In the Czech Republic recruitment agencies are most preferred
According to research conducted by the British company Link Humans, LinkedIn is used by 94% percent of respondents, [WHAT WAS THE FOCUS OF THE SURVEY? WHAT WAS IT ABOUT? USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AMONG JOBSEEKERS? SPECIFICALLY ABOUT LINKEDIN?] regardless of their professional discipline. In the Czech Republic, there are approximately 900,000 LinkedIn users, though companies rarely use social networks when looking for new employees. Currently, in the Czech Republic, LinkedIn is used mostly by men, who make up 60% of all users. Generally, social networks are used here by younger people aged 25 to 34, with the majority of them working in IT, software services, telecommunications or banking.
Companies in the Czech Republic still prefer to use recruitment agencies when searching for new employees. According to a survey conducted by Advantage Consulting, in 71% of cases companies choose recruitment agencies due to the lack of quality CVs submitted directly to companies by potential candidates, to save time in 37% of cases and in 25% of cases because recruitment agencies have greater possibilities to find suitable candidates. The survey also indicates that companies searching for new employees use only Facebook and/or LinkedIn, and ignore other social networks. In the Czech Republic, only 10% of companies search for new employees via social networks.
Social networks do not save time and money
A five-year forecast published in 2010 predicted that social networks would fully replace Czech recruitment agencies. That prediction has proven to be completely inaccurate, and the workload of recruiters has not decreased. Czech recruiters (companies´ in-house HR staff) cannot make full use of social networks, as they tend not to use them every day and social networking environments change very quickly. It takes long hours not only to learn how to look for candidates via LinkedIn, but also how to communicate with them properly. Added problems arise when a company recruiter contacts a competitor’s employees.
If a potential new employee is not approached in a professional manner, the recruiter may cause more harm than good. Certain information about the company may be revealed, such as its difficulties with filling some vacancies, the nature of its business plans or the kinds of benefits it offers. When recruitment is performed by a recruitment agency, everything is carried out discreetly. Only candidates with genuine interest are then invited to interviews.
Furthermore, those companies that believe there are financial savings to be had if they look for new employees through social networks are mistaken. LinkedIn has already become a paid service and its license costs are relatively high, with prices reaching CZK 250,000. In addition, a company’s employees (HR staff) who use this social network have to be paid as well. In cases where LinkedIn is not used every day, it is not worthwhile and it is especially unsuitable for smaller companies.
The recruitment agency as an equal partner
If a company decides to use social networks when looking for employees, this is usually done when specialized IT positions need to be filled, as IT specialists form the largest group of registered users. In the case of searching for senior managers, recruitment agencies are more trustworthy and therefore are used more frequently than social networks. Czech recruitment agencies provide professional services and represent a significant partner for the company it is working for. Recruitment agency services are almost indispensable especially if the company is searching for senior management. The agency’s approach is, of course, individual and always discreet.
The services of recruitment agencies are also indispensable for foreign investors coming to the Czech Republic. For new branches, recruitment agencies are able to form complete teams, from junior staff to senior management. In this case, social networks cannot compete with recruitment agencies. Furthermore, recruitment agencies are flexible and respond to companies´ demands immediately. If a company’s senior manager resigns, the recruitment agency is able to replace him or her in a very short time with a new candidate who meets the company’s needs. Senior managers are responsible for recruitment in the company, too, so they also start to cooperate with the agency as a business partner. This is advantageous because they not only know their staff but also know how the agency operates, how flexible it is and how quickly high-quality results can be achieved. Recruitment agencies should therefore become companies’ partners that will not only be able to find senior managers for them but will also help them to form the rest of their teams and set up the appropriate corporate culture. At the same time, the agency is able to create a marketing and promotional campaign that attracts people to the region. For their own campaigns, many companies often use the same old schemes, e.g. billboards across the country, which are often ineffective.
Comprehensive services are commonplace
While HR professionals have to do everything themselves, from finding a new candidate to conducting interviews, recruitment agencies offer full-service covering all aspects of the hiring process. Initially, the agency selects people on the basis of the client company’s defined requirements, then the candidates’ genuine interest is discreetly examined. Suitable candidates are later familiarised with the company itself including its culture and pay conditions. Finally, they are acquainted with the company’s specific conditions and only precisely selected candidates are shortlisted.
When it comes to filling senior management positions, HR managers should not be the ones to do it. It appears unprofessional if HR managers influence the selection of the senior managers who ultimately become their bosses. Rather, an HR manager’s role is to maintain the relationship between the agency and the company’s senior management.
Quality recruitment agencies provide comprehensive service in the field of human resources, recruitment advice, and evaluation of new or present staff. Social networks are not able to meet the client’s requirements. Furthermore, social networks are not able to respond flexibly to the market and changes of working conditions in the country. On the other hand, recruitment agencies know this field very well, as they diligently monitor market trends, focus on particular sectors and pre-select suitable candidates.