If your company has built its own in-house recruitment team, there are several benefits to sticking with them for your hiring needs; you’re able to build a consistent candidate experience, your recruiters understand what to look for, and you can create a positive employer brand with their help.

However, there are still many scenarios where seeking the resources of a search firm can be more beneficial. Keep in mind that any organization’s internal staff has its limits. It’s critical to your hiring strategy to be able to recognize those limits and utilize a staffing firm as an extension of your internal team. Below are some situations where you may want to seek assistance:

Immediate hiring needs

If you find yourself needing to fill a position quickly—like, yesterday—this is an instance where a staffing firm can be of use. The longer a position goes unfilled, the greater the burden is on the rest of your staff—leading to feelings of resentment and greater employee burnout. While sourcing candidates in-house takes some time, agencies typically have a wide pool of qualified candidates available who can be ready to start tomorrow. With this kind of speed, it is worth it to keep your operations running smoothly and the rest of your staff happy.

High volume needs

Whether it’s your busy season or you are beginning a short-term project, you may occasionally be in a situation where your internal recruiters simply don’t have the resources to find the volume of candidates you need. Once again, this is where the large candidate pool of a staffing firm can help you move along. The faster you can source your candidates, the faster they can get to work.

Executive-level searches

While you may initially think that this would be a job for your internal recruitment team, finding executive-level talent can be extremely challenging. When you’re in need of high-level leadership roles, these searches can take months to find the right fit. In addition to the difficulty of finding the right candidate, at this stage in their career, many of your candidates will be “passive” job seekers who are working full-time.

This is another scenario where search firms can connect you with better candidates. For recruiters who work on executive-level searches, they often have great relationships with previous candidates. Some recruiters have even helped candidates find five or six jobs, spanning their entire career. As a result, some of your best candidates for an executive role may be loyal to a firm that has built trust with them over many years.

Specialized roles

If you’re hiring a specialized role—for example, a web developer, legal counsel, or an accountant—it’s safe to say that if you don’t typically hire this type of role, you and your recruitment team may not have the expertise to assess a candidate’s qualifications. When you seek the assistance of a recruitment firm, you do more than widen your candidate pool. Remember, recruiters working in a firm typically specialize in one vertical; this means that they have seen hundreds of resumes and met with several candidates who possess the specialty skills you need. As a result, they have a much better understanding of what a quality candidate looks like. When you take advantage of an external recruiter’s expertise, it can only benefit your organization and improve the quality of your staff.

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High turnover roles

If you’re struggling to keep employees in a specific role, it may be time to adjust your hiring strategy to reduce the turnover. For starters, turning to a staffing firm means that you have access to market expertise from recruiters who work to hire candidates in this role every day. Because they’re familiar with market standards, they may be able to pinpoint why you continue to lose employees in this role to your competition. Perhaps you aren’t offering enough compensation, or employees are able to find better benefits elsewhere. Remember, a recruiter at an agency has knowledge about your competitors that can help you stay ahead of the curve.

Plus, staffing firms can help you try out new strategies to reduce turnover. For example, a temp-to-hire approach would allow you to work with a candidate before committing to a full-time hire. This means you can assess their skills and cultural fit—and they can assess you as an employer. By taking this approach, you are likely to reduce the costs involved every time an employee leaves, and you don’t have to commit until you find the perfect fit.