Preface: While this content applies to almost all organizations and companies, it is especially relevant for smaller organizations (less than 100 staff) with limited budgets (less than $6M annually). If you’re the CEO of Apple or McDonalds, this article may not be helpful.
We’ve all been there: You have an open position, and you need it filled yesterday. So you ask one of your staff members to create a job description, post on some job boards, and start screening resumes. Right? Well, maybe.
In some situations, hiring an external (or “outsourced”) recruiter can actually save you money and make your life easier. Sure, all recruiters charge fees — that’s how they make a living. But in what situation is that fee actually worth it? At Public Good Talent, we’ve encountered four primary situations in which using an external recruiter is the right move.
Here’s a gross [but fitting] analogy: The toilet in your house keeps overflowing. You could probably figure it out yourself. Maybe poop in a bucket for awhile until you find the right instructional YouTube video or finally work up the courage to get elbow deep in a drainpipe. Sure, you saved yourself some cash, but you’re crapping in a bucket and your arm stinks. Sometimes it makes sense to call a plumber.
Like your toilet, recruitment stinks sometimes. Here are four situations when you might consider partnering with a recruiter.
Situation #1: You’re busy, and time is money.
Running a nonprofit or a small business is a LOT of work. It’s a labor of love, but sometimes it’s more labor than love. And let’s face it: vacancies often appear at the worst possible times. Maybe you’re planning a big annual conference and your COO has a family emergency and needs to move across the country. Or you’re in the middle of launching a new service when your Program Director leaves to take another job. Or, God forbid, maybe you discover that your Finance Manager has been taking money from the organization during the middle of a massive annual audit. These are terrible scenarios, but they happen. And when they do, you have a couple options.
First, you could handle it internally. But a job search – at least a good one – takes a lot of time and energy. If you’re doing it right, finding high-level talent is a full-time job, and you already have a full-time job! Every hour you spend on recruitment (drafting job descriptions, posting to boards, screening resumes, involving key stakeholders, conducting multiple rounds of interviews, etc.) is an hour you’re NOT spending on your real work: fulfilling your mission or growing your small business.
Of course, there’s a second option: Partner with a good recruiter (*see below for more on this). If the price was right, you’d hire an expert plumber instead of pooping in a bucket, right? The same works for recruitment. If you can find an expert recruiter at a reasonable price, you’re able to focus on your organization and keep doing the work that you love. The recruiter uses their expertise to do all the legwork, and you get to show up at the end of the process and choose your favorite candidate. No lost time, no crap-covered arms.
Situation #2: You need it done fast. “Can we hire someone… last week?”
Certain situations require speed and efficiency: Changing a tire on your way to your daughter’s dance recital. Remembering the name of that non-descript cousin you haven’t seen in a decade. Fixing your toilet after you had extra spicy takeout.
Similarly, there are recruitment situations that require speed and efficiency. If you have to replace your Chief Financial Officer during tax season, you might want to act quickly. Sure, you could hire a temp while you conduct a search for a new CFO. But will they know your organization, and the nuanced nature of your finances? Or you (yes, you) could do all the financial work until you find the perfect CFO to take over. But aren’t you leading the organization? Do you really have the time to do both? Probably not.
A good recruiter (*again, see below for more) will be able to devote a lot of time to your job search. That’s their FULL-TIME JOB. They’re not balancing the recruitment process with a million other tasks, like you are. In other words, a good recruiter will be able to get results fast.
Situation #3: You’re a Board Member.
Are you on the board of a nonprofit or community organization because you want to give back and do some good? First, thank you. The Board of Trustees is an invaluable part of an organization, offering experience and guidance when it’s needed most.
But are you a Board Member with decades of experience hiring high-performing nonprofit leaders, CEOs, and Executive Directors? Maybe, but probably not. It’s just not your expertise, and it’s not why you were asked to join the Board. And to make matters worse, much like situation #2 (no pun intended), you probably have a million other things to do. This isn’t your full-time job, and you don’t have time to devote yourself fully to the recruitment process.
This is where a recruiter can help. A good recruiter* will understand that you, as a Board Member, have an important perspective on hiring a new leader. You need to be involved, and your voice is critical. The recruiter will know how to work with a busy board to build an effective search that involves the Board Members without relying entirely on them.
Situation #4: You haven’t had luck doing it on your own.
So here you are: You googled, “How to unclog my toilet.” You spent hours carefully reading the instructions, strapped on your sticky yellow glove, and viola! You did it! But a week later, you’re back there again, elbow deep in the porcelain throne.
Recruitment can be similarly frustrating. You think you’ve hired the perfect person, but they leave for a competitor. Or they turn out to be a toxic personality. Or they just don’t aren’t as good as advertised. The one timeless truth of HR: Turnover costs money, destroys morale, and decreases your impact.
If you find yourself in this situation again and again, it might be time to contact a good recruiter*. They’ll look at your situation with a fresh set of eyes. That new perspective, combined with their experience and deep professional network, can make all the difference when it comes to finding great LONG-TERM talent.
There are certainly situations when you don’t need to hire a recruiter. But sometimes it just makes sense. These are the top four situations that we encounter at Public Good Talent, but there are certainly more. If you have questions about whether partnering with an external recruiter is the right move for you, just reach out. We’ll chat with you and give our honest opinion. Good luck, and may your toilet flow freely!
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*Closing Caveat: Throughout this article, we’ve used the phrase, “a good recruiter.” There’s a reason we didn’t say, “a recruiter.” Not all recruiters are created equal. There is a lot to say on this subject, and we will certainly revisit this in a future article. For now, here’s the bottom line: Do your research, and hire a good person. Any plumber can unclog your toilet, but are they going to do the bare minimum so you have to call them a week later to come back? How many years have they been fixing toilets? Do they offer a guarantee? If so, how long is it, and how often do they need to use it? Are they going to take the time to get to know your toilet’s individual goals and personality? Okay, that last one is a stretch, but you get the idea. A “good recruiter” will listen to your story, and be honest about how they can help. If they can’t help, they’ll refer you to someone who can. A “good recruiter” is one that cares about your organization, learns your unique situation, and wants you to succeed. You’ll know it when you see it.
Public Good Talent is a boutique recruitment firm serving nonprofits and small businesses who are working to improve their communities. Based in Denver, Colorado, PGT serves organizations across the country.
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