When headhunters make sales calls they are often asked by hiring managers why they should use their recruiting services rather than finding a candidate on their own. “Finding a perfectly qualified candidate is easy”, they say, “all I have to do is post the job and then watch as the applications pour in”. The recruiter might try to sell some more, but if the hiring manager is steadfast in his position the recruiter will wish him luck and then hang up; it will come as no surprise if the hiring manager calls in a few weeks to ask for help. Here are four reasons why the hiring manager should have stopped objecting and used the recruiter’s services in the first place:

1. The Resumes Pour In

The Hiring Manager’s biggest problem is that he is right: applications will pour in. He will receive so many resumes that there will be no way to efficiently and effectively assess each candidate (Candidates: read 5 Sales Resume Mistakes to Avoid to write a compelling resume). It will feel like sorting through the giant stack of resumes has become his full-time job and sooner or later he will wish he had hired someone to do it for him; he might even give the recruiter a call right then.

2. Nobody Good Will Apply

If the Hiring Manager manages to make it through the ocean of online applications he will likely realize that none of the applicants are right for the position (and perhaps that most of the candidates are woefully underqualified). This is because the best candidates don’t usually spend their time browsing through job boards, or they might be in another industry entirely. A sales recruiter knows where to find these candidates; without his help the Hiring Manager’s only option is to repost the job and hope that he gets lucky a second time around.

3. All of the Candidates Interview Well

Hiring salespeople is very different from hiring for other positions. The skills required to be successful at sales are not easily demonstrated in an interview. Being a successful salesperson is more than about being a good “people person” and being a good communicator. While those social skills are a useful part of a salesperson’s arsenal, sales success requires discipline and determination, something many flashy candidates lack. A good sales recruiter will be able to seperate the pretenders from the really qualified candidates and the hiring manager’s decision would be much easier. 

4. The Hiring Manager’s Network is Small

One of the greatest benefits to using a niche recruiting service is that they may have a great candidate for your role who might not traditionally be considered. Selling skills are generally transferable across industries, so if a hiring manger limits his search to a single industry there could be many fantastic candidates who would be very successful in the position who won’t even be considered. It is a hiring manager’s responsibility to find the best possible candidates for a job, and limiting himself to his network and industry will probably not accomplish that.