Have you ever wondered why top positions in your fields are not listed online? You wake up one day to discover that a company of interest recently got a new manager, a role for which you are eligible. There is a hidden job market that is only known to a few people in your industry.
What is a Hidden Job Market?
These are job opportunities that are not on scouring boards, published, or listed online. Many vacancies are hidden from the general public. Studies show that over 70% of available jobs are not made public.
For many reasons, several companies, especially IT firms, keep top jobs away from the public. For some, it saves the time and cost of posting and interviewing applicants. If a position is sensitive, companies will keep the vacancy a secret to maintain confidentiality. Whichever the reason may be, those positions have to be filled.
Now, some IT firms rely on employee referrals since they understand the company’s goals and objectives. Others employ the services of trusted IT recruiting firms. These firms are responsible for finding and hiring competent individuals who meet the company’s standards.
In this article, we will examine how an IT staffing service can get privileged access to unpublished job vacancies.
Why Many Companies Use Staffing Partners for Senior Technical Roles
Senior IT technical Roles are usually reserved for qualified and seasoned professionals. These individuals are oftentimes hard to come by. Most could be engaged at other firms and are not actively job-hunting. Several companies rely on trusted recruiters to search for such personnel. In fact, over 68% of firms use staffing partners.
Staffing firms build trust and relationships with companies over time. With each successful placement comes increased trust and confidence. The firm gains more insight into the company’s objectives, values, and preferences. Hence, they can handle more sensitive and special recruitment. Here are a few reasons why many companies use staffing agencies for senior roles.
Industry Expertise
Many companies leverage the robust professional knowledge of staffing firms to find their desired candidate. Unlike in-house recruiters, IT staffing firms comprise IT experts who understand the job description and requirements. That way, they can find top professionals for senior technical roles.
Wide Network
Oftentimes, many staffing firms have a wide range of connections. The ideal top professionals may be in the system. Hence, there will be no need to begin a new search.
Temporary Staffing
In some situations, hiring permanent senior IT personnel may be out of reach. For instance, a start-up may not have the financial strength to place a top professional on a salary. They may opt to employ such services on a project basis. In that case, staffing firms can find qualified individuals for that role on a temporary or contract basis.
Cost-Effectiveness and Increased Efficiency
Staffing firms offer an efficient and cost-effective recruitment process. Many companies will not want to maintain a large employee base of in-house recruiters when they only get to perform their duties during recruitment, which may be seasonal. Hence, to save cost while ensuring a better quality of personnel, they use IT recruitment agencies.
Confidential Search for Sensitive Positions
A confidential search is a process of recruiting candidates for a position secretly without advertising the position. By doing so, the role and company’s identity are hidden from the public and competitors.
Companies conduct a confidential search for many reasons. It could be to replace underperforming leadership without risking a leadership gap. In this case, the leaders are to be oblivious to the recruitment until it is finalized. When companies intend to move into a new sector or launch a new product, they keep recruitment secret. Advertising such vacancies can tip off rivals, leading to increased competition.
Many companies employ the service of trusted executive search firms to conduct confidential hiring. This is because they may not be able to hide the position from the employees if they use the in-house recruiters. Usually, they engage the services of executive search firms that understand their value and preferences.
How do Staffing Firms know about Hidden Jobs?
Many recruitment firms are aware of vacancies before the public through several means. Here are a few ways:
- Relationship with employers: Staffing firms build and maintain lasting relationships with several companies. This cordiality gives them access to insider information on job listings before they are made public.
- Niche Expertise: Nowadays, staffing firms specialize in a particular field. They have professionals who study and understand job trends and in-demand skills in the industry. Such firms know which companies are hiring and the expertise needed.
- Contracts: Many companies employ the services of hiring firms exclusively. This is usually for high-end roles that require industry knowledge.
- Confidential recruitment: To maintain secrecy, companies use hiring firms for staffing. In some situations, the firms know about sensitive vacancies, like leadership, before the employees, let alone the public.
- Referrals: Hiring firms are well-connected with industry leaders and in-house recruitment managers. They obtain insider information through employee referral programs before the public. Smaller firms can also get job listings from large-scale recruitment firms they partner with.
Bottom Line
Many job seekers are unaware of the hidden job markets where the most highly sought-after roles are found. Nevertheless, staffing firms know of these opportunities through years of relationship and expertise in the industry. Several companies rely on recruitment firms to find their ideal candidates. Hence, many roles are not advertised, especially for in-demand sectors like IT.
Companies use IT hiring firms to select highly skilled professionals that suit their goals and values. Aside from recruiting quality candidates, it saves the cost and time of recruitment. Using a hiring firm helps maintain secrecy for sensitive positions and prevents competition.
