Pros
Partnering with an On-Demand recruiting firm is a great option when you need additional recruiting support. Most companies will utilize an On-Demand recruiting firm when they are seeing a growth in hiring. The staffing firm operates as an extension to the team. They know the culture, they develop deep relationships with the hiring managers, and over time they know exactly who the company wants to hire. On-Demand recruiting firms are usually more cost-effective than traditional staffing models like a contingent recruiting search or a retained search. There is a lot of flexibility when using an On-Demand recruiting firm. It's nice to be able to use them on your terms with no long-term vs. hiring a full-time recruiter. The On-Demand recruiting firm also has their name behind the work that is being done. They want to make sure they are hiring the right people and filling open jobs. Contract recruiting with an independent contract recruiter could be risky.
Cons
The first question that should be asked when partnering with an On-Demand recruiting firm is who will be recruiting on our open positions.
What does their background look like?
What roles have they filled in the past?
How long have they been in recruiting?
What is their ramp up time?
A lot of traditional On-Demand recruiting firms have a 3 month minimum commitment and those recruiters are working 40 hours per week. That's great if the work is there, but what happens if the roles are put on hold or all the roles are filled. With that minimum commitment these fees can add up quickly.
It takes time to ramp up a recruiter, but what happens if the dedicated recruiter leave the On-Demand recruiting firm?
I loved my old On-Demand recruiter, but now that person is on a different project with a different company. I have to train a new person and will this recruiter find the same talent as the other recruiter?