tasks, which can save you valuable time and money.

Recruiters help you focus on the hiring target

You can’t hire the right applicant if you don’t know what you want. There’s an old quote, “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” This adage often applies to companies’ expectations of applicants. Technical skills are relatively easy to define, but when hiring managers start to describe value or culture-based criteria, they tend to be a little too abstract, which diminishes their ability to attract suitable candidates.

However, working with a recruiter can help hiring managers and HR professionals narrow down intentions and develop a clear description to attract the right applicants.

Recruiters are experts in their fields

Because recruiters focus on hiring and connect with a broader base of companies, they understand the market and are experts in their specialized sectors. These professionals know industry trends, who is hiring, who is laying off and who has new leadership that sometimes drives away top talent. Are you looking for a niche candidate? Make sure you have a relationship with a recruiter who works in your specialized space.

Recruiters have an aptitude for keeping their eyes on high performers in the industry. They continuously seek candidates who fit in, whether in skillset, culture or salary range. This approach shortens the hiring time by providing a constant flow of candidates who match the business’ brand.

Reduce the loss of desirable candidates

A recruiter will drive the selection process by focusing the client on critical hiring decisions. The recruiter can also establish a trusting relationship with the candidate and help sell, mediate, negotiate and resolve issues or questions, as well as guide the process to acceptance. Because the candidate will likely be more open with the recruiter, this benefits the hiring manager, who will get better information. This can allow the manager to address objections before it’s too late.

It’s hard to justify any expense if it doesn’t benefit your bottom line. Thankfully, partnering with a recruiter is a cost-efficient solution to staffing needs. The result is the hiring process becoming less expensive and more efficient, as well as ensuring the hiring company won’t have to pay for excessive training or replacement costs. When it comes to filling vacancies, recruiters represent the best value for your hiring dollar.

A recruiter’s intention is to be a complementary addition to the HR department. Whether it be scaling up the workforce during times of growth, outmaneuvering the competition with more manpower, or accessing strategic relationships to locate top talent or reduce hiring time, the client/recruiter relationship can be extremely prosperous and harmonious as each complements the other’s strengths.