Search Firms and Job Boards: Friends Or Foes?
By Frazer Donaldson
Most of LionSearch's client firms use both search firms and job boards to fill a wide variety of their permanent openings, but do these two entities compete? Complement one another? And will one eventually replace the other?
LionSearch does not use job boards as we do not feel our client firms should pay us to just post their jobs! We actively recruit passive candidates, those who are not out in the market seeking a new role. We cold call, network, and then identify the top talent for our client firm's specific open role, presenting those candidates, all of whom are very qualified for that specific role. This is what we do.
A job board is an excellent tool for recruiting, as long as it is managed well by a firm's human resources or recruiting group. If the posted jobs are well-written, accurate, and offer details as to why someone would want to work at the firm, and specifically in this role, then great. The challenge lies in processing all applicants for each posting in a timely manner to ensure the specific hiring manager receives the most qualified applicants quickly, and that the applicants do not lose interest in the role.
Most management-level and senior executives in technology we have spoken with recently have not had much success with job boards for many reasons - lack of postings at their level, incomplete job descriptions, or just that the job board process is "too public", impersonal, and doesn't allow for enough due diligence to qualify each role.
A responsive and effective search firm should be able to bridge this gap by educating the candidate on the role (pros and cons, career path, culture, etc.) as well as the client firm about the candidate. Search firms should be able to not only speed up the recruiting process by finding qualified talent quickly, but should also add tremendous value to both sides involved, thereby ensuring a mutually-beneficial hire.
A search firm used in conjunction with a job board is an excellent strategy for any mid-to-large sized firm with a wide variety of open roles at various levels.
And setting accurate expectations for both yourself as the hiring authority, and for the search firm and job board is very important to your success for filling your open roles. Job boards have limitations in reaching certain specific skill sets or levels of talent, and that's where a search firm can step in and help you complete a successful search.
Most of LionSearch's client firms use both search firms and job boards to fill a wide variety of their permanent openings, but do these two entities compete? Complement one another? And will one eventually replace the other?
LionSearch does not use job boards as we do not feel our client firms should pay us to just post their jobs! We actively recruit passive candidates, those who are not out in the market seeking a new role. We cold call, network, and then identify the top talent for our client firm's specific open role, presenting those candidates, all of whom are very qualified for that specific role. This is what we do.
A job board is an excellent tool for recruiting, as long as it is managed well by a firm's human resources or recruiting group. If the posted jobs are well-written, accurate, and offer details as to why someone would want to work at the firm, and specifically in this role, then great. The challenge lies in processing all applicants for each posting in a timely manner to ensure the specific hiring manager receives the most qualified applicants quickly, and that the applicants do not lose interest in the role.
Most management-level and senior executives in technology we have spoken with recently have not had much success with job boards for many reasons - lack of postings at their level, incomplete job descriptions, or just that the job board process is "too public", impersonal, and doesn't allow for enough due diligence to qualify each role.
A responsive and effective search firm should be able to bridge this gap by educating the candidate on the role (pros and cons, career path, culture, etc.) as well as the client firm about the candidate. Search firms should be able to not only speed up the recruiting process by finding qualified talent quickly, but should also add tremendous value to both sides involved, thereby ensuring a mutually-beneficial hire.
A search firm used in conjunction with a job board is an excellent strategy for any mid-to-large sized firm with a wide variety of open roles at various levels.
And setting accurate expectations for both yourself as the hiring authority, and for the search firm and job board is very important to your success for filling your open roles. Job boards have limitations in reaching certain specific skill sets or levels of talent, and that's where a search firm can step in and help you complete a successful search.
posted by LionSearch at
4:06 PM
