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With so many recruiters advertising their skills, it can be extremely difficult to choose the right one for your company's needs. While some recruiters have a broad approach, willing to lend their services to just about anyone looking to fill a vacant position, others are much more focused on a single industry, like dietary ingredients or natural industry jobs, for example.
As a hiring manager, it can be difficult to know what type of recruiter you should hire. On the one hand, recruiting generalists can have contact lists that are a mile long and might even count big, recognizable brands - though not necessarily ones in your industry - are former clients.
On the other hand, are niche recruiters. These specialists might not have the same size lists, but they can bring a lot to the table. In fact, the argument for hiring an industry specific recruiter is a fairly strong one.
Deeper Industry Knowledge
Perhaps one of the most important things a niche recrutier can bring to the hiring process is a wealth of industry knowledge. When a recruiter makes his or her living exclusively catering to one industry it is essential that they know that sector forwards and backwards. This includes staying extremely up-to-date on trends, knowing key industry players, and having strong ties to leaders in the industry. They can also share compensation best practices and where the best talent works. While a general recruiter may be able to spout a few facts about your specific company, they are rarely able to come with this depth of knowledge. Having an industry expert on your side means having someone that knows what it takes to succeed in your industry and who can help you find candidates to fit that can help your company reach the next level.
More Loyal Client Relationships
Because a niche represents just a small sliver of all the jobs on the market, such as with dietary ingredients or natural industry jobs, developing mutually beneficial relationships with clients becomes that much more important. When a niche recruiter burns an industry bridge, it is safe to assume that the rest of the small community will hear about it. Niche recruiters benefit hugely from having good relationships with a variety of clients, which means that you can develop a trusting relationship with that person and maintain it for the long term.
When You Succeed, They Succeed
If you hire a non-specialist and your industry takes a temporary downturn, or even if you have a slow hiring year ,they can simply move on to clients from another vertical. But an industry specific recruiter is motivated to find your employees that will help your company succeed, because when your industry grows, their business grows.
The choice with which search firm to go with depends on the circumstances, but it is easy to see why the more a recruiter knows about your specific industry, the better chance they have at finding you the perfect candidate.