When is an external recruiter the best choice?
Kadi Mikson
Traditionally, an employer writes a job ad, posts it on a job portal, and waits for applicants who are actively looking for a new role. For some positions, this works well.
An external recruiter usually comes into the picture when the hiring process takes longer than expected.
Companies also get curious when they hear success stories from friends, colleagues, or partners who have used recruitment services.
The next question becomes: is it even necessary to involve external help (like an agency or headhunter)? Not always. Especially when there are many candidates available for a lower-responsibility role. Still, there are situations where working with an external recruiter pays off and becomes the fastest way to find the right talent.
Our recruiter in the construction and engineering field, Kadi Mikson, shares from her experience and client feedback when and why it makes sense to consider external recruitment help.
1. Role complexity
The more responsibility the role holds, the more thoughtful the recruitment process should be. Before starting, the hiring manager or HR should answer:
- What position needs to be filled?
- What skills, personality, and experience would help someone succeed in this role?
- What value does the company offer to this new hire?
A recruiter can help define the candidate profile, value proposition, and conduct a market analysis to see how many matching candidates exist. If you're looking for a specialist or executive in a complex role, remember that top candidates often move through referrals or recruiters, not job ads.
2. A wide candidate network
One of the biggest benefits of working with a recruiter is their existing network—people they’ve already spoken to. There's already trust and knowledge of what would make that candidate consider a new job.
If the recruiter has worked on similar roles before, they’ll know how to assess candidates and target the right ones. And being neutral, the recruiter can also approach candidates working for competitors.
At SWR, each recruiter focuses on one specific field. We keep regular contact with specialists open to new opportunities, which builds strong candidate-recruiter trust.
3. Saving time
One key factor in recruitment is time. Does the manager or HR team have time to fully focus on hiring? And what are they sacrificing to do that? They already have other responsibilities, so expecting them to run a full headhunting process isn’t realistic. It’s more efficient to involve a professional recruiter who does this daily.
At SWR, our average headhunting process takes 1–4 months. Some searches are faster, more complex ones may take longer. But because we speak to more candidates through headhunting and really get to know them, the chance of long-term success is higher. We also offer a guarantee period—if the candidate doesn’t stay, we’ll find a replacement.
4. A personal approach
Many candidates value more than just a quick call or email. They want a reliable contact who understands their career goals. At SWR, our recruiters build trust, map out candidate expectations, and stay in touch for future roles as well.
The same applies to companies. Our goal is to find the best possible hire for the client. That means understanding the company’s culture, the direct manager, and key values—and then finding candidates who match. Recruitment is very similar to sales. Our recruiters all have over 7 years of sales experience, so taking a personalized approach comes naturally.
Takeaway
External recruiters do a lot of heavy lifting. They give their best to find the strongest candidates. While they offer suggestions and insight, the final hiring decision always belongs to the client. Even if many candidates seem technically qualified, the final success depends on the fit between the team and the person.
Before you start recruiting, go through the key questions and decide on the best plan.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our recruiter!
