Why You Need a Recruitment Partner, Not a Resume Pusher

To properly meet their recruitment needs, employers need a partner who will work closely with them, not just a resume pusher who will refer dozens of candidates without screening them carefully. Here are four reasons why.

1. To Identify Candidates Who Are the Right Fit

Some recruiters will get a resume from LinkedIn or Indeed, speak to the person on the phone for 10 minutes, then refer them to an employer as a potential candidate.

To Hubble’s Brian Gordon, Recruitment Director, Consumer Packaged Goods, this is unthinkable. He believes you should always take the time to vet a candidate over the phone first, then arrange an in-person meeting to evaluate whether they’re likely to be a good fit for the company’s needs. 

“It’s a question of due diligence. Face-to-face meetings are a must. Otherwise, you don’t know what you’re getting,” he says.

Sitting down with the candidate is an opportunity to:

• establish the fit between the candidate and the hiring manager
• detail their wins and achievements
• uncover what they’re looking for in terms of corporate culture and leadership style 
• make sure they’re seeking a change for the right reasons and not just for more money

Through this process, a recruitment partner can narrow down the candidates to a shortlist of five to ten who meet your criteria, rather than bombarding you with CVs, many of which will not be a good match. 

2. To Understand the Employer’s Requirements

The candidate is only half of the recruitment equation, of course. To ensure a good fit, understanding the employer is just as important.

That’s what a recruitment partner gives you that a resume pusher cannot, Brian insists.

“You need a recruiter who views it as a long-term partnership, not just one and done,” he emphasizes. “An invested recruitment partner will go to the client to meet with the hiring manager, find out what the culture is really like and identify what they want and don’t want.”

During the intake process, it’s important to communicate with the hiring manager to obtain critical information, such as:

• which companies in the industry to avoid headhunting from
• who has already been considered, if the process has already started
• whether the budget has already been approved for the hire

With this knowledge, a recruitment partner is more likely to succeed in identifying the right candidate without putting their business at risk.

3. To Reach Passive Candidates

Another difference between recruitment partners and resume pushers is the ability to headhunt candidates who’re not actively looking for a change – but may privately be thinking about one.

Managers and directors in particular are often placed as a result of courting these passive job seekers.

“A recruitment partner’s job is to be a disruptor to passive job seekers. I do that by leveraging my network to headhunt potential candidates. I ask what would motivate them to potentially consider a new challenge, articulate the culture of the company that’s recruiting and describe the potential long-term gains,” Brian explains.

A recruitment partner who specializes in a given industry may be able to quickly reach out to 30 to 40 people who are working in, or have worked in, that field and possess the required skill-set. 

“If the people I contact are not looking for a change, or if the timing is not right, I’ll ask who else they know that might be interested,” Brian adds.

4. To Discreetly Conduct Confidential Job Searches

When companies need to replace an under-performing employee who is still in place, a confidential search is required. This is often challenging for internal HR departments, but if you outsource the mandate, you have to trust that it will be executed with the necessary discretion. 

Brian is well-versed in confidential searches, having executed them at all levels within his area of expertise, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. 

“Experienced recruiters have eyes and ears on the street and networks they can tap into,” notes Brian. “They know, for instance, not to refer a candidate who doesn’t have previous or current CPG experience.”

Using a trusted recruitment partner will help make the complex, time-consuming process of confidential job searches faster, seamless and more accurate.