FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Search firms add value in many ways, but recruiters are frequently used when hiring managers are looking for candidates with special skills or knowledge, or when there is a shortage of strong candidates for the role they are trying to fill. Also, recruiting and hiring can be very time-consuming and hiring managers usually need to stay focused on their primary business responsibilities rather than spending time on recruiting and qualifying candidates.
It depends on many factors. If a hiring manager can find the right candidate quickly without sacrificing the quality of his/her primary work, then it does not make sense to hire a recruiter. However, when you consider things like the cost of labor for all the hours spent on the hiring process, potential lost revenue to the company while the position remains open, intangible costs such as customer dissatisfaction and declining morale of employees covering the prolonged vacancy, utilizing a recruiter may be a wise investment.
Working with a search professional should be a partnership. The more information the recruiter has, the better they can identify the best available candidates while representing the client company and the job opportunity. If you do not have a trusting relationship with your recruiter, you should find another recruiter that will be a true partner.
There are numerous options when identifying potential candidates. The best options are dictated by the nature of the open position(s), the client company’s needs, degree of urgency, etc. While it’s no secret that online job boards are no longer as effective as they once were, they can still produce good results in certain situations. At GAR Associates we have the most success and find the best talent by leveraging our network and having meaningful, productive conversations with people.
Every search and every recruiting firm are different, so that’s a difficult question to answer. In a clearly defined job search, with all the important information provided to us, we typically have 1-3 strong candidates qualified and presented to the client within 15 business days.
At GAR Associates we are very thorough at every stage of the process. Throughout the search we provide regular progress reports and have weekly update calls with the client to ensure that they know exactly where we are in the process.
There are countless potential benefits in getting your information into the hands of a recruiter. A good recruiter can help you differentiate yourself from the crowd, provide information about companies you are interested in, present you as a candidate for jobs that are not even advertised, eliminate the concern about your resume disappearing into the online application “black hole,” increased confidentiality, etc. And resume writing and interview coaching are services that GAR Associates offers to individuals. Recruiters work to find qualified candidates for employers and, if you are job searching, a connection with one can help you find opportunities.
As employees of the company they are working for, internal recruiters typically have detailed knowledge of their company’s business, hiring managers, internal processes, etc. This is all good. However, there are some areas where independent recruiters can usually provide more benefit than in-house recruiters. It is not uncommon for internal recruiters to be spread thin, working on numerous open positions simultaneously, as well as handling non-recruiting duties for their employer. As independents, we can choose which search assignments to accept and how to prioritize them. More importantly, independent search firms generally have a broader network from which to source candidates within their market niche. This usually gives them more access to passive candidates (people not actively looking for a new job), including people who work for the client company’s competitors.
GAR Associates backs all of our placements with a generous guarantee. Specific details of the guarantee may vary depending on the aspects of the search.
Before establishing GAR Associates, I worked for over 30 years in Financial Services and Food industries. Having held leadership roles in several business disciplines, I have a diverse understanding of functional interdependencies necessary for business success. And throughout my career I interviewed and hired hundreds of people, building a passion and talent for recognizing skilled, driven candidates and placing them in roles where they would excel. Having been a hiring manager in fast-paced business settings, I understand from first-hand experience the challenges and frustrations involved in trying to do hiring the right way while staying on top of your primary work. Leveraging the unique combination of my diverse functional business knowledge, along with my staffing experience and passion for people, GAR Associates builds true long-term partnerships with our clients.