Working with a specialized recruiting firm is smart and can work to your advantage. The specialized firm is already familiar with your industry, and they understand the positions within your niche. This matters because the firm does not need to learn or familiarize themselves with skills that candidates should have. The familiarity the firm has in the industry indicates they can quickly discern which candidates stand-out above the others. A recruiting firm that specializes in a specific niche implies the firm has familiarity in the industry. They have knowledge of positions, functions, language, and experience within the industry.
This familiarity allows them to navigate positions from top to middle level management with knowledge and ease and allows them to review resumes, work through interviews and handle the negotiation process more smoothly. A reputable recruiting firm that is a specialist in the industry can provide you with references and success stories. The specific attention and service given to your search by the specialized search firm is expected to be of high quality. This improves your hiring process as well as the final outcome of hiring well-qualified talent.
An example of this is a large recruiting firm who was not a specialist in the animal health industry and unfamiliar with the industry placed a leader in a key role that unbeknownst to the client, did not have the best reputation in the industry and did more harm than good to the company. After parting ways with this person, the company hired our firm and the candidate we placed brought more than a million-dollar deal to the client immediately upon being hired. The candidate we placed has an outstanding reputation in the industry and the client was much happier with this placement. The client immediately understood the difference between hiring a large firm that doesn’t specialize in the animal health industry to hiring a firm that does. Knowing the industry can make all the difference in the world.