Recruiters Benefit Manufacturers and Job Seekers

It’s interesting that companies think very little about paying the fees charged by lawyers, accountants and management consultants, but when it comes to finding and hiring top talent, often a whole new mentality appears. Manufacturers will think to themselves, “Why use a recruiting firm when we can search for candidates ourselves?”

On the opposite side of that thought process is the employee looking for a new job opportunity. Why should they trust a “stranger” (recruiter) to help them find a job, even if the recruiter is working on their behalf for free?

A good recruiter will work to create a beneficial relationship for all parties. The reasons for both parties to use a recruiter include expertise, access, confidentiality and saving time. 

When recruiters are brought into the picture, each party can focus on their day to day activities, instead of solely focusing on getting a job or finding talent. Working with a recruiting firm allows the manufacturer or job seeker to focus on only the few best to choose from. A niche-focused manufacturing recruiter will know the industry inside out.

By being focused on a niche, the recruiter will know which companies are hiring, which companies are good to work for and which passive and active candidates are a good fit for a job opening. With 85 percent of jobs not being advertised, a recruiter who is tied into the marketplace is a key ally. 

Because a recruiter deals with job openings and job candidates on a daily basis, they can guide and advise on up-to-date market conditions such as realistic salary requirements, talent shortages, and so on.

Recruiters have relationships with talent sources that can’t be accessed by newspaper ads or the Internet. Convincing a person who’s not looking to consider an opportunity takes more time than recruiting someone who is anxious to leave a current job. Most recruiters spend the bulk of their time sourcing hidden, passive candidates. 

For candidates, job market awareness is valuable information to have. Top passive candidates seek out the best third-party recruiters to keep them aware of opportunities at different companies. 

A good recruiter has credibility with hiring managers across an array of companies and will often be aware of jobs that are not listed on job boards or on Linked In. They also have multiple connections within companies, creating a direct route to hiring managers and decision makers. The best recruiters work closely and more often with the same hiring managers. This develops a trust that is hard to replicate for a job seeker. 

Companies who end up losing or replacing people in key positions often don’t want their clients or competitors to know about it; this can be damaging to a company’s reputation or set their competitors up to take advantage of the situation. Working with a recruiting firm ensures a smooth, quiet transition.

Often, the best candidates are working for competing companies in your own industry, but out of professionalism and caution, would never send a résumé to a direct competitor. Recruiters, however, can function as a safe intermediary.

Recruiters create a level of transparency for clients and companies that they cannot typically create on their own. Recruiters only get paid when they make a successful match, therefore, they can be blunt and candid if there is a disconnect or a negative between the company and the candidate.

Recruiters are focused on having passive candidates understand the long-term career opportunities that come with a new job offer. While this takes more time for the recruiter, it ensures that the hire will be more successful in the long run because the offer is accepted based on job needs and the upside growth opportunity, not just the size of the compensation package.

For a job seeker, looking for a job is a full-time job in itself. Many people start their job search while still employed, which means taking calls or managing email while on the clock. A recruiter will handle all of this for the job seeker, similar to a personal assistant. 

For the company seeking a new employee, a recruiter will save a company time because they sort through all the resumes received, screen the qualified candidates and only submit the best candidates to the company. 

Once a company wants to meet with a candidate, the recruiter will schedule all interviews, debrief with both parties, handle the job offer and negotiations—ultimately coaching both parties to a win-win result.