What is Recruitment Consulting and How Does it Work?

In the business world, a consultant is someone who provides advice on a specific company matter. There are many types of consultants, from legal to human resources. Within the latter sector, recruitment consulting can be found.

This emerges as a strategic solution to optimize selection processes and ensure that organizations have the talent they need to achieve their goals. In the following Talent2Win article, we will delve deeper into recruitment consulting, its difference from regular recruitment, its impact on companies, and how it works.

What is recruitment consulting?

Recruitment consulting, in its broadest sense, refers to the specialized service that offers companies external support in the search, evaluation, and selection of candidates. A recruitment consulting firm acts as an intermediary between companies and candidates, using its experience and network of contacts to identify and attract the best talent on the market. Now, this is the meaning that the term has acquired; however, there is an important difference between recruitment consulting and regular recruitment.

Difference between recruitment consulting and regular recruitment

It is important to note that there is a significant difference between recruitment consulting and regular recruitment. Through recruitment consulting, a consultative approach is applied that from the first day focuses on fully understanding the talent needs of the hiring company, which requires a lot of interaction between both parties.

Therefore, there is constant communication between the consultants and the hiring company in order to correctly outline the characteristics of the necessary profile and the best strategy to identify and attract candidates. Recruitment consultants provide advice based on knowledge of the labor market in terms of salary ranges and benefits to offer.

This advice is important because all companies are different. Therefore, some of the key variables to identify the candidate who fits with the company are the particular context that the company is going through, its organizational culture, and the industry in which it operates.

The impact of recruitment consulting on companies

Numerous studies have shown that companies that use recruitment and selection consulting services obtain superior results in terms of the quality of hires and reduced turnover. For example, a study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed that companies that use recruitment consultants are 50% more likely to hire candidates who remain with the company in the long term.

How does recruitment consulting work? A deeper look

1. Needs analysis

• Profile definition

The process begins with an in-depth conversation between the client and the consulting firm to fully understand the needs of the position to be filled. This initial meeting is key, as the key to a good match between company and candidate depends on the correct definition of the profile characteristics. Through this meeting, the responsibilities, technical and soft skills required, as well as the company’s organizational culture will be defined.

• Labor market analysis

The next step is to carry out an analysis of the general labor market and in the sector of the company in question. This allows recruitment consultants to identify current trends, competition for talent, and average salaries for the position.

2. Design of the search strategy

• Recruitment channels

Based on the established profile, the most suitable channels are selected to reach the target candidates, such as specialized job boards, professional social networks (LinkedIn), job fairs, headhunting recruitment, and internal recommendations.

• Recruitment approach

Based on the established profile, the most appropriate recruitment approach is selected. The regular recruitment approach has a passive nature and consists of advertising the vacancy in various channels in order to capture the interest of candidates who reach the recruitment team. In this case, the aim is to reach candidates who are looking for work.

In contrast, the headhunting recruitment approach is more active. It consists of analyzing the market to identify the best candidates and contacting them to present the offer directly. Here, passive candidates are approached, that is, professionals who are not actively looking for a new job but who could be suitable for the position.

• Candidate selection

A pre-selection of candidates is carried out based on their resumes and cover letters.

Candidate evaluation

• Interviews

Individual and/or group interviews are conducted to assess the candidates’ technical, behavioral, and cultural skills. These interviews are usually face-to-face or via video call with the recruitment consultant team as a first filter. Then, once the candidates have been evaluated, they usually have a second interview, this time directly with the client, who will choose the ideal candidate from the final shortlist.

• Tests

On some occasions, the nature of the position makes it necessary for candidates to pass a series of tests. These may involve using psychometric, technical, and job simulation tests to assess the specific competencies required for the position.

Let’s Recap!

Recruitment consulting has become a strategic tool for companies seeking to attract and retain the best talent. In an increasingly competitive job market, investing in recruitment consulting is a smart decision that can make a difference in a company’s success.

At Talent2Win, we are a recruitment consulting firm that specializes in executive search (Headhunting), RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), staffing, and recruitment of digital, technical, and specialized profiles. Our regional reach and consultative processes guarantee you to identify the ideal candidate for your company. If you need a specialized talent acquisition service, do not hesitate to contact us.

Talent2Win offers borderless talent consulting solutions tailored to your company. If you would like to learn about our Executive Search, Talent Acquisition or RPO services, please do not hesitate to contact us.