What is internal and external recruitment?

Both internal and external recruitment count among the various strategies companies can rely on to find new talent. These two approaches are quite different, however, and don’t meet the same needs. Thus, depending on the type of profile companies are looking for and on the exact nature of the position they wish to fill, companies may choose to do their own internal recruitment through their in house HR department or turn to a recruitment agency to address a particular skills gap.

What Is internal recruitment?

Internal recruitment consists in drawing from the talent pool already accessible within the company for the purposes of filling a new position or replacing an employee (following retirement, for instance). 

What are the benefits of this method?

The benefits of this practice are many, as calling upon in-house staff to take on different functions allows a business to make educated decisions based on months – or sometimes even years – of career and appraisal data. The margin of error is therefore substantially reduced. It is always worth considering whether career mobility may be an option. This may provide the chance for current employees to thrive in new roles, allowing your organisation to reflect on its own strengths and weaknesses.

By hiring a candidate who already works for your company, there should be no integration-related difficulties. Instead, the employee in question may consider this change as an opportunity to develop and grow their skill set. This might affect how they see their own role, but their vision or the company culture within which they operate will remain the same. 

Despite a number of benefits, recruiting internally is not always enough, especially when an open position requires niche skills that no one in house possesses. As positive as it may be to put the emphasis on employee advancement, it cannot be done if it conflicts with the interests of the company itself.

What Is external recruitment?

External recruitment alleviates any skills gaps by injecting new perspectives into your company. This approach can be invaluable, particularly for those businesses with a relatively small number of staff. In the absence of internal resources, calling upon a specialist recruitment agency to help you find the perfect candidate often constitutes the ideal solution. This allows a business to further its overall competence and turn towards new markets or tackle different types of projects.

What are the advantages of this approach?

The sheer size of the talent pool recruiters have access to by opting for external recruitment is far bigger. Thanks to this ‘new blood’, the company is able to focus on innovation. In addition, new recruits still have much to prove and often tend to show creativity and enthusiasm to let their work speak for itself and illustrate how much of an asset they can be.

While it may seem less obvious, this path does have another advantage. Posting job ads can be an efficient means of communicating a business’s intentions, for example revealing  that the company is in growth mode. This will in turn attract ambitious candidates who see potential to develop within a future-oriented enterprise.

There is much subtlety to the art of hiring the right candidate for a job. Between Establishing responsibilities, drawing up a job description, reviewing CVs and interviewing candidates - these are all time-consuming tasks that also require the right kind of know-how. That is why opting to have an agency take care of the entire process typically yields better results.

Both approaches can be complementary, especially if you are looking to expand by establishing a new team. Combining advantages could then involve calling upon people who are already familiar with the company and would relish new responsibilities. As for new recruits, they will find their place within a dynamic group which will bring out their full potential. If you need expert advice, then a reputable recruitment agency will steer you in the right direction.