As many as 64% companies say they have rejected suitable candidates because the recruitment agency who supplied them wasn’t on their Preferred Supplier List (PSL). And, whilst we advise that it is better to usually work with one or two specific agencies, it is important that companies recognise the benefits of accepting assistance from niche recruitment partners who know and specialise within the market.
Niche IT recruitment agency, such as Resource on Demand Limited (ROD), who specialise within the salesforce.com and cloud technology sector have a thorough understanding of the marketplace in general and have an extremely strong network of expert individuals. But what benefits could you realise from utilising their services?
Lee Durrant, the founder of ROD says “To run an effective recruitment campaign, whether you are looking for permanent employees or contractors, takes having a good understanding of the technology, the industry as whole, and the types of companies that hire. With expert knowledge, agencies such as ROD, can deliver good candidates in an increasingly tight market. They will be able to draw upon their network to source high quality and skilled individuals”.
Niche recruitment agencies can go a long way to reducing costs, as they cut the need to use multiple channels to 
advertise your vacancy. And whilst recruitment agency fees may be considered high by some, all the hard work is done by the agency, and you usually only pay at the point you make a successful hire. Companies who source individuals with niche skills, can spend over 24% more on their recruitment campaign compared to those companies who utilise a niche agency.
One of the biggest advantages of using specialist recruitment companies, is that they can cut the time spent on hiring, by up to as much as 69%. The agency will search across all of their databases to identify potential candidates, who they will screen and shortlist for each vacancy. They will deal with all incoming enquiries, provide feedback to the candidates, good and bad, whilst promoting and reinforcing the image of the company. They will act as the point of contact between the hiring manager or recruitment team and the individual applicants to arrange technical screening, presentations, interviews and offers thereby reducing the time that hiring managers needs to spend on these activities themselves.
A good recruitment agency that is highly knowledgeable in their field, will also be able to provide advice, such as comparable salaries and rates, based on skills, expertise and certifications. They will also be able to identify where you might be losing out on good candidates to other companies within your marketplace.
Lee Durrant went on to say “Using a good recruitment agency, can also be good for staff retention. [As they] tend to find the right candidate straightaway, which means individuals tend to stay with the company longer term. Almost 96% of our clients have people working for them, for four years or more, which is a pretty good return on investment for the company, when you take into account the cost, time and effort that goes into a recruitment campaign”.
In conclusion, working with a niche agency, doesn’t mean giving up your PSL and working with every recruitment agency that offers their services, but recognising that there is a place for niche recruiters could end up saving you more in the long term.
If you would like to discuss your own needs with one of the team, please contact us now on 020 8123 7769 or email rod@resourceondemand.com.