Do it or delegate? It's an age-old dilemma regarding recruitment.  Should the Human Resource department handle the process?  Sure, there are advantages and disadvantages – but do the pros outweigh the cons?  From posting vacancies to screening resumes and conducting interviews, the hiring process could become convoluted rather quickly.  It could result in taking up too much of HR's time, energy, and budget.  Which leads to another question: is it better for HR departments to team up with recruitment specialists?  Here are four reasons why we think so.

• Save Time

In between handling employees' concerns, managing contracts, and ensuring compliance with regulatory mandates, the HR department has a lot on its plate.  Add recruitment to the list, and you get a department overloaded with duties. We know that overworked employees are very seldom able to complete their tasks satisfactorily.  

In some private industries, such as veterinary practices, who at times need to fill vet job roles at short notice and the HR department executes almost every management role. Incorporating recruitment into their responsibilities could jeopardize the entire hiring process primarily because of time constraints.  Partnering with experienced specialists ensures that the recruitment is both time-efficient and cost-effective.  In other words, if you want to save time and money, work with experts that focus on recruiting and nothing else.

• Reach Further 

Finding the right person for a job could sometimes be frustrating.  HR should not limit their search to only one location because qualified job-seekers exist everywhere. Of course, this is easier said than done.  Think of the resources – time, money, energy, effort – that HR needs to spend to expand its network.

Specialists already have an existing pool of talents, including ones actively looking for employment and those currently working elsewhere.  With their established connections, they have better access to qualified candidates across the country. If a company need have HR job opportunities based in Edinburgh, working with a recruitment agency they can find candidates from outside Scotland who they may otherwise have missed. With their broader reach, they have a better chance of drawing in more high-quality talents.  What company does not want to take advantage of this?

• Engage on Social Media 

Social recruiting has become a popular recruitment tool for many companies as more people turn to the internet to hunt for jobs.  Adweek reveals that 92 percent of businesses utilize various social media platforms to find their next hire. 

Undoubtedly, the internet is one of the most efficient and inexpensive channels HR can use to attract qualified candidates.  However, publicizing job openings over social media requires complex planning and decent technical know-how.  Without these, postings could get lost in internet limbo.  After all, your company is not the only one advertising online. 

[Go deeper: Check out 7 Tips for Recruiting Success]

Sadly, many HR employees do not have the necessary technical skill (or time) to optimize the company's social media presence and job listings.  Recruitment specialists, meanwhile, know precisely how to use social media to target particular talent pools in a specific demographic.  In the end, you get the branding you want and the new hires you need.

• Applicant Tracking Systems 

If the company is trying to fill multiple vacancies at once, HR will most likely receive thousands of resumes for each job position.  It is almost impossible for HR to review each one without sacrificing its other duties.  Specialist recruiters have a solution for this.  Using effective recruitment tools, such as Applicant Tracking System (ATS), recruitment agencies can conveniently search, sort, screen, and store loads of applications without wasting valuable time and resources.  And because most resumes have been filtered carefully at the get-go, only the most qualified candidates will move on to the next level. 

By working with recruitment specialists, HR gains access to tools that will make the hiring process easier, faster, and cheaper. Furthermore, an efficient screening process lessens the likelihood of hiring an applicant unfit for the job.  It ultimately leads not only to pleasant employee and employer experience but also to better job retention.