Job Board Advertising VS Recruitment Agency Service

As someone who has owned both recruitment agencies and job boards I am familiar with the debate over the pros and cons of each service. I have often heard people from within the recruitment industry speculating that “direct recruitment” via job boards, linked in etc. is the biggest threat to their future survival and prosperity,

In my experience this is simply not true.

The services offered by Job Boards and Recruitment agencies differ greatly and they should not be compared on a like for like basis. The decision on which is best for a particular recruitment assignment depends very much on the employer’s expectations and the nature of the vacancy. In some cases, the best approach is to use both.

Let’s look at some of the key differences between the two services:

Recruitment Agency Service

The typical recruitment agency service includes in-house database search, vacancy advertising in the relevant media, candidate screening, provision of a shortlist, arrangement of interviews, negotiation of salary/package, placement of the candidate and follow up and a guarantee - such as a free replacement within 3 months if the candidate is unsuitable.

Benefits

The employer saves time – the agency does all the filtering, pre-selection and interview arrangements. It’s simple – a good agency should supply 3-5 CVs of candidates that meet the employer’s criteria quickly. Peace of mind – most agencies do the work again (once) free of charge if the candidate is unsuitable.

Downsides

Normally much more expensive than Job Board advertising and service standards in the industry vary a great deal.

Job Board Advertising

The typical job board advertising service includes single or multiple vacancy postings and the ability to edit, renew and delete jobs. Applications are received directly via email and there is usually an account manager on-hand to offer help and advice.

Benefits

Low cost compared to recruitment agencies, no middle man – CVs go straight to the employer for filtering, applications are easy to manage and vacancies easy to monitor, no publishing deadlines, job seekers can view the employer’s vacancies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, employer’s brand is promoted to large jobseeker audience.

Downsides

More time consuming than using recruitment agencies and normally with no guarantees.

Conclusion

Both services have advantages and disadvantages and the most suitable option depends on the employer’s needs. For jobs that are relatively easy to fill, online advertising may be the most cost-effective route provided that the company has the time and skill to filter applications and handle the recruitment process in-house.

However, there are many cases where the employer simply wishes to outsource the leg work of the recruitment exercise to a specialist and this is where recruitment agencies will always have their place. There is simply no substitute for a professional recruitment consultant who knows his/her industry and is well connected.

What is becoming more common is for employers to use both strategies – advertising direct via job boards and also employing the services of a recruitment agency. This approach covers more ground, increases the chances of sourcing the best candidate and can help to reduce the average cost-per-hire over time as some candidates are recruited via direct methods.

There will always be a place for skilled recruiters and the only agencies threatened by the rise of job boards and other direct online recruitment tools are the ones that don’t deliver a quality service, valued by employers. Job Boards are not the biggest threat to the recruitment industry in my opinion, but they may help to cleanse it of some under-performing operators which is good for everyone.

My latest job board, www.gamesjobsdirect.com is a niche global job board for the video games industry. I am running the job board alongside my recruitment agency which operates in the same sector. I know from experience that one does not threaten the other and there is a place for both. There will always be clients that want to advertise and there will always be clients that want the full recruitment and placement service. Hence, we offer both solutions and suggest the one that fits the client’s needs best. Our aim for Games Jobs Direct is to provide a valuable global recruitment tool for the industry – something that benefits the recruitment agencies and employers of the games sector as it continues to expand and create employment throughout the world.

Games Jobs Direct is the global video games industry jobs board. We advertise vacancies from the leading games publishers, developers, recruitment agencies and staffing agencies worldwide.

Games Jobs Direct Ltd
Suite 1A, The Hutton Business Centre, Bentley Road, Doncaster, S Yorks, DN5 9QP
T: 01302 247 227
F: 01302 822 237
E: info@gamesjobsdirect.com
W: www.gamesjobsdirect.com
Press Contact: James Squires

This release was published on openPR.