What is better to hire: DIY or hire a recruitment service?

You’re an SME and it’s time to hire a new staff member, what are your options? Can you use your network and contacts or advertise to job seekers on your own, or is it better to hire a recruiting service?

Here’s what to consider about each approach.

One of the challenges for small and medium-sized businesses is finding the right sales talent to join your company. Startups and small businesses need reliable and talented employees who will help grow the business. In addition, they need people to bring their ambition and energy.

Let’s take a closer look at the challenges SMEs face when filling sales roles and what to expect when working with a recruiting service or hiring sales people yourself.

Challenges when hiring

Depending on your industry, you may face fierce competition from other companies for the best talent, especially from larger organizations. In competitive industries like healthcare, information technology, and engineering, it can be difficult to find candidates.

If you’re in a specialized sales position or in a competitive industry, the process of winning over a promising candidate can be daunting. You’re up against bigger competitors offering jobs with higher starting salaries, a slew of benefits, and more upward mobility.

Finding candidates can be challenging in an industry where qualified talent is in short supply, especially when doing it yourself. It’s not about putting just anyone in the job, particularly someone who does the bare minimum. You may find yourself reading dozens of resumes and scheduling time for interviews.

Reviewing and interviewing candidates for a position can be very time consuming. Also, if you don’t have experience recruiting salespeople, you could end up with someone who doesn’t measure up to your request.

Hire a recruitment service

There are literally hundreds of recruitment agencies and services you can hire to find the right person for your job opening. Professional recruiting services to some extent eliminate the time-consuming challenge of finding the right candidates for the job.

Recruitment services provide some advantages to SMEs looking to recruit. First, the obvious time-saving aspect for you and your management team if you don’t have in-house HR. You can focus on your core business and leave the candidate search to a recruiting professional.

Connecting with top sales talent is a full-time job. Most companies leave hiring at the last minute and have a degree of urgency when contacting recruiters. They may have exhausted their own recruiting efforts or have people reject their offers. SMEs need to decide early on whether to use a recruiter or go do-it-yourself. It can have a big impact on the hiring schedule.

Having experienced sales recruiters dedicated to finding the right candidate can help you keep your selection criteria unbiased. In addition, it allows you to select the best candidate for the position instead of settling for mediocre ones.

Involving sales recruiters can also be advantageous when you are new to a different state or opening a new region. Your network may only extend to your current geographic area, so a sales recruiting service with local knowledge can simplify the recruiting process for you.

Recruitment services go beyond posting job ads on websites. They go online and search for specialized sales talent, sparking the interest of people who are already employed but open to a change. The agency sells your company to these interested candidates and convinces them that their talent will be more appreciated and rewarded at your company.

How to choose a sales recruitment agency

If you decide that hiring a sales recruiter is best for your business, you’ll need to make sure the agency you choose is a good fit. Here are four tips to help you select the right service provider.

1. Investigation, Investigation Investigation

So many promises are made with so many recruiters on the market, but will they give you what you need? The recruiting industry is famous for turnover in its own industry and often young people with no experience take on your case. When evaluating an agency, research it as you would any candidate for a position.

2. Interview agencies as candidates

Interview agencies are important and make sure you don’t move on to a junior recruiter. Check out the experience of companies and individuals, their understanding of your specific role, and talk to others they have provided placement services to in the past.

Ask the recruiter about their review process. How do you find and evaluate candidates? What can you expect from them regarding your progress updates? How long would it take to fill a position?

3. Check your experience and track record

Extensive relevant experience and a good track record are indicators that your potential partnership can be successful. A sales recruiter with a good network, a solid understanding of sales requirements, and a large database is more likely to help you find the right candidate.

4. Provide a clear summary

As an employer, you should have a good job description to help inform the agency. You should state the minimum criteria you would accept for the candidate and be specific. Don’t just say intermediate CRM experience. Indicate the CRM you use and the level of commitment you need to the system. A good sales recruiter will take notes and send you only qualified candidates. Explain your company culture and the type of person who will be a best fit for your business.

DIY Recruitment

Professional sales recruiting services can help you find great talent, but the reality is that they can be expensive. Their fees are typically a percentage ranging from 10 to 20 percent of the offered salary. This can definitely scale depending on the role you’re playing.

DIY hiring is far from impossible, and there are several approaches to help you find good candidates. It is certainly more profitable for some companies.

1. Build a pipeline early

Be proactive and don’t leave until openings occur. In sales, turnover is part of team management. You need to build a pipeline of potential candidates by promoting your company on the right job boards and on your website.

2. Be patient and realistic.

You will not find your ideal candidate overnight. Establish a schedule that allows you plenty of time to receive and pursue applications. Last-minute hires are often bad hires.

If you’re an SME, finding a candidate who can do it all for the salary you offer may not be realistic. Balance the type of person you want with the salary you can afford. Temper expectations, especially if you’re in a competitive industry.

3. Streamline your process

Make it easy for candidates to apply and have a well thought out hiring process. When you receive a request, test it against your minimum hiring criteria. If the person meets this initial test, give them a phone call to discuss what you are looking for. Don’t sell your business; find out what they want first.

If that conversation goes well, invite them in for an interview. Have your questions ready, and if others are attending, make sure everyone knows their role in the interview process.

Make the application easy and gather the information you need to make an informed decision.

4. Use technology

There are many job boards available, but a dedicated sales job board is the best place to market your company and the position on offer.

You can also dedicate a page of your website to a career section of your company. This can act as a landing page to direct interested candidates to job boards, social media, and other sources.