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We’re not saying that outsourcing doesn’t have its benefits, they certainly do but one must ask, is it worth it? Ok, fair enough, if you’re in an industry with limited talent or require a very specific person then utilizing resources not accessible from within the business might be the way to go. But have you considered every option before making the decision to outsource your recruiting? We live in a world of unethical behaviour and selfishness, it’s difficult to trust anyone these days, let alone someone with the responsibility of hiring the most important asset to your business. Here are five things to consider before you make a decision in outsourcing.

1. Recruiters are salespeople. (Cost)

These days the pricing structure for recruitment agencies are changing to keep their services appealing to some businesses. For most recruitment agencies, you’re paying a whopping 15-25% commission of the overall salary (That’s $15k on a $100k salary, minimum!) for the successful candidate. Other businesses offer a set fee or hourly rate depending on the position you’re hiring for. But recruiters are just salespeople. They want to make the sale. As much as they say they care about you, your business values or even the candidate’s values, they will do what it takes to get the placement. The good, the bad and the ugly. Which brings us to our next point.

2. Reputation & Representation – your impacted too.

Always keep in mind when thinking of outsourcing is that the agency you choose represents your business. If the candidate has a terrible experience with the agency, then guess what, it’s a poor reflection on you and your business. And word travels! We speak with candidates daily and the number one piece of feedback we receive when talking about recruitment agencies is “that’s not what they said” – deceit. When the number one objective for a recruiter is to make the placement, many will do what it takes. In some cases, they may bend the truth a tad. Not a good look on either part, especially if a candidate has joined the business under false pretences. Did you know if your hiring through a recruiter for a temp/contract role, you as a business may not even know the salary, they are paying your staff member? You don’t pay them, the agency does.

3. Candidate Experience – It’s not always sunshine & rainbows.

Candidate experience does tie into the previous point we made about agencies representing your business but there is so much more to it. There is generally an agreeance between you (the business) and the agency where some information will not be disclosed for whatever reason. This hinders the process and experience of a potential candidate when thinking about joining your business or even applying for the position. It adds additional hurdles to what is already a challenging & complex process that is not by any means enjoyable. But it also causes doubt and concern. What else are they hiding? What will I find if I were to join? It puts candidates in an unwitting position clouded with judgement and uncertainty. Do you really want that from a new starter? We doubt it.

4. Are they in it for themselves?

It’s quite remarkable, isn’t it? The tricks some recruitment agencies have up their sleeves. That doesn’t mean they’re all the same. It’s the minority that destroys it for the majority. Let us explain. Recruiters want every candidate to meet with them so they can get them into their database, even if there is no opportunity. Yes, they want to increase their talent pool to help provide talent but there is more then meets the eye. Let’s give you an example. Let’s say you are in contract with an agency but someone via your network has referred an amazing candidate and you hired them without using the agency. Great, right!? Now, if that candidate is in the agencies database, chances are, you’ll still have to fork out the bill. Strange, hey? It’s not about finding the right person for your business, it’s about getting paid. And that’s fair, we all want to get paid but at what cost?

5. Agencies who post job ads

If a recruitment agency at any point needs to advertise the job on a job board to find a successful candidate, it’s time to tear up that contract. Why? Because you can do that with little cost involved. The main benefit of using a recruitment agency is to get access to their talent pool of quality talent to find a successful candidate quickly, right? Anything outside of this, you can do yourself. Well, truth be told, you can do it all yourself.

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Recruitment agencies have their place in the recruiting world. Finding executives or hard to fill roles is right up their ally. But anything outside of this, you can keep the recruitment function in-house. At the end of the day, no one knows the business as you do. The culture, what you want to hire, the type of person and personality with goals in mind. Yes, you can spend 10 minutes talking to a recruiter who will agree and say they’ll find the perfect candidate, but this isn’t always a reality. Having control of the end to end function and process is a far better investment in finding the right person(s) for your team or business. People are the biggest asset to any business. Yes, it’s going to take time and effort to find the right person, but that doesn’t mean you jump at the prospect of outsourcing. Good things never come easy. There are plenty of resources available to all businesses to advertise jobs, to engage with potential candidates, not to mention our own network. Next time your thinking of hiring a person, think of doing it yourself. Because the benefits and rewards are unmeasurable.