Why On-Demand Recruiting is the Perfect Match for Startups

Being in a start-up environment is challenging. Often, it feels like there is not enough time in the day to accomplish your laundry list of tasks, and the stressors of starting a business can be overwhelming.?

When first starting, you’re sure to face an uphill battle. Many of the challenges with a startup center around finding the human capital needed to catapult your business to success. Finding the right talent for your organization is just as important as securing investment. Without a strong team, your entire company suffers.?

When you start a business money is tight, especially if you’re boot strapped and self funded. Every dollar you spend matters and impacts your bottom line. Organizations need to be able to rely on cost-effective measures to research, engage, and hire top candidates. And, start-ups need to be able to utilize tools that grow alongside the ever-changing needs of their new business. One popular method of achieving this is through using the outsourced services of an on-demand recruiting specialist.?

What is On-Demand Recruiting?

On-demand recruitment is exactly as it sounds. It’s a recruitment service that you can turn on when you need it and switch off when you don’t. Typically obtained through third-party candidate search firms, on-demand recruiting acts as an augment to your internal hiring team and needs, adding new talent acquisition specialists to your current hiring team. After spending the time to get to know your unique organizational culture and needs, on-demand experts can cultivate a list of qualified candidates so that your internal hiring team can focus on screening, interviewing, and hiring the right people.?

The last thing your organization wants is to hire someone that doesn’t fit the role or exceed your expectations. On-demand recruiting provides access to a larger pool of potential candidates, so you can make an informed and logical hiring decision. Many start-ups rely on the help of on-demand recruiting firms to expand their professional network, engage with candidates, and hire quickly at a cost-effective price.?

The Benefits of Using an On-Demand Recruiting Partner

Seen as a low-risk practice by many business professionals, on-demand recruiting firms have increased in popularity over recent years. A large advantage of on-demand firms is the flexibility that they provide. Rather than being locked in a contract with traditional search firms or spending countless hours and dollars having your internal team research, engage, and interview candidates, or even hiring additional staff, on-demand firms allow you to use their services only when you need them and only charge you when you do use them. This allows you and your on-demand recruiting team to react to specific market needs.?

Other common benefits your start-up will enjoy when you embrace an on-demand recruiting strategy include:

You can scale your hiring to fit your current needs. In a start-up setting, your hiring needs can change quickly. Sometimes you may be looking for multiple employees to help round out your current needs, and sometimes you may be sitting pretty, not needing to add to your current team. The benefit of using on-demand recruiting is that you don’t need to worry about wasting money on a recruiter service when you don’t need to hire. On-demand firms will work alongside your needs and will be there for you when you need them.?

You have added flexibility to your budget. With a pay-as-you-use-it-not-as-you-don’t business model, on-demand recruiting firms are affordable for everyone. We know how important protecting your cash flow can be for start-ups. Regardless of the size of your budget, on-demand firms can work to help you fit the top talent for your open roles.?

Industry expert knowledge helps support your needs. When you employ an on-demand recruiting firm, you enter into a partnership with industry experts. The right on-demand firm knows the latest hiring trends and predictions within your industry and has a database of qualified and relevant candidates they can tap into to help you get the right hire. With an on-demand recruiting firm, the hiring experts add to the expertise and experience of your internal team.?

The right on-demand partner adds value to your existing hiring efforts, it doesn’t replace it entirely. As a team, you’ll need to work together to understand your needs better and refine your ideal candidate profiles.?

Maximizing Your Strategy Through On-Demand Recruiting

When you invest your hard-earned money in an on-demand recruiting firm, you want to be sure to get the best return on your investment possible. To help you reap the biggest benefits of your investment, you’ll need to collaborate with the recruiting firm to create a unified strategy and goal. The following are some things you can do to set your partnership off on the right track:?

1. Discuss and implement goals — Setting goals is the best way to track progress and efficiency. When you first invest in an on-demand recruiting firm, discuss what goals you have for yourself and for them to achieve. You can make your goals customized for specific hires or for the overall partnership you expect to have.?

Ask yourself:

• What timeline have we set to find a new hire?
• How many candidates would we like to find?
• What is the total budget for searching and recruiting new candidates?
• How will we measure the success of our efforts?

2.?Create a compelling employer brand — Today’s job seekers have more access to information than ever before. And most candidates are likely to search your company before applying for a job.?If your online presence and employer brand are lacking or underwhelming, there’s a chance you can turn away potential candidates before you even meet them. Your employer brand is crucial and will help you attract talent that fits your organization’s culture.?

Pro Tips For A Strong Employer Brand:

• Join social media! Use this as a method of connecting with individuals and showing off your organization and employees.
• Show off your culture! Post pictures of employee events, company parties, and the daily life at your business.?
• Showcase your values! Every business has values and goals they adhere to. Give candidates a visualization of these values on your site and social media platforms.?

3.?Know who you want — The only way to hire the right person for the job is to figure out who your ideal candidate is. What kind of experience do they bring to the table? What skills are you specifically looking for? What kind of daily responsibilities are they expected to achieve? By finding answers to questions like these, you and your on-demand recruiting partner can ensure you’re searching for the right people.?

4.?Build out a complete talent pipeline — Chances are you know what steps you need to take to recruit, hire, and onboard your new hires. But, there is a benefit in visualizing the actual talent pipeline candidates go through to analyze your candidate experience better. Typically, how soon after applying do candidates get a response? What steps happen after the initial screening? The first interview? By walking through your talent pipeline, you can create an efficient and enjoyable experience that leaves candidates satisfied rather than upset.

5. Leverage multiple sourcing strategies: Outside of on-demand recruiting, there are many sourcing strategies you can use to find and hire top talent. You can set up employee referral programs to find new talent from your existing workers. You can promote open positions on your social media platforms and job posting sites to garner interest in your company. The more ways you try to find and engage with potential candidates, the more likely you will find that superstar you’ve been looking for.?

IQTP: The Michelin Star of On-Demand Recruiters

IQTalent Partners has over 200 U.S.-based consultants, meaning we’re able to handle any and all of your hiring needs. And, since we are built as an adaptable and flexible model, we are able to mold to your specific needs, saving you time and money. When you work with us, our team of experts quickly and seamlessly integrates with your internal team, offering your team a wealth of advice, expertise, and experience.?

Unlike traditional recruiting firms, at IQTP, we know the importance of transparency. That’s why we offer you unparalleled access to your data so that you can see the benefit of recruiting through us at every step of the way. All candidate information and recruiting data we compile is yours, forever. This enables you to predict future hiring needs better and grow your talent pool down the road.?

The best part? IQTP bills by the hour. We’re actively working to keep your investors happy and protect your bottom line by only working when you need us and can afford it.?

Starting a business is a fun, exciting, stressful, and challenging time. But, by sourcing and hiring the right people to help raise your organization to the next level, you can begin to eliminate some of those heavy burdens. The key to finding the right talent in a cost-effective and timely manner is by employing the help of an external on-demand recruiting firm. Let the recruiting experts handle finding you the right candidates so that you can focus on achieving your organizational goals.?

If you would like to connect to talk about your challenges or just talk shop, please send me a LinkedIn connection request or email me at [email protected]