5 Best External Recruitment Methods

The most important asset an organization can have is quality talent dedicated to helping the business achieve its objectives. As an employer, you need the best recruitment plan to source and hire top talent. It’s a no-brainer that some employers use internal recruitment methods to fill various open positions. While internal recruitment can be highly effective, it limits you from getting fresh ideas that may bring about the change your business seeks. The good news is that there is external recruitment which exposes you to many options when hiring new talent. This method of recruitment has become popular among employers, and if you are looking for the best external recruitment methods to find quality candidates, this article is meant for you. 

External Recruitment Methods Advantages and Disadvantages

External recruitment involves sourcing candidates from outside the organization. Here, you will create a pool of qualified candidates through various methods of external recruitment to identify top talent. Like internal recruitment, external recruitment has its pros and cons, and we discuss some of the basic ones below. 

Advantages of External Recruitment

1. Wider Pool of Candidates to Choose From

While internal recruitment strategies limit you to your existing employees, the external method of recruitment introduces you to diverse options. You will be exposed to almost every job seeker out there and have plenty of resumes streaming in once you post your job opening on various platforms. Reviewing these resumes gives you a better chance of meeting the perfect fit for your open position. 

2. Find Talent With New Skills and Ideas

External recruitment helps you meet the best candidate with new ideas and skills that may help your business grow even more. The last thing you want is for your organization to lag behind the latest trends and new business management ideas. Besides, hiring from outside the four walls allows you to learn more about what your competitors are up to and make strategic moves. 

3. Minimize Internal Problems

Internal recruitment has a higher chance of bringing about internal politics, resulting in office dramas and unstable relationships between workers. Although we highly recommend promoting workers as one way to retain them, this decision can make some workers uncomfortable, especially if it’s one of their peers. External recruitment helps you avoid all these dramas since your employees will work under someone they have never encountered. As a result, you will have a peaceful and healthy working environment. 

4. Helps in Business Promotion and Employer Branding

It is always best to offer job opportunities to every individual for as long as they are qualified. External recruitment allows you to do so, thereby establishing a solid brand image for your business. You will also be perceived as someone who is not biased in hiring, thus keeping your business in the limelight.

Disadvantages of External Recruitment

1. Time-Consuming

Recruiting externally is a lengthy process and involves posting jobs on various advertising platforms, reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, etc. As a result, your day-to-day activities can be affected, leading to low performance and productivity.

2. Expensive

External recruitment requires you to hire recruiting managers to help source top talent, especially when looking to fill senior positions. In addition, you will have to pay for advertising your job on the major job boards that expand your reach. With internal recruitment, you do not need to spend money making it a better option.

3. Risky

This method of recruitment is risky, and there is no guarantee that the candidate you hire will adjust to the company’s culture and work long-term. Besides, many job seekers look for workplaces where they can grow their careers. By not promoting your existing employees, you risk losing them to your competitors with better offers. 

Top 5 External Recruitment Strategies

Sourcing and hiring top talent requires a different approach for every position intended to be filled. For instance, you cannot use the same method to hire a candidate for an entry-level position to find a candidate for an executive or senior position. Below, we list the 5 best external recruitment methods to help you regardless of the position you intend to fill.

1. Recruiters/Recruitment Agencies

Recruiters and recruiting agencies continue to be one of the most effective methods to source candidates externally. They are specialized in this field and know exactly where to look when finding different talents. When given complete control of the hiring process, you can save time and continue focusing on essential matters for business growth. In addition, recruiters help you handle crucial details in hiring, such as compensation and benefits.

2. Social Media

Almost every job seeker out there has access to social media platforms, whether Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. You should take advantage of these platforms to advertise your job opening and sponsor your campaign to reach a wider audience.

3. Job Boards

Job boards are also one of the most preferred online recruitment methods in external recruitment. With the best job board, you can easily reach a diverse group of applicants and maximize your chances of hiring quality talent. What’s more, some job boards can integrate with other hiring tools, speeding up the hiring process. 

4. Newspaper/ Printed Methods

Although online recruitment methods are becoming more popular, traditional job advertising methods like newspapers and other printed options continue to be effective, especially when hiring locally. Do not assume that every job seeker out there has access to online platforms since a majority still prefer printed methods. For instance, older talent prefers this method, and taking advantage of it can easily help you fill senior positions.

5. Career Events and Job Fairs 

Make it a habit to attend career events and job fairs to network, socialize and hopefully build a talent pool. The best element about this method is that you get to interact with a candidate one on one without having to review their resumes. It is the first impression that will determine whether they can fit into your organizational culture. Being present in industry-related events is also a perfect method to build your employer brand, thus attracting the best candidates. 

Conclusion

Carrying out successful recruitment has never been easy. So while you use internal recruitment methods, consider external methods as well to meet top talent. Your business also needs new skills and ideas to improve its performance. That being said, try the above best external recruitment methods and meet candidates with long-term goals dedicated to taking your business performance to the next level.