Recruiting Vs. Going Solo: Why Hire Out Your…Hiring?

If it’s time to expand your staff, but you’re in the middle of preparing for the busy holiday season, finding new employees can seem overwhelming. With the prospect of hours reading through applications, multiple rounds of interviews, filing extensive paperwork for insurance and liability and payroll, and still trying to manage your business, you could be tempted to just divvy up the extra work on your current staff (not a good idea since overworked staff can mean higher turnover rate) or take on the jobs yourself (also a bad choice). Obviously, your only other option would be to hire out your hunt for new members to round out your staff, but that’s expensive and risky, right?

We’ll let the facts do the talking! Here are a couple of things you need to know about going solo for your hiring process versus pulling in a recruiter to do the job for you:

First, flying solo might seem cheaper, but if you count your own hours and time as billable, you’re actually spending more money by going through the hiring process on your own. Each application that comes in must be read thoroughly, each reference must be checked out with a phone call or email, and then if the applicant passes this phase, you’ll need to call them for one or more interviews before the final decision process can begin. A recruiter on the other hand already has a list of applicants who are qualified ready and waiting. With one call, you can get multiple applicants who have already gone through the first hurdles, meaning less work for you and less time spent. That’s money in your pocket!

Secondly, doing your own hiring might appear to have fewer risks, but in reality, you could actually be taking a bigger risk by hiring on your own. A staffing agency like PHR requires that each of our applicants pass a thorough background check and, in some cases, drug testing (if requested by the employer). Unless you plan on covering the expensive costs of this for each applicant, you will likely forgo this step, and that means you could be hiring someone completely unsuited for your office or work environment. If you make this mistake even one time, you would have wasted countless hours and money on someone who you can’t keep around long term. With a recruiter, the risk is taken out of the equation. We handle the background checks and testing, and you get a “trial” period with an applicant before a hire is made. If you would prefer someone else, easy! We simply send another applicant your way until you find the right fit.

Finally, a recruiter knows the area, and knows the quickest and most efficient way to market your open position to the right audience. That means you get the employee(s) you need faster, and can get back to running your business sooner without overworking your existing staff or overworking yourself. It offers an all-around better solution for you and your company.

If you are ready to grow your staff but don’t know where to start, PHR Staffing Solutions is a great first step! Simply call us and we’re happy to answer any of your questions about our services, how they could work for you, and what the best plan of action is for your business. We are proud to serve the greater Lakeland area with the best in staffing services, and we’re ready and waiting to help you!