What Are the Benefits of Working with Search Firms?
Sometimes using such a firm can speed up the hiring process and help free up the manager’s time. Some search firms and headhunters specialize and therefore have good inside knowledge of a field, including individuals who might be interested in a move. If the position is hard to fill, search firms can be more effective than other recruiting strategies.
Recruiting services can also conduct confidential searches.
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While those are the benefits of using a search firm, it is important to realize that use of a recruiting service is the most expensive strategy you can use. A fee of 25 percent to 30 percent of the annual salary is fairly common. Since employment services only make their money if they can make a match, some firms will work harder at persuading you to accept their candidate than at understanding your needs and the qualifications of the best candidate to meet those needs. They may even go so far as to mislead a prospective hire about the job you are offering to get him or her to accept the work. Consequently, you may get the candidate you want but he or she may move on, even turn to the search firm for placement elsewhere.
Few recruiting firms give a no-cost, full-replacement guarantee for the hire that doesn’t work out.