I was discussing recruiting with a client recently who believes that having five or more contingency recruiters trying to find a candidate is more effective than working with one retained recruiter. “I’d rather have five people fishing than one” was the analogy he used.
On the surface, having more people “fishing” might improve your odds of finding more candidates, but when you’re trying to find the optimal candidate, I suggest you consider the following:
Effectiveness
f you’ve seen the classic 1975 movie Jaws, you’ll remember the scene where the local fishermen, who have already caught a number of sharks but not THE SHARK, are gathered in a room listening to Chief Brody talk about THE SHARK. Quint, a specialist in shark fishing, is hired to catch THE SHARK because he knows exactly what to do to find and catch it. And he does.
Exclusivity
The best candidates found through a contingency search can be presented to multiple companies, including your competitors. In a contingency search, the hiring company makes no commitment whatsoever to the recruiters, who get paid only if one of their candidates gets hired. Because of this, the contingency recruiter can’t be expected to offer the best candidates to only one company. And they don’t, again because there is no commitment from either party. Contingency recruiters should and will market great candidates to multiple companies.
Expertise
Although not always the case, contingency recruiters generally recruit for a broader selection of jobs and industries than retainer recruiters. As a result, you may see lots of lightly screened, readily available candidates, but not exceptionally qualified, hard to find candidates who could be great fits, but who aren’t actively looking, visible, or replying to job ads. Retainer recruiters generally have more expertise in a particular niche such as high tech sales and marketing.
When lots of qualified and affordable candidates are actively looking and eager to be hired, contingency might make sense. But when your job requires someone with a specialized background unique to the position you’re trying to fill, consider engaging a retainer recruiter with the experience and expertise to fill it.