In-house vs Agency Recruitment: Which Is The Right Choice For Your Business?

Having access to the best candidates is a priority for any business and, when it comes to finding the right people, it can be tough to know where to start your search. The question is whether you rely on your HR department to connect with the people you need or engage a specialist recruitment agency to handle the complexities of finding and assessing candidates. 

While both methods have their merits, we believe that expert support is the best way to tap into exceptional talent and bring together the best candidates and the most innovative businesses. Here are just some of the benefits of choosing an external recruitment agency for your talent search. 

Secure the right level of support

For many businesses, talent needs fluctuate from month to month, or even from year to year. This can make it difficult to efficiently resource an internal talent team and you may find that you suffer periods of over or understaffing, depending on candidate demand. 

In addition, external firms are paid on a contingency basis, whereas a skilled in-house team will need constant payment, even if they are at times surplus to a firm’s requirements. With an agency, you can plug into the right level of support whenever and wherever you need it, so that you stay in control of your finances. Agencies are also able to provide access to flexible and scalable talent expertise on an as and when needed basis.

Access specialist knowledge

While in-house recruitment teams gain a good understanding of their own company and its culture, they tend to try and cover all the different job vacancies that the firm needs. This can result in them becoming thinly spread across many varied roles. 

By contrast, recruiters are experts in what they do and many specialise in a key geography, territory or industry niche and are more likely to understand how well-suited a candidate is to a particular firm. In addition, you have their in-depth knowledge at your fingertips, from key market insights to salary benchmarking and understanding how to successfully promote your employer brand in a competitive sector. 

Agencies are also perfectly placed to search for and fill specialist or technical roles that only a relatively small scope of candidates are qualified for. This is because, over time, they cultivate a rich network of candidates and contacts within their chosen field. In addition, agency recruiters are more likely to quickly identify relevant top tier candidates, regardless of whether they are actively looking for other jobs or not. 

Discover new strategies and tools

Recruitment never stands still. It is a cutting-edge industry where new technology, tools and methodologies are constantly changing how recruiters connect with the best talent around. When searching for talent is not your core business because of other day-to-day responsibilities, it can be hard to compete with the specialists. Choosing an agency means you reap the benefits of the latest search tools, screening methods and other strategic advantages that an expert talent organisation can offer.   

Free up time

Finding great talent takes time and choosing to manage your candidate search in-house can mean shifting your focus away from your core business, which will impact on overall performance and, in turn, profit margins. Many of the tasks surrounding candidate search and attraction, like writing job adverts and screening CVs, can be repetitive and time-consuming. Outsourcing recruitment allows you to focus on what you do best; carrying out the skilled tasks that are most valuable to your organisation. 

Connect with a wider talent pool

Many sectors are experiencing talent shortages and this means that businesses are increasingly struggling to access the skilled people they so desperately need. This is where an expert recruiter can be invaluable. A great recruiter sits at the centre of a network of high-quality candidates and connections who view them as a trusted advisor. They can subsequently dip into hidden talent pools and reach out to passive candidates to ensure that you find the people you need.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment and, ultimately, choosing whether to outsource your talent search or remain in-house depends on the unique needs of your organisation. For some businesses, a hybrid approach might be the best way to balance their requirements and budget. However, we believe that for most organisations, choosing the right recruitment agency will always yield more successful results.

Keep checking the Oho blog for key insights into the latest recruitment sector insights and developments.