Why HR consulting outperforms internal recruitment.
When initiating the hiring process, it is essential to decide between hiring a recruitment consultant vs utilising HR managers within your company.
Some key things to consider when making this decision include knowledge, experience, and qualifications. What else should you look for when deciding between internal recruitment and HR consulting?
Read on as this guide discusses the core differences between recruitment consultants vs HR managers and why recruitment consultants provide better results.
What is HR consulting?
HR consulting is when you outsource recruitment to a consultancy firm. They will be able to consult with departmental heads to understand the scope of the position. Then, they can use their industry contacts and connections to find the most suitable recommendation for the job.
What is internal HR recruitment?
Internal HR recruitment is when you hire internal staff to handle the recruitment process. They can take other company responsibilities and consult with your employees during the hiring process to understand each role.
The difference between HR and recruitment consultants is that your internal HR recruitment team will have other responsibilities and work full-time with the company to provide other services.
Benefits and drawbacks of HR consulting.
Here are some of the core benefits you stand to gain by outsourcing HR consulting over internal HR recruitment:
Cost-efficiency - if you are a small business, you may not have the resources to hire an HR professional to handle the recruitment process. With HR consulting, you can access recruitment services when you need them without paying a total annual salary.
Expertise - an HR consultant will have years of experience in recruitment and will be aware of the qualities and qualifications you’re seeking for the position.
Awareness of industry trends - part of an HR consultant’s job is to stay aware of industry trends and regulations that might impact your hiring processes. This allows them to adapt their services to the current climate in your industry.
Collaboration - an HR consultant collaborates to ensure all hiring decisions align with your business’s vision.
No liability - your company will not be liable for any HR complications or infringements that occur.
What are the drawbacks of hiring an external HR consultant? Here are the disadvantages to consider:
Less suitable for internal hiring - if you hire an external HR consultant, they will not have as much knowledge of your internal employees and their skill sets for hiring internally, which means your employees may seek jobs elsewhere when they are ready to progress their careers.
Less control - you will have less control when using an external HR consultant, as they will not be located in your office, and you will need to schedule meetings and calls for communication.
Benefits and drawbacks of internal HR recruitment.
Internal HR recruitment has advantages to consider when deciding how to organise your hiring processes. Here are the benefits of using internal HR for recruitment:
Internal hiring - your internal HR team will have an intimate knowledge of your existing employees and their skill sets. So, if you plan to hire from within the company, an internal HR professional may have a better understanding of employee potential and skills.
More control - you can control who handles your HR processes with internal HR, allowing senior employees to handle hiring for their departments.
Convenience - having HR professionals on your staff will make meetings easier to arrange, likely hastening the hiring process.
Here are some of the drawbacks to consider when evaluating internal HR recruitment.
Less cost-effective - when you use internal HR managers for recruitment, you are committed to paying an annual salary, which is less cost-effective for small businesses.
Liability - if anything goes wrong in the internal hiring process, your company could be liable.
Which is best for internal recruitment vs external recruitment?
If you plan to hire from outside the company, you must evaluate internal vs external recruitment. In this case, an HR consultant will have an advantage. They will have an extensive network that allows them to broaden the talent pool, helping to expand your choices.
An internal HR manager may not have this network, and you will have fewer choices during the recruitment.
If you plan to hire internally, an HR consultant will be less familiar with your existing talent, placing them at a disadvantage. However, they can help you implement succession planning and use employee referrals to gain insight into the best candidates for the role.
They can also help you to implement a skills gap analysis and develop strategies for closing any skills gaps to encourage continued professional development within the company. There are both advantages and disadvantages of internal vs external recruitment using a recruitment consultant.
An HR manager will have a complete understanding of your existing talent pool, which does place them at a slight advantage when it comes to hiring internally.
HR consulting provides experience and a broad network.
Whether hiring internally or externally, an HR consultant can help you access the skills and knowledge you’re seeking. HR consultants provide a cost-effective recruitment process and allow you to access their broad network and talent pool.
At Recruitmark, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience in recruitment. We can leverage our vast network to help you find skilled employees without hiring an internal HR professional. Contact us today to learn more.