Internal v external recruiters: Who’s better placed to help you hire staff?

The argument of whether internal or external recruiters are better at hiring staff that fit the mould of what employers are looking for has risen again.

There has been some contention recently over the role of the recruitment agency and whether or not the profession is dying.

Jesse Shah, nrol’s director, is firmly in the pro-agency corner, claiming there will always be a place for recruiters as they’re better equipped for managing talent.

“Anyone who tells me recruitment’s dying has no idea. And I don’t just say that because I’m a recruiter. Every day, we speak to 50, 60, 70 candidates. We know things that internal will never know. We know things that LinkedIn can never tell you about an individual,” said Mr Shah.

Mr Shah argued that internal recruiters aren’t able to provide the same level of service as external recruiters due to biases.

“If you’re an internal recruiter, you’re giving a biased view for the company you work for. As a recruiter, we work with majority of companies across the board, so therefore. as a candidate, we’re giving you an unbiased view because we are giving you a full picture of the market, and we’re giving you several opportunities, and we are putting you forward,” he explained.

“A good recruiter is not just going to look at you to make a deal and a placement just for the now. A good recruiter wants to be with you throughout your career. So, they’re going to give you a role that is actually going to help you and satisfy your professional goals, as well as your personal goals, because they want to work with you for years to come. That can never be replaced.”

One major fear for workers and recruiters alike is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation and whether these new technologies will affect the profession. Mr Shah sees this digitisation as an opportunity rather than a hindrance.

“AI can help distinguish CVs and things like that, but we’re dealing with people here; people are not a product where they’re on a shelf,” said Mr Shah.

“People have feelings; people have emotions. Careers are one of the most important things in our lives, apart from family and health. They’re where we spend 90 per cent of our lives, and if you let a robot place you in a role, you’re never going to be happy.”

Mr Shah believes that recruiters are better equipped to provide the personal touch that candidates appreciate.

“There’s nothing better than being personal with somebody and building a relationship and using that relationship to find them the right opportunity,” Mr Shah said.

“You can’t ever undervalue the importance of relationships.”

Late last month, HR Leader spoke to Richard Triggs, founder and CEO of Arete Executive, who offered a different take on the state of the recruitment industry.

“The recruitment industry has died, never to be resuscitated,” Mr Triggs said, explaining that the rise of LinkedIn and online posting boards such as SEEK have taken away a lot of the reliance on external recruiters.

“All the recruiter wants to do is to put a square peg in a square hole, get paid and move on. So, if they run an ad, and there are 10 applicants who are pretty square pegs, and you’re not quite so square, it’s very hard to get an interview,” he said.

“… Let’s say a mining company need to recruit a CFO. You need to go to a recruiter who specialises in recruiting chief financial officers for the mining industry because they’ve got the database. You have to spend the money with them. Well, now, probably 99 per cent of those CFOs of mining companies have got a LinkedIn profile. So why would I go and spend $100,000 when I can go and find them myself for free?”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with Jesse Shah, click below: