Finding the best and brightest people to hire is an exhausting endeavor when simultaneously running a business. The final judgment call can be done rather simply by experienced hirers familiar to the signs and signals of professionalism, but making sure the best people make it to that point is when hiring becomes an art as much as a science.
Human resources used to be the solution, but it's a fading sector as companies continue to downsize and startup lacks the means to devote to a branch for hiring. This leads to those in search of talent to have to know where to look.
Otherwise it becomes a situation where the ideal candidate never even knew the opportunity was there and someone less than stellar is chosen. Who wants to lead a team of professionals in high stakes ventures and operations uncertain whether or not they've got the best on board?
Headhunters, staffing agencies, recruiters-call them what you will, these organizations continue to play a role in finding the best people to work for the best companies. In fact for several industries and specialized lines of work these agencies are downright necessary for tracking down top-level talent;
Healthcare-Clinics, doctor's offices, and hospitals nationwide are constantly in need of qualified staff. Networks exist to help provide these facilities with healthcare support by connecting them with occupational therapists, registered nurses, and other in-demand medical staff. Few healthcare providers, no matter the level of care or quality of care, want to employ anything less than the best and brightest possible. With limited means to spend on dedicated H.R. most doctors and hospitals are opting for recruiters to provide assistance.
Information Technology – Demand for IT personnel comes from just about every enterprise in existence these days. Companies in need of upper-level techies such as database administrators and program developers almost always need a recruitment team to steal these candidates away from other jobs. This is because of the high demand for the talents these men and women possess; they're virtually always already hired by somebody. Fewer and fewer companies have the time and energy to spend luring these folks their way-an agency must be involved.
Manufacturing, Research & Development-While it's true the total number of skilled labor positions are fading in this country, fields requiring math and science skills are seeing record levels of opportunity. Unfortunately the number of qualified applicants has yet to meet the 21st century definition of skilled labor. The result, like with I.T., is a harder time finding good people. Most are already happily working somewhere else. It's not the same as posting a job via online classified and poring over the hundreds of applicants-the roles are reversed. Headhunters are skilled in this arena, whereas those without a human resources background will struggle.
Indeed, finding the right people is easier said than done. Many self-managing entrepreneurs and other business leaders pride themselves on a perceived natural instinct for sniffing out talent, yet ignore a long history of wrong picks. With the help of staffing agencies there is an increased chance that the men and women coming in for an interview are going to be clean-cut and professional as a way of life, not merely to look good for a job.
Once upon a time companies employed a dedicated team of human resources personnel to seek out the ideal candidates for open positions, but HR is increasingly diminishing. Newer generations of business leaders need an alternative to bridge the gap between what an HR office can provide and why the Internet revolution makes them obsolete. Staffing agencies built for the 21st century are the compromise they're looking for.
