When it comes to recruiting and filling open jobs, there are two kinds of companies. One group views recruitment to be a series of one-time events, with the search for the right person beginning only when the need arises. These firms tend to be in constant crisis, and always short-staffed. The other kind of firm knows recruitment is an ongoing event, and that searching for the best workers at precisely the moment they are needed creates huge inefficiencies and affords minimal control of the staffing process.

Why the “One-Time Event” Model Does Not Work

Chances are, the best employee for an open position will not always be available right at the moment you need him or her. If you count on timing to deal you a perfect hand every time, you’ll usually come up empty.

In addition, you lose precious time and money if you begin a hiring search only after an employee turns in their two-week notice. Even if you manage to post a job listing the very next day, your company will run behind each day you do not have a new employee working in that capacity.

Clearly, envisioning recruitment as a one-time event leaves too much up to chance, and when it comes to your bottom line, it’s important to keep control of as many variables as possible. But how do you keep control when you have no idea when an employee will announce that she’s pregnant or that he’s going back to school full-time effective immediately?

Why the “Ongoing Recruitment” Model Spells Success

Another way to think about recruitment strategies is “you find us” versus “we find you.” When you count on workers to find jobs at your firm at the exact moment you need them, you lose control of the process. You may be flooded with job applications from ill-qualified workers, giving you and your company a lot of unnecessary work to do. With the “we find you” method, you can pick and choose your new employees when you need them.

Of course, this ongoing recruitment methodology means ongoing work, but a recruiting agency can take this job off of your hands. Either way, you will soon see why this approach is vastly superior to the “one-time event” or “you find us” model.

When you are continually recruiting, you find your industry’s top performers. Many of these people will not necessarily be currently looking for a new job, but you can build a relationship with them, and over time better assess the worker and “sell” them on your firm and the opportunities you can offer.

Recruiting agencies have the systems in place to handle your ongoing recruitment. They use a “narrow net” approach to find the people who have the specific skills and experience to enhance your current workforce to be able to slide them right in to empty positions when you need them.