Hiring is one of the most important – and expensive – investments a business can make. According to the Employers Council, the average cost per hire was $4,700 in 2023, and that doesn’t include costs like onboarding and training. And if that person doesn’t work out? The true cost skyrockets. With so much at stake, many organizations wonder: when is it time to call in recruiting help?
While in-house HR teams are often capable of managing much of the recruiting process, there are moments when turning to a professional recruiter can save both time and money – and help you find the right fit faster.
Here’s how to know when to bring in outside help, and what to look for in a recruiting partner.
In this article:
- Signs You Should Hire a Recruiter
- What to Look for in a Recruiter
- Recruiting Assessments: Diagnosing the Problem
Signs You Should Hire a Recruiter
1. The Position Is Hard to Fill
Maybe the role requires a niche skillset, or you’re searching in a competitive talent market. When you don’t know where to look – or how to evaluate candidates in a specialized field – it’s time to consider a recruiter. Experienced recruiters spend years building networks, sourcing passive talent, and knowing where (and how) to advertise for specific roles.
They’re not just reactive; they’re proactive. That means they can find candidates you can’t, including people who aren’t actively job hunting but would make a move for the right opportunity.
2. It’s a Critical Role
Some positions have a direct impact on your organization’s success – think leadership roles, technical experts, or revenue-generating positions. You can’t afford a bad hire. Recruiters are trained to screen, vet, and present only top-tier candidates. Their objective perspective can help ensure you get someone who truly fits the role and your culture.
3. You’re Running Out of Time
According to SHRM, in 2025 the average time to fill a position was around 45 days. But when you’re juggling employee relations, benefits, training, performance management, and more, hiring can easily fall to the bottom of the list.
A recruiter can speed things up significantly. Not just by sourcing faster, but by handling time-consuming tasks like resume screening, candidate communication, and interview coordination. They can also keep your candidates informed and engaged, reducing ghosting or drop-off during the process.
4. Your Hiring Process Has Stalled
Even with a solid internal team, sometimes recruiting just… stalls. Maybe your top candidates keep backing out, you’re not getting the applicants you hoped for, or the interview process is dragging on without results. A recruiter can bring in new energy, insights, and tactics to move things forward.
They know how to course-correct quickly, whether it’s reworking a job posting, adjusting your compensation package, or tapping into new talent pools.
What to Look for in a Recruiter
Once you decide to bring in help, how do you choose the right recruiting partner? Not all recruiters are created equal. Here are the top qualities to look for.
1. Strong Relationship-Building Skills
Recruiting is ultimately a relationship business. Great recruiters maintain vast networks of potential candidates long before a job opens up. At Purple Ink, for example, we have a database of over 10,000 resumes, organized by expertise – not to mention our broader community of social followers and professional connections.
You want someone who can tap into existing networks, not start from scratch.
2. Consulting Mindset
A good recruiter isn’t just a resume screener. They’re a consultant who understands your business goals and advises you accordingly. That might mean telling you when your job title isn’t market-competitive, suggesting salary adjustments, or offering insights into your candidate experience.
At Purple Ink, we don’t just hand over a stack of resumes. We provide a curated list with recommendations and insights into why we believe these candidates are the right fit. We’re invested in your success – and we’ll tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.
3. Creativity and Problem-Solving
If the standard approaches were working, you wouldn’t need a recruiter. The best recruiters know how to think outside the box. They know where to advertise hard-to-fill roles, how to tailor job descriptions to attract better applicants, and how to connect with passive candidates. Make sure they can bring a creative mindset to every search, regardless of your budget or industry.
4. Up-to-Date Industry Knowledge
Recruiting is changing constantly – from new technology to evolving candidate expectations to shifting labor laws. A top recruiter should be committed to staying current through conferences, webinars, industry podcasts (like our own JoyPowered® Workspace Podcast), and other resources.
They should also know the fundamentals – including which interview questions are illegal, how to support inclusion goals, and how to create a positive candidate experience.
Recruiting Assessments: Diagnosing the Problem
Sometimes, hiring isn’t working and you’re not sure why. That’s where a recruiting process assessment comes in.
Whether done internally (if you have the bandwidth and expertise) or by a third party, an assessment helps identify gaps in your process. Most HR teams are pulled in multiple directions, and don’t have time to analyze what’s going wrong in recruiting. An outside perspective can help spot blind spots.
Here’s what a strong recruiting assessment should evaluate:
- Employer brand: Is it attracting the right talent?
- Job postings: Are they clear, consistent, and compelling?
- Application process: Are you losing applicants mid-stream?
- Candidate experience: Is your process positive and respectful?
- Communication: Is it timely, automated, and on-brand?
- ATS (Applicant Tracking System): Are you using it effectively?
- ROI of external tools: Are job boards, platforms, or video interviews paying off?
- Internal processes: Are there workflow bottlenecks or gaps?
- DEI efforts: Are you sourcing from diverse talent pools?
- Compensation: Is it competitive?
- Onboarding: Is early turnover a problem?
At the end, you should walk away with actionable recommendations to enhance both hiring results and your overall talent acquisition strategy.
The Bottom Line
Recruiting is hard – and it’s getting harder. The candidate market is competitive, expectations are high, and hiring mistakes are costly. But you don’t have to tackle it alone.
Whether you’re struggling to fill a role, overwhelmed by applicants, unsure where the problem lies, or just want to improve your process, a recruiter can help.
At Purple Ink, we offer affordable, flexible recruiting services tailored to your needs. We pride ourselves on creativity, relationships, transparency, and results.
If you’re ready to explore how a recruiter can support your team, we’d love to talk. Contact us today to learn more about our customizable services and how we can help you build the team you need to move forward.