What no one tells you: All the pros and cons of working with a recruitment agency

Want to make sure if outsourcing is right for you? Let’s weigh up all the pros and cons of using a recruitment agency, totally fair and square!

Every story has two sides, and it’s never a waste of time to know both of them before reaching decisions. Now, the recruitment service has both pros and cons. Yet probably all you can find on Google is its marvelous edges over the internal hiring practice.

Too good to be true, right?

So today, just put all the ups and downs of the recruitment agency under the microscope and tell it like it is!

First, let’s start with all the positives:

Advantage #1: Shorten time to hire

Isn’t it frustrating and time-wasting to sift through tons of applications just to pick a few qualified ones? Not to mention when your ideal candidates don’t show up at first, you have to start afresh!

With support from a recruitment agency, things speed up.

First, they already have a vast database and talent network to tap into immediately.

Next, this is what they do day and night, so they know how to nail it – e.g. where to find talents, which questions to ask, and what signs need to watch out for.

Plus, they also deal with all admin works – communicate with both passed and failed candidates, verify their reference and qualifications, schedule interviews, etc.

So, all you have to do is cherry-picking the top-notch and turning up on time. More wisely way to spend your time, right?

Advantage #2: Enhance the hiring quality  

Does speed come with quality? Not always. But at qualified recruitment firms, it’s 100% a Yes!

Search consultants will conduct multiple screenings to evaluate applicants’ suitability before putting their name on the qualified list. So just like how water passes through several layers of filter material, you’ll for sure get better quality at the end.

Some of them also offer additional candidate assessment tools, namely the DISC Personality Test or Inductive Reasoning Test. The final report provides an in-depth and easy-to-understand analysis that paints a clearer picture of the prospects. With more figures to back up, your decisions are more than just a wishy-washy gut feeling.

Advantage #3: Provide specialist insights

More often than not, in-house employers have to cover all functions within their organization. Then what if you’re looking for a Web Developer but there’s no techie in your team?

Once you work with a recruitment agency, there’s no more sweating out. Specialized search consultants only recruit for certain levels or industries, which means they have intimate knowledge of the niche market.

If you remain vague about the going rate, they can help with salary benchmarking within your rivals. If you have a spanking position, they can list out all crucial skillset without a hitch. Their deep understanding is beneficial, one way or another.

Advantage #4: Lower the risk of turnover

Just get a job acceptance? Well, first, congrats!

But you know that your work isn’t done yet, right? Sometimes, new hires burn bridges and ghost you. Or quit during the probation period. Either way, you’ll blow your time and money away.

Now, you’ll realize another advantage of a recruitment agency is what they call the “guarantee period”. That says if the candidates leave within a period – usually between 60-90 days – the firm will find you a replacement –  without extra cost!

So, you may have an empty position – only for a while – but at least you don’t have to go back to square one.

Nobody’s perfect. The recruitment service has some flaws. But let’s see if these issues really that big a deal:

Disadvantage #1: Hard to find a cultural fit

Professional background ensures your new hires will be well-performed, while cultural fit keeps them stay longer and more engaged with the team. Both of these features are essential in the hire-for-success.

Now, the outsourcing team doesn’t live and breathe your culture every day, so there’s less chance they could have the same experience as your in-house team. Also, some providers are too focused on the competencies that they leave the culture side behind, either accidentally or intentionally.

Disadvantage #2: Lack of full control

As the burden now falls mainly on the search firms, you can declutter your schedule and make time for other pivotal ideas. But then, less involvement also ends in less control.

You always have the final words and decide who will be your next talents. But it’s the search consultants who set the tone and make initial decisions. They’ll determine where to post jobs, how to approach candidates, and which profile’s worth consideration. Then it’s likely impossible to ask for complete control from the A to Z.

Disadvantage #3: Miss your chance to promote employer brand

We did mention this many times before, employer branding does matter in recruitment and retention. And one of the easiest and cheapest ways (yes, we know everyone is trying to save costs amid COVID-19) is through the job posting. Using photos of your team and writing a brief overview of your culture, then whoever reaches the job ads will know about you.

Yet when hiring through a third party, your jobs are confidential. That means candidates only know who you are at the very last moments. Consequently, you miss a chance to spread the word about your workplace and build your reputation as an employer of choice.

Are there any ways to avoid these glitches?

Though seems serious, you can always eliminate those negatives by searching for the right partner who is willing to go the extra mile to learn about you and your people. For example, here at Adecco Vietnam, we don’t just send warm bodies to your office. Instead, we always study your current workforce and future orientations before moving to the next steps of the search process.

If you still hesitate about the traditional recruitment service, we also have another solution ready. Just consider RPO - Recruitment Process Outsourcing. RPO covers all areas, from the hiring strategy to the employee engagement and employer branding – all aspects that affect the hiring success. Simply put, RPO wipes out all hitches that may pose while fully focus on your brand and the outcomes.

We understand that outsourcing is a big break and it’s confusing to take the first step. To make things easier, fill in the form below with your requests and let us take care of the rest!