How to talk to the board management about starting cooperation with a recruitment agency? Advice for HR
9 min read
April 23 2026
When HR department faces challenges, it should rethink how it spends time and resources on hard-to-find candidates. Exploring collaboration with a recruitment agency could be a solution. But, dealing with any opposition from board members requires smart strategies. Discover these approaches in our featured article, illuminating the path to a more effective recruitment paradigm.
Define your recruitment issues
In order for a board to consider working with a recruitment agency, they need to know what challenges are associated with recruitment in their organization. Every company faces different difficulties, but currently the most common are:
- The offer does not meet the candidate’s financial expectations
- Candidates repeatedly reject the offer
- Fail to compete with other companies for the most talented employees
- Lack of effective talent acquisition methods
- High turnover of employees
- Excessively length of recruitment process
- Lack of access to suitable candidates
Understanding the challenges faced by the HR department and the entire company is the key factor in recognizing the necessity of initiating collaboration with a recruitment agency.
It’s crucial to concentrate on the objectives you aim to accomplish through this collaboration. These goals might involve securing top-tier candidates, enhancing retention and diversity within the organization, shortening recruitment time, or reducing hiring costs.
The benefits of working with a recruitment agency
In the discussion with the board management, you should highlight the potential benefits of cooperation with a recruitment agency. Here are some really good arguments:
1. Cost and time optimization
Let’s start with the specifics: Using the services of a recruitment agency often proves to be an effective time and cost-saving strategy. Thanks to the short-list model, you can settle accounts with the agency only after reaching a specific goal. What does this mean? Your payment operates on the agency´s performance and comes in a two-stage process:
- Once you receive and approve the recommended candidates, the agency will generate an invoice for 30% of the contract’s value.
- After you successfully accept the candidate, the remaining 70% of the total amount is settled.
The agency quickly delivers the first pool of selected candidates (short-list) within just a few days of commencing the recruitment process. You are also covered with a candidate guarantee – if the hired individual falls short of expectations within the designated time frame, the agency initiates the recruitment process once again without any additional costs.
There is also a non-competition clause ensuring that the agency won’t propose the hired candidate to other clients. Additionally, the agency extends HR consultancy for you during the briefing phase. So with agency support, you definitely save on licenses, software, advertising, and mainly HR employees.
2. Effectiveness
Collaborating with an agency enhances the recruitment process through access to advanced sourcing tools and candidate outreach systems. The LinkedIn RPS (Recruiter Professional Services) solution exemplifies such a tool, facilitating effective recruitment operations.
Recruitment agencies also use unlimited packages on advertising portals and extensive ATS (Application Tracking System) systems to manage the recruitment process and data analysis. Additionally, they often acquire passive candidates through direct search.
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3. Know-how and new opportunities
The real value of hiring a recruitment agency comes from their experience and knowledge. One or two people from the internal HR department (even very experienced) will not replace the entire team of specialists from the recruitment agency. These specialists possess exceptional industry insights derived from continuous interaction with clients and candidates. And that´s the know-how which will push you further.
4. Access to a larger pool of better suited candidates
Recruitment agencies possess extensive databases of candidates, housing hundreds of thousands of resumes. Furthermore, they use advanced motivational research techniques that contribute to a superior alignment of skilled professionals with prospective employers
5. Knowledge of the field
Consultants from recruitment agencies are experts in the given industry. Their comprehensive understanding allows them to offer you insights into specific sectors. What are the current market conditions? What is the average salary for this position? They know it all! Moreover, this enables them to accurately evaluate candidates’ skill sets and proficiencies relevant to your positions.
6. Comprehensive support and holistic solutions
The recruitment agency engages in more than just employee recruitment; it also offers HR consulting and comprehensive support. Recruiters assist in determining recruitment needs, defining suitable job profiles, and selecting the appropriate recruitment methods. Their expertise encompasses not only recruitment but also extends to assisting in the strategic planning of HR processes.
7. A tailor-made solution
Even experienced internal HR staff can find it difficult to recruit and handle all processes consistently. However, a proficient recruitment agency prioritizes the requirements of its clients and can assist you with your special tasks. Their customized approach to recruitment is essential as it takes into account the distinct qualities and necessities of your company.
