Sourcing new talent to join your organisation is never a quick and easy job, particularly in more technical fields like lab informatics, where requirements for specific skillsets and experience can really narrow down your talent pool. Across the lab informatics job market, talent is also in high-demand and short supply, making it harder to find the right talent quickly and easily.
Not sure whether it’s time to consider a specialist recruitment consultant to support your hiring strategy? Here are some of the key considerations to make when preparing to take on new hires, and how specialist consultants can help to bridge the gap.
To enhance your in-house recruitment drive
Lack of internal resource is often one of the key reasons an organisation may choose to bring in a specialist recruitment consultant. Finding and securing a new member of your team can be a lengthy process, and it can be difficult to find the time or capacity to take on this kind of responsibility in-house. A specialist recruitment consultant will listen to your requirements and dedicate their time to finding you the best person for the role, freeing up your teams to focus on the day-to-day. This is especially important for smaller companies that are trying to scale-up and grow, as this process takes time and can put additional pressure on existing teams, who may not be best qualified for this task.
For hard-to-fill roles
As specialist consultants, our networks are our superpower. Recruitment experts with deep experience in a specific field will have a wide talent network to engage with, as well as a deeper understanding of what kind of skillsets are desirable in more specialised roles. When briefing an external consultant on the kind of candidate you’re looking for, they’ll likely already have some connections in mind who could be suited for the role, and may already have an open dialogue with potential candidates looking for a new opportunity. As a result, you can identify, hire, and onboard promising candidates sooner – which can be a huge benefit for roles that need to be filled quickly.
For short-term needs
Sometimes, there will be a short-term need for additional capacity within an organisation, especially in lab informatics where standalone projects can be resource-intensive for a set period of time. Projects such as these can also kick-off at a moment’s notice, which means that resource must be found quickly to keep pace.
Recruitment partners can help here, as having access to a wide talent pool means recruitment specialists will not only have dialogue with candidates looking for full-time roles, but also with contract workers who are looking for more ad-hoc work. This means they can help you to source short-term contractors quickly, so you can kick-off projects with experienced consultants who can dedicate their full time, experience, and attention to your project – and hit the ground running as soon as they’re brought in.
For long-term partnership
A specialist recruitment consultant doesn’t just have to be someone you engage with as and when the need arises. They can become part of your team, and provide dedicated resource to securing you the best talent. Recruitment consultants will often work with the same clients on a regular basis, and build a great working relationship with clients who engage specialist services when trying to recruit niche or hard-to-fill roles.
Long-term partnership can benefit your organisation in other ways too. Once your recruitment partner has successfully completed a hire for your company, they will better understand your requirements as an organisation and what kind of candidates will perform well in your working environment. Recruiters are constantly in contact with different candidates looking for new roles, and always on the lookout for fresh talent – so even if you’re not actively recruiting at a given moment in time, they can still identify great candidates that are on the job hunt and present these to you for consideration or to factor into future hiring plans.
At 32 Stripes, we work with a number of different organisations, all with varying requirements – some clients rely on us as an extension of their hiring team, while others may reach out for support as and when a more specialist approach is required. Expert recruitment consultants can work around you, as ultimately their goal is to fulfil your recruitment needs in whatever capacity is required.
How else can a specialist recruiter help me?
Recruitment consultants don’t have to be a huge, all or nothing commitment – you can choose to fully outsource your hiring to them, or they can supplement and support your in-house team to find the right person. Charges will only apply if and when your recruitment consultant identifies your next hire, meaning any payment is a result of a successful collaboration.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know how to attract the right talent or how you should plan your hiring strategy. Specialist recruitment consultants are exactly what they say on the tin – consultants who specialise in recruitment for your sector. This means they can support you beyond finding an ideal applicant. They can advise you on steps to take to improve your appeal as an employer; they can bring fresh perspectives to the table in terms of what’s happening across the industry and what skill sets are, or will be, in demand; and they can offer valuable advice based on years of experience in recruiting candidates in your specific field. When you work with a specialist recruitment consultant, you’re doing more than just outsourcing your hiring needs. You are bringing in a dedicated partner to support your hiring strategy every step of the way.
To find out more about how we can support your hiring needs, contact us today.