Spending the time to recruit properly is vital to the long term success of your business. The right staff will enhance your business and the wrong staff can cause irreparable damage to your reputation and productivity. Recruiting staff will take between 20 and 24 hours – if not longer – to do yourself. Consider whether you have the time and, if you do, whether this is the best use of your time? If in doubt, engage a professional! Here is a detailed breakdown of how long recruitment can take with and without the help of a professional:
| Task | Your Time Without Help | Your Time If You Have Help |
| Preparing Position Description | 1-2 Hours | 30-60 minutes |
| Researching advertising options | 1-2 Hours | Nil |
| Writing advertisement | 1 Hour | Nil |
| Total screening ad response time | 1 Hour per 10 applicants (for the average role of 50 applicants = 5 Hours) | Nil |
| Short list to Top 10 applicants | 1-2 Hours | Nil |
| Phone screen top 10 | 1-2 Hours | Nil |
| Coordinating 6 x 1st interviews | 1 Hour | Nil |
| Interview 6 candidates | 6 Hours | Nil |
| Short list to top 3 | 1-2 Hours | Nil |
| 2nd interviews with top 3 | 3 Hours | 3 hours |
| Do at least 2 references on top 3 | 1-2 Hours | Nil |
| Discuss decision | Up to 1 hour | Up to 1 hour |
| Offer successful candidate | 10 – 30 minutes | 10 Minutes |
| Advise unsuccessful applicants in writing | 1 Hour per 10 applicants (for the average role of 50 applicants = 5 Hours) | Nil |
| TOTAL | 21-35 Hours | 5-6 hours |
Now if you are having any doubts about the value of using a professional to help with your recruiting, think about this – if you had 20-30 hours to spare in your business – how much money could you make if you were doing the things you are great at, and the things that your business is successful for? I am sure your answer is at least twice whatever the cost is to hire some professional help. Ok, so the numbers stack up, what should you be looking for when seeking help from a professional?
- Do they usually recruit for these sorts of positions? If not, what skills, experience and knowledge are they bringing to the table which tells you that they can handle what you need?
- Who else uses them? If you know your competitors are getting great staff from a particular supplier, likelihood is they can help you too! Ask for referrals and recommendations from other business that you know, or ask the Recruiter / HR Consultant for some references you can contact to discuss their service.
- What service do they offer, does it provide value for money and what’s included? Not all service providers are the same, and there are many out there who promise the world and deliver nothing. Take the time to understand the processes they go through to find you that perfect person, and make sure they follow these processes.
- Do they offer to come out and meet with you, to gain an understanding of you and your business needs? If they don’t offer, don’t invite them, and find someone else. A good Recruiter / HR Consultant wants to understand you and your business to ensure they find the right person.
- Are they interviewing all candidates face to face? If they aren’t local to you, the answer is probably no – and if that’s the case what else are you paying them to do?
- Are they providing copies of the references they have done, the testing the applicants complete and a thorough resume and interview feedback? If not, how can you be sure that they have followed the process they promised?
- Do you trust them? Like all things it ultimately comes down to gut feel most of the time. Do you trust the consultant you are dealing with and do you believe they have your interests at heart?
