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Today’s recruiting software market is more fragmented than ever. There are a lot of options out there, and most vendors have their own take on how things should be done. This can make it challenging for anyone looking to invest in recruiting software to know what will be the best fit for their organization. If you’re new to recruiting or have just started researching recruiting software, you may be wondering whether you should use a third-party recruiting agency or invest in an in-house system like an applicant tracking system (ATS), resume management solution, or another piece of software. The answer is not as simple as “one is better than the other.” It all depends on your specific needs and resources. Both an external recruiter and internal hiring software can help your company build a stronger candidate pipeline, streamline hiring processes, and find great hires faster.
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What is a Recruiting Agency?
There is no official definition of recruiting agencies, but they are essentially third-party vendors that help companies find new employees through a variety of channels. Some specialize in sourcing candidates from a specific industry, while others focus on specific hiring channels. A recruiting agency is a third-party vendor that helps your company find new employees. Recruiters typically source candidates from different channels and places, like job boards, referrals, or employee referrals. They can also help you with the hiring process, including organizing candidate interviews and facilitating communication between hiring managers and candidates.
Recruiting Agency Software: The Basics
If you decide to go with a recruiting agency, you may be required to use their in-house recruiting software. These systems are primarily for the benefit of the agency, to help them organize and track candidates. They’re often built using a combination of tools like a CRM, ATS, and a resume builder. There are also stand-alone recruiting software that you can use to manage the entire recruiting process. This type of software is similar to an ATS, but it’s designed specifically for the recruiting process and sourcing candidates. Many recruiting software solutions have a built-in ATS, which can be helpful if you’re using an agency. You can use the built-in ATS to store your candidates’ information (like resumes, cover letters, and applications) and see when they are due to be contacted next. This can help you stay organized and on track with your hiring process.
Why Hiring Agencies and Software Are Complementary
Hiring agencies and recruiting software serve different functions and can be used together to maximize your hiring efforts. – Hiring agencies help you find candidates and recruit them. They also help evaluate candidates, conduct interviews, and screen resumes. – Hiring software helps you manage your hiring process, stay organized, and find candidates across multiple channels.
When You Should Use Recruiting Software Instead of an Agency
The most obvious scenarios when you should go the software route instead of choosing an agency: – You want more control over your recruiting process. If you want to control every step of the hiring process, from sourcing candidates to managing interviews, you should consider investing in hiring software. You can use recruiting software to customize your hiring process as needed, giving you full control over every step. This can be helpful if you want to add or remove steps from the process (like screening candidates) or change how things are organized (for example, you may want to move the sourcing step to the beginning of the process). – You want to source candidates from multiple channels. If you’re using an agency and sourcing candidates solely through their channels, many of your candidates may be referred by existing employees. If you’re sourcing candidates from job boards and other places outside your agency’s reach, hiring software can help you organize, track, and manage these candidates. You can also segment and organize your candidate data using recruiting software, which can make it easier to find candidates based on specific criteria.
When It’s Best to Use Both Together
While most companies will use both recruiting software and an agency, some may prefer to use one or the other. That said, there are a few scenarios when it makes sense to use both: – You want to maximize your hiring efforts. Using an agency to source candidates and recruiting software to manage the hiring process can help you find great candidates faster. You can use recruiting software to source candidates from multiple channels and organize them all in one place. This can save you time and make it easier to prioritize your candidates. If you are using an agency, you can also use recruiting software to help organize your candidate data. This can make it easier to collaborate with your agency and see candidates that your agency is sourcing for you.
Wrapping up
Choosing the right recruiting agency or software can be challenging. That’s why it’s important to do your research and understand your company’s needs. You can use the advice in this article to help you decide whether to invest in internal hiring software or use an external recruiting agency. With recruiting software like Recruiterflow, you can streamline your hiring process, find better candidates faster, and save time. The right software can help you manage your hiring process, organize your candidate data, and collaborate with your team.
