When it comes to hiring, deciding who will or won’t fit your business can be incredibly difficult. Often it takes a huge amount of time and effort, and the total cost to a business can be significant. This doesn’t just apply to companies who “go it alone” in the hiring wilderness, but also applies to companies who decide to work with a recruiter, or multiple, but get their selection of a search firm wrong. Partnering with recruiters who specialise in their markets can be very advantageous.

Here are our top 5 reasons that Life Science companies should partner with recruiters who specialise in their markets.

1. Networks – It sounds obvious when you say it out loud, but put simply, a recruiter who is entrenched in their market will have immediate access to a network of people who could suit your open positions. If they don’t know someone themselves, their networks often lead them to the right person. This means that you should have the selection of the best available talent at the time of your search.

2. Time – a good recruiter will want a lot of detail at the start of a search, and often an in-person meeting to really refine what the right profile looks like. Beyond that, they should be able to conduct the search as if you were doing it yourself, producing a robust and well assessed shortlist for you to interview. The time this will save you from sifting through countless applications and needless interviews will be immense.

3. Technical expertise – Selecting a recruiter with expertise in your market will prove to be a shrewd decision. Not only will they have the access to a network, but when it comes to applying a secondary depth to their interviewing, they will be able to assess competence in the areas most important to you.

4. Risk management – during a recruitment process candidates are keen to impress the people interviewing them. So, when it comes to telling the hiring manager that they don’t agree or see something in the same way, it is often avoided to keep the ball in their court. Recruiters are trained to get to the detail with any concerns candidates may have so that they can help their clients manage the risk. I frequently hear stories of offers being rejected when the company had the “perfect candidate” apply directly. Your recruiter will manage all the risks throughout the process to try and avoid any wasted time and effort. When it comes to people, nothing is guaranteed, but strong risk management really can put the odds in your favour.

5. Money. Yes, your recruiter will save you money! It seems strange when you know the fees associated with using a search firm. The recruitment fee is always the seen and tangible cost, but I always ask my clients to understand the cost of not hiring someone or taking 12 months to do so. What is the overall cost to the business if your sales team can’t scale to hit revenue objectives? Or what is the cost of having your Quality Director bogged down in basic QA issues instead of considering the long-term strategy? Often the cost of getting your hiring wrong can far outweigh the fees associated with a robust hiring process undertaken by a specialist recruiter.

If you are a potential client who is reading this and wondering how some of the points above could benefit you, our team would be happy to hear your challenges and walk you through potential solutions.

For further information contact Gareth Foden at [email protected].