Latest / Agency Uncovered / When Should a Business Hire a Recruitment Agency? - Alexa Booth da Silveira
Transcript
- Sasha Damon (00:00) When should a business hire a recruitment agency? We’re here with Alexa Booth da Silveira. So Alexa, tell us — when should a business hire a recruitment agency? Alexa Booth da Silveira (00:12) It’s really twofold. You could hire an agency when you need a really niche role filled, when hiring is urgent, or when internal capacity is very limited. Alexa Booth da Silveira (00:25) On the other hand, you might never have hired anyone before. So it makes sense to use an agency that can help you define your process and make sure things are being done correctly. In my experience, many companies ask candidates questions they really shouldn’t be asking in an interview. Sasha Damon (00:44) And what signs tell a business it’s time to bring in external recruitment support? Alexa Booth da Silveira (00:51) When you keep having mishires, when there’s high staff turnover — especially with new hires — or when the company is struggling to attract quality candidates, or the right candidates. Sasha Damon (01:05) And I suppose that costs you more than just hiring someone else to do the vetting process for you. Alexa Booth da Silveira (01:12) It does, yes. Sasha Damon (01:15) So when does using a recruitment agency make more sense than hiring internally? Alexa Booth da Silveira (01:20) In my experience it’s for those really senior roles, and sometimes confidential roles where you can’t advertise internally that you’re hiring to fill that position. Or those hard-to-fill roles where an agency’s network and expertise really matter. Sasha Damon (01:39) That makes perfect sense. And how much time and money can a business realistically save by using a recruitment agency? Alexa Booth da Silveira (01:47) We put it down to time, because agencies reduce your wasted spend on advertising, reduce your time to hire, and again prevent those mishires. Because… Alexa Booth da Silveira (02:01) …sometimes that saves a company weeks. As an agency, we can screen 20 candidates and present you with the top five — whereas as a company you wouldn’t necessarily have the time to screen 20 candidates, pick the best five, and then redo that process over again. Sasha Damon (02:20) So it’s the good old saying: time is money. It saves a lot of time overall. So what should a business expect from a good recruitment agency? Could you define that for us? Alexa Booth da Silveira (02:34) A good agency will offer you market insights on salaries and skills shortages — especially if it’s a really niche role — and a realistic view of the ability to find someone in a short time frame. We also do the candidate screening and the culture fit, and offer support beyond just forwarding a CV. It’s also about being able to identify those unseen skills or value-adds in a candidate. Sasha Damon (03:01) That makes perfect sense. There are so many different avenues for hiring someone, and a smaller business might argue, “Why can’t I just post on LinkedIn or a job board?” So why should a company pay for a recruitment agency when it can advertise the role on LinkedIn or a job board itself? Alexa Booth da Silveira (03:24) Because agencies filter out the noise. We chase passive talent, and we reduce the risk of hiring the wrong person. We look for those hidden gems hiding among the hundreds of applicants you may not have the time to screen and contact. Sasha Damon (03:42) And I’m sure the person doing the recruiting can feel a bit overwhelmed too. They need to make a decision, so they’re not really looking at the red flags or asking whether this is the right fit. It becomes more about desperation. Sasha Damon (04:00) Alexa, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it. Alexa Booth da Silveira (04:05) You’re welcome.