| It’s Official – External recruitment partners are in high demand | ||
| Recent research suggests that an ever increasing number of organisations are turning to external recruitment partners to fill their job openings and are choosing headhunting as their preferred choice (46% of responses) for operational (non-management), tactical (middle management), as well as for the more strategic roles (senior management). Other methods of recruitment include using agencies (17%), internal recruitment (16%), and advertising. In a recent survey with 900 respondents across 54 countries, 64% cited cost savings as the top reasons for external partnerships with a better/wider choice of candidates and faster delivery of candidates for interview following closely behind. Headhunting as the external preference Headhunting has, in the past, been reserved for senior executive positions where a special approach or confidentiality was required. Today many more organisations are using headhunting as a viable alternative to traditional recruitment methods for sales, specialist and middle management roles. Restricted audience Headhunting provides a 360 degree look at the available talent pool in the marketplace whereas other recruitment methods (internal recruitment, advertising and using agencies), restricts clients’ choice to those candidates who happen to be job hunting at any particular moment in time (less than 5% of the total available). This is in line with the research findings which found that 53% gave a better/wider choice of candidates as one of the top reasons for using an external partner. Globalisation With the increase in globalisation the survey revealed that 64% of companies had subsidiaries in other markets, and 71% said they intended to expand into new markets in the future. To help with their recruitment activities it’s no surprise that 62% of respondents stated that an international presence was a critical parameter when selecting an external recruitment partner. Other critical parameters were; the ability of the partner to understand the client company culture; a guarantee scheme; price; and having a high profile network - all of which are satisfied by headhunting. Timing is everything! 42% of respondents in the survey gave time of delivery as a critical issue when using an external recruitment partner. Maximum timescales to candidate interviews were given as; up to 8 weeks (55%) and 8-12 weeks (30%). It’s little wonder then that the trend is towards headhunting for non senior roles where shortlists can be delivered in as little as 3-6 weeks by the right head hunter. This compares timescales with advertising the role and recruitment agencies (who also have to resort to advertising) taking the same 3-6 weeks to attract candidates before the selection process can even begin. Positive businesses will succeed despite challenging trading conditions, by having the right people around. Headhunting finds the very best talent to strengthen management teams and to fill key positions – often at short notice. Headhunting is fast, reliable and with a streamlined approach, helps to keep costs down. Having international partners helps the recruitment process right across the globe. Graeme Pitts-Drake Headhunter, SAM Headhunting UK | ||
| Date | 17-12-2008 | |||