The Benefits of Manufacturing Headhunters
Making the perfect hire is like trying to find a needle in a haystack for many companies, which is why working with manufacturing headhunters is an increasingly popular choice. In this article, we take a look at the pros and cons of collaboration with these dedicated recruiters.
The economy is improving and manufacturing headhunters have rarely been more relevant. It’s imperative that you make the right hire in this competitive industry, and executive headhunters find the best talent, both local and global. Manufacturing jobs require deep understanding and knowledge, and by teaming up with headhunters who know the industry inside and out, you improve your chances of making that all-important right hire straight off the bat.
Couldn’t You Make the Hire Yourself?
This is a valid argument for some companies. The way new employees are found is evolving and you could make your next hire yourself. LinkedIn is home to 476 million members, which means there’s a good chance your next hire is on there. Many companies already use this social media site to find new recruits and its existence can make recruitment easier. There’s a useful search filter option and the site is free to use.
But while it’s tempting to make your next hire yourself, the numbers don’t always add up. LinkedIn Recruiter is the site’s premium tool that assists with your search, but it can cost $7,000, which will seem excessive to small businesses who still have to do the legwork themselves.
Using LinkedIn is time consuming because it’s a giant database, home to thousands of potential manufacturing employees. That’s a lot of talent to sift through, and a lot of chaff to be separated from the wheat.
This is where manufacturing headhunters come in. The long-term value they add to your business when they match you up with the ideal outstanding candidate is immense and, moreover, they often understand your industry and job roles more fully than you do yourself. Even better, they take care of the whole recruitment process for you so that you’re free to focus on your core business needs.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of working with headhunters to see if it’s worth your time working with them.
Pros:
Headhunters Already Have Established Relationships
You’ve got a great working relationship with your current employees and clients, but how is your relationship with other companies? Do you know who is available to come and work for you? Do you have relationships with employees from other companies who are seeking a change in career?
If you don’t, you’re already at a disadvantage to headhunters.
They are one step ahead because, thanks to their large network of contacts, they have established relationships with the kind of people who can influence your next hire.
Headhunters are in contact with directors at other companies, as well as active and passive candidates. This means they know employees who are actively seeking a new job, as well as ones who are settled but could be tempted away.
Finding the perfect fit for your role can come down to who you know. If you already have great relationships with other companies, you can leverage them to find outstanding candidates.
They Can Get Results—Fast
Need to fill a vacant position quickly? Headhunters already have a comprehensive database of potential candidates at the ready, which means neither you nor they need to spend too long finding the right match.
Most of the leg work is already done. If you’ve got an aggressive deadline, headhunters can send over resumes within a week, and help you make a hire in less than a month if needed.
Headhunters Save You Time
If there’s one thing many of us are always complaining that we don’t have enough of, it’s time. So why would you want to lose even more time by carrying out the entire hiring process yourself?
Headhunters remove the daunting prospect of your HR department working 24/7 in a bid to find a diamond in the rough. And when they do uncover that hidden gem, they then have to spend time emailing them, carrying out rounds of interviews and so on.
Headhunters remove all this hassle. They take care of the whole hiring process for you so that you and your HR department can focus on the day to day running and improvement of your company.
Manufacturing Headhunters Are Good At Marketing Your Company
Referring back to LinkedIn, there’s no doubt that the site is a hotbed of talent and that your next hire is probably on there. But many companies don’t consider social media time ‘productive’ and do little beyond the essentials. Because of this, it can be a much better idea to hand the reins over to headhunters that know how to use the social media site better than anyone else.
Professional headhunters are able to market your company in a way that makes it appealing to candidates. This isn’t something companies themselves always get right, primarily because fixing up your profile and making it look more presentable takes time.
Moreover, there might be tricks you’re missing that headhunters aren’t. For example, are you linking to your social media accounts, posting status updates and publishing content? All of this is important because it elevates your position as a thought leader in the mind of potential candidates. If your LinkedIn account is unfinished, it’s hardly going to inspire an outstanding candidate.
Cons:
The Costs
LinkedIn Recruiter, which costs around $7,000, might seem like a less expensive option than working with headhunters, however, it’s important to think less about short term costs and more about long term value.
Over the long term, the right hire will save you money, time and hassle. If you try to find and hire a new recruit yourself, you may end up with the wrong one, which means you’ll have to do it all again. Manufacturing headhunters can help you save time and money in the long term.
Personal Touch
Some companies worry that manufacturing headhunters do not represent the face of their brand. As such, there is an argument that they lack a personal touch. This is however a common misperception, as passive outstanding candidates expect to be approached first by a headhunter as opposed to the company itself.
Not Always the Right Fit
It’s important to partner with a headhunting firm that represents your values. If you’re a growing manufacturing company, those values are likely to include attention to detail, technical excellence and passion. Find headhunters that share these values. There are a lot of firms out there, but the reputations of the best precede them.
All in all, you need to weigh up the value manufacturing headhunters can provide. Do you have the time, know-how, and network to make the right hire in a short space of time? For most companies, the cost of working with headhunters will pay for itself in the performance of an outstanding candidate. Manufacturing headhunters can be instrumental in helping you find that needle in a haystack.