Support your arguments with concrete data
When negotiating with the board of directors about starting cooperation with a recruitment agency, it is worth basing your arguments on data. Always ensure that the data you present originates solely from reputable and verified sources.
According to Deloitte’s “2023 Global Human Capital Trends survey” report, there are a number of benefits of having the right employee match. People participating in this study indicated better financial results (41%), greater employee retention (33%) and stronger employee engagement (22%).
What does it mean? Hiring more suitable candidates can bring many benefits to your business, including:
As highlighted in Deloitte’s “2023 Global Human Capital Trends survey,” the advantages of achieving the right employee fit are substantial. Participants in this study documented enhanced financial outcomes (41%), improved employee retention (33%), and heightened employee engagement (22%). This data underscores the significance of recruiting candidates who align well with your organization, thereby potentially yielding various advantages for your business, including:
1. Greater efficiency and productivity
Candidates who are well-matched to the job requirements and organizational culture are more likely to perform better at work. Their skills and competencies then bring much higher efficiency and productivity.
2. Achieve business goals faster
Hiring better-matched candidates means that they already have the right skills and experience needed to do the job effectively. This advantage enables the company to expedite and enhance the achievement of its business objectives.
3. Greater employee retention
Candidates who are well-matched to their roles tend to experience higher job satisfaction. The main reason is their comfort within the organizational environment and their ability to fully utilize their skills. This contributes to a greater likelihood of extended periods of employment and increased loyalty to the company.
4. Better integration and engagement
Candidates who fit well with the company’s culture and values integrate more easily into the team and engage in their work. They feel a bond with the company and its mission, which positively affects their commitment and motivation to achieve common goals.
5. A positive image of the company
Successful hiring of better-matched candidates translates into a better reputation as an employer. Positive employee experiences attract high-quality candidates and build a positive image of the company in the labor market.
As a result, hiring better-matched candidates has long-term benefits for the company, contributing to business success, employee retention, and building a strong employer brand.
Explain what cooperation with a recruitment agency is really about
It’s also important to demonstrate to your employer the true nature of cooperation with a recruitment agency. There might be misconceptions among management or superiors about how this collaboration works. Ideas might be very different from the actual reality. Additionally, employers might not have a clear understanding of what to anticipate and the associated costs. There’s often a concern that investing substantial resources into such activities might not bring measurable benefits.
Hence, it’s crucial to highlight that such a partnership can be adaptable and tailored to the specific needs of the company. The agency functions as an external ally, aiding the recruitment process and granting access to its expertise, experience, and tools for identifying the best candidates.
Cooperation with a recruitment agency can be significant relief for the internal HR department from time-consuming recruitment processes. The HR department is frequently tasked with numerous other duties and responsibilities, including personnel management, cultivating employee engagement, nurturing talent, and crafting HR strategies. By outsourcing recruitment processes to a recruitment agency, the HR team can dedicate their attention to these critical facets.
Meet offerings of recruitment agencies
Another crucial factor in negotiations is having a comprehensive understanding of the services provided by personnel agencies. This encompasses their expertise, specialization, and previously executed projects. When selecting an agency, the reputation and feedback about them should also be taken into account.
Prior to initiating negotiations with management regarding collaboration with a staffing agency, it’s prudent to acquaint yourself with their service portfolio. Thoroughly assess the range of services they provide, the extent of their assistance, the time required for processing assigned recruitment tasks, and the approximate costs involved.
Failed and protracted recruitment processes incur expenses, even if these costs aren’t immediately evident in direct financial transactions. Consequently, it’s pertinent to underscore that partnering with an agency equates to augmenting the HR department’s capabilities for enhanced efficiency, time management, and cost optimization.
About the author
Tomasz Stolarski is an experienced team leader and recruitment expert who works as a Senior Team Leader at Devire. Tomasz has more than 12 years of experience in the recruitment industry and has gained valuable skills and knowledge in renowned international organizations in the field of finance and banking.
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