Press Coverage
Firms send for recruiters to manage staff
Professional Recruiter - 2001-09-02
The drive to recruit the most talented managers - still strong despite the recession in manufacturing - is beginning to have an impact on the structure of the traditional human-resources department.
A survey of the HR Departments of the FTSE 100 companies showed that more of them are breaking with the conventional practice and are hiring recruiters to manage their departments.
The survey, commissioned by Perriam & Everett, a recruitment to recruitment consultant, reported that about one third of the companies polled are already employing former recruiters. This figure is expected to rise by 25% over the next year.
Zena Everett, managing director of Perriam & Everett, says this change in HR department structure is essential to ensure recruiting policies are fulfilled. The recruiters have two roles: to manage new-staff suppliers and to do some recruiting themselves.
It means redefining the skills traditionally found in HR Departments, the managers of which are realising that recruiters' skills are valuable," she says. "It's an additional career option for recruiters."
Everett says HR departments are still doing 40% of their own recruiting need these skills to help them identify and hire the right people.
Equally important, she says, is the need to make sure the client is working at the right speed and presenting a good image to potential recruits. "Many companies don't realise that they have to do this. Organisations need to present themselves well and having a former agency recruiter, who is more marketing-orientated, helps.
"It really assists with headhunting too. We're seeing many headhunters working in-house and helping to streamline processes.
"Law firms are quite likely to have an in-house head-hunter. If you are a firm looking for hotshot lawyers, you don't want them to be interviewed by some doddery old partner. A headhunter makes it more effective. When people come on the market, they decide to come to you."
