The year 2020 was the most difficult year for the American workforce since the Great Depression. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate rose to a record high of 14.8% in April of 2020.
While the economy has rebounded since then, and unemployment has dropped (it’s remained between 3.5% and 3.7% since March 2022), layoffs and persistent inflation have led many Americans to worry about a recession. In fact, 98% of CEOs are planning for a US recession.
Despite these concerns, many industries continue to experience growth. In September 2022, job openings increased to 10.7 million, slightly offsetting the steep decline seen in August 2022. The largest increases in job openings were in:
- accommodation and food services (+215,000)
- health care and social assistance (+115,000)
- transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+111,000)
For companies in growth mode, many are looking to replenish top talent lost in 2020. To do so, some businesses turn to complex software, artificial intelligence, or overworked HR departments. We believe that there’s a better solution: supporting your efforts with a staffing agency and experienced recruiters. If you’re wondering what it means to hire a staffing agency and to work with a recruiter, keep reading. If you already know it’s time to partner with a staffing company, contact Insight Global today!
What Is A Recruiter?
A recruiter, also referred to as a headhunter, is an individual who works with companies to source talent for open positions and to match candidates with a new opportunity.
Since businesses usually hire a headhunter to expedite the talent search, a recruiter’s primary focus is to find people for jobs — not jobs for people.
What’s The Difference Between An In-House Recruiter And An Agency Recruiter?
An in-house recruiter is only looking to fill jobs at one company — their own. A large business might have a dedicated team of in-house recruiters. On the other hand, a smaller firm might have a single in-house recruiter, or none at all.
If they work in-house for a staffing agency, they are called agency recruiters. They typically work with multiple businesses at once, usually in the same industry. They become experts in the job market, the necessary skills and experience for different roles, and the best way to find candidates.
When a company works with an agency recruiter to fill a role, they often refer to that person as a “headhunter.”
What Does A Recruiter Do?
In-house recruiters and agency recruiters both do similar work to find job candidates for open positions. Their responsibilities can include:
- Meeting with the hiring manager to understand the role before it’s advertised
- Attracting and sourcing candidates from professional networking sites, career fairs, internal job postings, and personal networking
- Pre-screening and presenting qualified job candidates to the hiring manager after an initial call and portfolio review
- Scheduling interviews
- Serving as the main point of contact for all parties throughout a multi-departmental hiring process
- Conducting reference checks and background checks
- Drafting and extending job offers
- Designing and executing onboarding for new hires
An in-house recruiter will also encourage internal employees to apply for a role and ask employees to refer external candidates for open positions.
If you’re working with an agency recruiter, you can decide how much of the hiring process to outsource and how much you prefer to do internally.
