Why you need a Recruiter in your pocket even when you are not hiring

In this article I discuss the benefits of having an ongoing, “on-call” relationship with a specialist recruiter even when you are not hiring. Read on to discover how this relationship can help your business be more agile, quick to promote itself and responsive to market opportunities.

At times, when we speak with employers, they mention to us that they don’t have any immediate “hiring needs” and occasionally question why they would want to build a relationship when they are not formally “recruiting” at that time.

Here are just some of the benefits of catching up with a recruiter even when you are not hiring:

1. Get a Clear Understanding of Current Relevant Salary Benchmarks

If you’re a prospective employer, knowing the market rate for a particular role can help you attract top talent by offering competitive salaries. Ensuring that you are paying competitive market salaries also ensures that you retain staff and don’t lose them to the competition. Getting insider knowledge on the market rate for a particular role that you are thinking about or planning for in the future can help you budget for it accurately and build your business case. Working with an expert recruiter can be a really great way to find this market intel, particularly if they are a specialist recruiter in your field.

We also have a good understanding of the benefit packages being offered to attract and retain talent such as gym memberships, health insurance, loan discounts, study programs, free fruit and hybrid working arrangements. Being across this information helps you plan for the future and helps you compete for your next new hire.

2. Gain Market Intelligence in Relation to Competitors

We often have insider market intelligence relating to your competitors. For example, in Financial Services this could include which “product types” organisations are focussed on and are likely to push in the future. We are often aware of key projects such as transformation or software implementation projects that will impact organisations and their prospective growth. We follow with interest key professionals on their career journeys and keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market.

3. Help with Talent Pipeline and Succession Planning

Turnover is a factor in any business and having some understanding of your key person dependencies and a plan to future proof your business can be done hand in hand with a specialist recruiter. We can help keep an eye out for candidates with the right skill set and the right attitude to help you solve any dependency issues. We can also act as a sounding board to discuss succession planning and talent pipeline problems.

4. Gain an Understanding of What Candidates are Looking for in the Current Market

This is one we talk about with clients often. What job seekers are looking for in the market changes regularly. For example, now we are seeing lots of interest in company longevity and job security and not necessarily higher salaries.  Last year it was flexibility and the ability to work from home, and this remains a high priority for many job seekers. Ensuring that you are meeting the market in relation to what job seekers want can help with future talent attraction and also help you retain your existing staff.

5. Be Ready to Build a Team Quickly

Whether it relates to ready-to-go contractors or permanent staff, if we already have a good understanding of your business, your priorities and your strategic plans then we can help you build a team quickly when transaction or product demand allows.

6. Help with Streamlining Future Hiring Processes

We often advise clients with best practice techniques in relation to interviewing and hiring new employees. We can talk to you about the hoops you are making new hires jump through and whether these requirements are being used widely across the industry. Some businesses have very straight forward processes and some do not. The candidate experience for a new hire makes a very important first impression and getting it right helps prospective employees feel valued and engaged.

7. Looking Out for Yourself!

Of course, you can’t always be focused on your team or your business’ bottom line and sometimes it’s ok to be a little selfish in the information you seek. We can help you with your own career planning and talk about what your next role might look like. You never know when you might find yourself on the job market and being across the skills that are in demand and the types of businesses looking for your expertise can be useful. Many of our candidates have become clients and then candidates again. That’s one of the joys of having been in this industry for 25+ years!

If you are a leader of people or likely to hire staff in the future, then having a specialist recruiter on call can give you a competitive edge. Our insider information relating to salaries, benefits, industry trends and hiring practices across the market are worth tapping into.

Sharing our deep subject matter expertise gained over our many years in the industry is something we enjoy. Consider this your reminder to give us a call!

If you are considering hiring staff in the future then get in touch to talk about market conditions, industry trends and what candidates are looking for. You can get in touch with our Sydney based team here. We can help you with the inside information as to what is happening in the market based on 25+ years of recruitment and HR expertise.