Dealerships and other powersports companies across North America and Europe are staffing up for the summer season. New job openings continue to significantly outpace the number of resume postings.
Now may be a great time to consider the option to hire a professional powersports industry job recruiter. Partnering with a top-notch recruitment firm may present you with an outstanding opportunity to grow your bottom line.
As the public relations manager for Kawasaki’s U.S. business for the better part of a decade, it wasn’t unusual for our in-house recruiter to stop by for ideas when she was on the hunt for a uniquely qualified candidate. She knew these professionals were out there, but she wasn’t sure how to reach them.
Reason # 1
You can’t hire who you can’t see: The fact is that many of the most gifted candidates in our industry are hidden from view. They are discrete in their desire to make a change. Professional recruiters practice confidential correspondence with every candidate. Pro recruiters know who is looking.
The best in the business can quickly locate and successfully connect with qualified and available candidates. Once a few candidates are presented, the search may then be further refined for improved results. A recruiter who starts with a large database of qualified candidates has the clear advantage.
Reason #2
Save time: Most recruiters are generalists, while others specialize in one field, industry or trade. A recruiter who really understands the job and the hiring organization knows where to look and who to look for. The learning curve for a specialist is short.
Reason #3
It takes one to know one: If you want a “best-in-class” candidate for your “industry-leading” team, be sure you cast your net in the right ocean, or you may be sorely disappointed. If the person in charge of recruitment doesn’t use the product you make or truly understand your business, you may never have the opportunity to interview the most qualified individuals for the job.
Reason #4
Pro recruiters eat, sleep and dream recruitment: There’s no shortage of great human resources professionals on the planet, but most of the seasoned in-house recruiters I’ve worked with have other responsibilities as well. Employee communications, training, succession planning and special events are just a few activities that compete for a recruiter’s attention.
Reason #5
Job posts are only as good as the audience reading them: While an employer should use all of his or her resources to find good employees, qualified candidates are not necessarily scouring the Internet or your website career page for their next great gig. Professional recruiters know who is working and where they are.
Reason #6
Save more time: A well-written job post can easily attract more than 150 or 200 resumes. There is nothing fun or efficient about sorting through 400 pages of professional rap sheets hoping to find that needle in the haystack. Recruiters are professional resume readers. They are trained experts who scan resumes, separating the fact from the fiction.
Reason #7
Presentation is key: Good recruiters pride themselves on how they present their candidate submissions. Resumes are never just “flipped” to hiring managers. You may be surprised by the attention-to-detail involved when a candidate is formally submitted to a client. Each individual candidate submission is usually the result of an extensive search, multiple telephone conversations and in-depth fact checking. A well-organized submission should translate to a big grin on the face of the hiring manager.
Reason #8
No exclusivity required: Whether or not your organization wants to use a professional recruiter exclusively should be your decision and not dictated or required by the recruitment agency. A recruitment firm is just an option. It is another tool in the box.
Reason #9
No games or gimmicks: Ethical recruiters base their one-time fee on a simple formula. There are no upfront costs or hidden fees. If you don’t hire one of the candidates presented to you, then you do not pay the recruiter.
Reason #10
Risk is minimal: Most recruiters offer a limited-time guarantee for each individual placement. If for any reason, during this agreed upon time period, the candidate does not work out, a replacement will be found at no additional cost.
Jan Plessner is a former 20-year PR, marketing and Public affairs executive for Kawasaki. In addition to her current work as a motorcycle industry freelance writer, Jan is the newest addition to the Henry Lonski and Associates powersports industry recruitment team. She is based in Southern California and may be contacted via [email protected].
