The Top Myths About Recruitment Agencies (And Why They're Not True)
11 months ago by
"What are the benefits of using a headhunter/recruiter to fill our company's positions?” - This is one of the common questions we come across all the time.
It is important to understand that recruitment is not just about ‘filling a position’. The whole process starts off with recruitment planning which involves analyzing and describing job specifications, qualifications, experience, and skills required to fill the open positions.
However, there remain some common myths about recruitment or staffing agencies, preventing employers and job seekers from engaging them. There is one thing they all have in common: they are all incorrect and misinterpreted. It's time to debunk these myths, so let's begin...
For Job Seekers
For Employers
Busting Myths for Job Seekers
Let us first walk through the myths that job seekers or candidates have in their minds and eliminate them forever.
Myth 1: Job seekers need to pay placements fee
This myth originated from sheer misunderstanding and resulted in a common misconception among candidates. The reality is candidates do not pay recruitment agencies, and services are completely free for them. The recruitment fee is paid by the employer for the recruitment agencies’ services and only after finding the right person for the job and once they’ve started in the role.
The payment is made toward seeking firm’s assistance, such as sourcing, background checks, and interviews.
At Cornerstone, we thoroughly guide each candidate throughout the whole hiring process delivering the right experience at every stage (free of cost!). We firmly follow a candidate-centric approach and help them assess their skills, qualifications, and their fit for the roles. "Elevate your career with us! Discover our latest job opportunities and be part of a thriving organization.
Myth 2: It’s just about forwarding CVs to employers
Employers and employees might think that the role of a recruitment agency is to be a mediator and send CVs - It is much more than that. Recruitment agencies like Cornerstone break stereotypes and stretch themselves. Instead of simply forwarding resumes, the part embraces understanding the role and the required abilities, screening them through interviews, and adding them to the candidate pool.
We work closely with employers and candidates to understand their needs thus offering the right experience to both the parties pre- and post-placement, during onboarding as well as proactively addressing any concerns or issues that may arise.
Myth 3: Stuffing resumes with keywords is the key to get shortlisted
The reality is just the opposite of what you read here. Many individuals believe that agencies shortlist candidates solely based on automated keyword-matching systems. It should be noted, however, that reputable agencies employ a comprehensive approach to hiring, taking into account factors beyond resume keywords, such as skills, experience, qualifications, and cultural fit, in addition to resume keywords.
Candidates are evaluated holistically through interviews and assessments.
Myth 4: Only ‘Active Candidates’ are Considered
Many job seekers live in a bubble where they think that recruitment agencies only assist those actively looking for a job. Active and passive are distinct categories of candidates. For active candidates the top factor is better work and career opportunities, while passive job seekers are passionate about their work, engaged in improving their skills, and reasonably satisfied with their current jobs -, but they will consider any vacancies that are brought to their attention.
Whether you are an active or passive candidate, at Cornerstone Recruitment Japan our highest priority is to match the right people with the right opportunity.
We proactively reach out to potential candidates and provide them with access to job opportunities they may not have otherwise encountered.
Busting Myths for Employers
Myth 1: Recruitment agencies are expensive
Businesses often complain about recruitment agencies being highly expensive. The reason is employers do not see the perspective from the other end— the cost of sourcing, screening, and interviewing the candidates and most importantly not to forget hidden costs of bad hires or employee turnover.
According to a report by the SHRM, the average cost of a bad hire can range from 50% to 150% of the employee's annual salary. This cost includes not only the direct expenses of recruitment and training but also the indirect costs of lost productivity, damaged morale, and the impact on customer satisfaction.
Outsourcing the hiring process to recruitment services incurs costs, but the benefits they offer often exceed the expenses. By entrusting the recruitment process to experts, organizations can save valuable time and resources. Additionally, the potential to attract top-quality candidates through recruitment agencies can result in long-term cost savings for the organization. Once you consider a recruiter’s expertise and services, the cost would start seeming justified.
Myth 2: The sole focus is on filling roles quickly
Timely hiring always saves employers’ resources and is the essence of any business. Still, it is not necessary that every recruiter will only focus on filling vacant positions quickly. Modern-day recruiters understand the awareness levels of employers and know a task done in haste will reap no benefits to both. Moreover, if the agency finds a candidate who doesn’t fit in the role or leaves within three months of joining, their image gets jeopardised.
Engaging a recruitment agency is about getting access to a broader talent pool, expert candidate evaluation, time and resource savings, market knowledge and insights, confidentiality, negotiation support, and the potential for a long-term partnership.
Get assistance with your hiring needs now! Our expert recruiters offer specialist market knowledge and have an extensive network to provide you with the best recruitment solutions to achieve your objectives across multiple industries and functions.
Myth 3: Posting on multiple job boards can help you find the candidate
Are you under the impression that you can post an opening on multiple job boards and find the candidates yourself? Well! If that is the case, you prevent yourself from reaching the untapped candidates. Recruiters do more than just post job ads and surf the internet. In simple words, you need to see them as a source that has relationships with thousands of candidates.
Going further, the top talent can grace your organisation and fulfill your objectives.
Myth 4: Recruitment agencies find candidates from the same talent pool
It is another misconception that recruiters keep recycling the same talent pipeline and put minimum to null effort into seeking new candidates. Businesses are evolving and so is the way we work. Both employers and candidates have a certain level of expectation from each other.
To keep up with a client's evolving requirements, recruiters source, continuously find fresh talent options, and assess candidates on both objective and subjective criteria.
At Cornerstone, we refrain from following a one size fits all approach. Rather our specialist recruiters work closely with employers to understand their specific needs and create accurate job descriptions, thus finding highly skilled and talented professionals who are best suitable for the roles.
Myth 5: Recruitment agencies don’t understand businesses
Undeniably, it is not easy for recruiters to understand every organisation like a pro. But, on the flip side, assuming that a recruitment agency won’t understand your industry and its requirements isn’t right. Professional recruiters invest time in understanding their clients' organizations, including culture, values, and specific hiring needs.
Recruitment agencies never cease to network with talented professionals and often attend & host events relating to different industries. As a result, they start learning the intricacies of every industry to better serve their clients' needs.
Overcome Challenges by Partnering with the Right Recruitment Agency
And there you have it— myths about recruitment agencies gone in a flash. Still unsure of seeking expert assistance from a reliable recruitment agency?
There are several benefits of partnering with staffing agencies, and working with them helps you develop an effective hiring strategy as well as find the best candidates for your organisation. The key is to find the right agency that fits your business needs.
At Cornerstone Recruitment Japan, we are a team of experienced consultants dedicated to helping our clients and candidates in finding the perfect match, we believe our role is to positively impact and change their journey for the better.
This article is originally published by CGP Singapore and edited by Cornerstone Recruitment Japan.
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