Internal and external recruitment: How collaboration is the key to success

When should you use an external recruiter vs an internal recruiter?

It goes without saying that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. But Sofia and Jaimee agree that it depends on where you’re at from a company perspective. If you’re hiring just one person a year, it’s likely that an internal recruiter won’t be necessary and you can just outsource your recruitment. However, if you’re hiring for multiple roles, it would be beneficial to hire someone internal. This isn’t just to help with the recruitment itself, but also processes to help the company in general, such as building a culture.

It can also depend on how mature your organisation is, if you have a people plan or a budget in place then you can definitely go in-house for your recruitment, as external recruitment alone might not get you the traction you need to hire at a high volume. However, there can sometimes be moments when an internal recruiter cannot rely on themselves alone. For example, as an in-house recruiter, when Jaimee has a very niche role to hire for or doesn’t have the right connections for it, she makes use of headhunters or freelancers for help.

What are some of the differences between internal and external recruitment?

One of the biggest differences between these two roles, and something to definitely be aware of if you use external recruitment, is that they may not always be sure of the ins and outs of a company or what they’re recruiting for. Of course, they understand the requirements of the role, but they don’t always fully understand the bits that an internal recruiter knows from the inside.

A metaphor Jaimee often uses to describe this scenario is dropping your child off at soccer practice. In theory, you know what’s happening, you get them all the equipment they need to succeed, but once you drop them off you don’t have an understanding of what’s actually happening at the practice. But the coaches who are on the inside and in charge do have that inner understanding and extra level of knowledge for the child to succeed. 

These roles shouldn’t be in competition with each other

A key takeaway from this discussion is that it shouldn’t be internal vs external, but internal and external. It’s important for these two functions to collaborate rather than be siloed against each other. With internal and external recruiters on the same page, you’re more likely to find better hires, who will be willing to stay with the company for a longer period of time.

Before choosing to go with a certain external agency or freelancer, make sure you do your research and find ones who have the same vibe as your company and will be a good fit. Sofia would much rather find a recruiter who will send her one great candidate than ten unfit ones just to fill a quota.

Similarly, if you’re already working with external recruiters, how much do you actually collaborate? Do you meet up for lunches or coffees? Do they come to the office? Our guests mentioned they had colleagues who worked with agencies who had never visited their office. If your external recruiters haven’t been to the office or on any team meetings, how can they possibly know what it’s like to work for your company and, therefore, sell that to potential candidates.

Collaboration can help avoid bad candidate experience

As with everything, it’s crucial to be giving your candidates the best possible experience, which could be compromised if internal and external recruiters are not on the same page. If you’re not communicating or collaborating enough, this can lead to miscommunication and false information being given to the candidates. Also, as we mentioned before, the candidates could be sold a certain view of the organization that just isn’t true.

Sofia brings up a time when both herself and the external recruiter at the time were in contact with the same candidate about the exact same thing, leading the candidate to have to repeat the same information and feedback. Obviously, this can be stressful for the candidate in question and not represent the best image for your company and its structures. Because of this, she stresses to make it very clear from the get-go on what your expectations for the external recruiter are—what aspects you want them to be involved in vs the ones you don’t.

Another good tip from Jaimee, is to get the stakeholders involved as soon as possible, even if it’s just for a quick 20 minute call. She believed she was bringing forward 3 perfect candidates to the role, but when it came to meeting with the CEO or MD, it became very clear very quickly that they weren’t the right fit, leading to time wasted for everyone involved. So making sure everyone is on the same page right from the start can avoid unnecessary situations such as this one.

Takeaways

One of the biggest things to take away from our discussion with Jaimee and Sofia is that internal and external recruiters don’t have to be in competition with each other, and that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. In fact, in a lot of cases, there’s room for both and can even be strategic to your recruitment efforts knowing how to utilise each and when.

Another sentiment, which is also echoed by a lot of our inspiring guests, is to never stop being curious. Jaimee and Sofia encourage our listeners to not stop learning or asking questions to further your knowledge. Whether it be reaching out to your network, talking to people on LinkedIn, attending industry events or connecting with your peers, the world of recruitment is constantly changing and there’s always more to grasp. 

Listen to the Happy Recruiting episode to hear more from Jaimee and Sofia as they expand on their roles as internal and external recruiters.