A recruiter is an individual or firm which solicits people to fill open job positions. Recruiters can be divided into two groups: those working internally for one organization (i.e., internal recruiters), and those working for clients through a third party relationship. Third party recruiters are frequently referred to as headhunters.
Note: This Buyer Guide discusses the recruitment of non-executive level employees. Refer to the Executive Search Firm Buyer Guide for information on recruiting senior executives.
An internal recruiter is member of a company, typically working in the Human Resources Department (HR). Internal recruiters may serve in an HR generalist capacity (i.e., multi-functional responsibilities, including hiring, firing, exit interviews, employee disputes, contracts, benefits, recruiting, etc.) or specialize in recruiting.
The internal recruiter may be a permanent employees or a contractors for this purpose. Contract recruiters tend to move around between multiple companies working at each one for a short stint as needed for specific hiring purposes.
For small firms the recruiter role is generally filled by the company owner or office manager.
Third party recruiters offer an option to small or medium size businesses who, for one reason or another, need additional assistance in finding and hiring quality employees. Typical reasons a business decides to utilize a third party recruiting firm include:
- Access to quality candidates. Successful recruiters maintain a strong network of individuals in specific markets. These networks facilitate locating individuals with the desired skill set, credentials, and salary requirements.
- Convenience. Many small business owners prefer to outsource the recruitment process so as to save time, and allow the owner to focus on their core business operation.
- Rapid expansion. When times are good, companies may find it difficult to fill all their open positions in a timely fashion. Third party recruiters can expand their efforts to meet the demand for open positions.
- High turnover. Companies with traditionally high amounts of turnover may find it advantageous to establish a relationship with a recruiter to 'keep the employee pipeline filled.'
Recruiting quality employees to your company is key to your success. Here are some of the things you should consider before deciding to conduct your job searches independently:
- Do you have access to a network of qualified people who would be a good fit for your open positions?
- Do you have the time it will take to locate prospects, conduct the initial screening, personal interviews, and detailed backgournd screening on your job prospects?
- Do you trust your instincts to independently evaluate the strengths of the prospects you interview?
- How difficult will be be to locate the type of employees you are looking for in the current job market?
If you are concerned about the above items, you should consider hiring a recruting firm to assist you.
If you decide to do it yourself, you will want to check out the tools available to registered SBI users in the Resource Center section of this site.