3 Different Types of Candidates in Consulting Marketplace
So here’s the deal: You are a business owner and you have reached a point where you need to hire some more people.
However, you might face problems while trying to hire the right candidates to fill essential roles—and that’s a good problem to have. It’s amazing that your business is growing and you’re open to hiring new people and expanding your team.
But are you sure you need to hire an employee? What if hiring an interim manager is the right decision? And what if you need a very specific skill set that only an experienced consultant has?
In this article, we’ll discuss all your hiring options along with the best approaches to find the right talent. But first, let’s talk about the different types of candidates you can potentially hire.
Different Types of Candidates
Interim Talent
Interim managers are usually hired to fill a temporary, senior position. They focus mainly on managing and implementing the project, not so much on giving advice. And the thing with interim managers is that they may or may not be experts in a given field. However, they can help a company implement its project or predetermined strategy.
They might be able to give advice if they have some experience as a consultant. If not, then the only thing you should expect from them is to stick around in the company for 3-4 months and lead the team temporarily. When it comes to choosing interim managers, years of managerial experience in a senior role is a must.
Employees
If you have been in business for a while, you already know about employees. Employees are the heart and soul of your organization. Their decisions will impact how much revenue your company generates and how it is perceived in the market. If the nature of work is such that you need an individual to be a part of your organization for the long term and work for a set number of hours every week, then it makes sense to hire a permanent employee.
For example, if you’re running a boutique web design agency and you have more than twenty clients, it makes sense to hire a permanent full-time project manager to ensure that all work gets done and delivered on time.
Freelance Consultants
Consultants are highly knowledgeable in their line of work. Unlike interim managers, consultants can offer advice regarding a complex business situation. And the best part is: you don’t always have to approach the big consultancies to get top consultants. Some consultants work on a freelance basis . The way they operate is exactly the same as consultants from top consulting firms.
Initially, consultants collect all the data they can. Then they do an in-depth analysis and provide recommendations. But that’s not it. If you want them to stay longer and help you implement their recommendations, then they can help you with that as well.
When you require a very particular skill set that your internal team doesn’t have, you should definitely hire a consultant. Hiring consultants also make sense when you need some new changes in the company but you’re not sure what to do and how to do it. Consultants might not have managerial experience, but this won’t be an issue in small to medium-sized businesses as they usually have a tightly knit and small team that is easily manageable—unlike big corporations that have thousands of employees who require to be managed constantly.
Where to Find Them
After you have decided whether you want to hire a consultant or an employee, you’ll have to begin the search. Oh, well! Is it going to be easy? It all depends on your approach. Let’s discuss some ways to find the best staff for your company.
Freelance Consulting Marketplaces and Recruitment Agencies
There are several recruitment agencies that can find you the best employees based on your requirement. The same agencies may also be able to find temporary interim managers for your company’s short-term projects. These agencies will search and interview the top candidates, so you don’t have to spend your precious time interviewing the wrong candidates. Then you can have a personal interview with the few top-notch candidates and choose the one (or more) you like the most.
An almost similar process is followed by freelance consulting marketplaces, which are also referred to as online consulting marketplaces or online consulting platforms sometimes. A good freelance consulting marketplace has access to a large pool of highly qualified freelance consultants. Online consulting platforms do the background check and initial interviews on your behalf, so you can focus on your day-to-day operations. Unlike consultants who work for big consulting firms, freelance consultants work independently. This is why online consulting marketplaces are a great option if you want to hire a freelance consultant without involving those huge global consultancies.
Social Media
If you’re active on LinkedIn, it’s not uncommon to see posts like “I’m looking for a full-time graphic designer” or “I need a marketing consultant”. Posting your job and personnel requirement on social media is the easiest way to find interim talent, employees, and even consultants. But what’s easy might not always be the best. By sticking to just social media, you’re decreasing your reach substantially.
For example, your post on social media might just reach a few people, and it’s likely that none of them will suit your ideal candidate profile. But recruitment agencies and freelance consulting marketplaces will scour every nook and cranny to get your message in front of the best candidates. So if you want to increase your chances of finding the best employee or consultant, you might want to give these agencies and online consulting marketplaces a try. Otherwise, social media might be enough to help you find the right talent, given that you’re lucky.
General Job Boards
There are several online job boards that let you post an advertisement. But there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that these job boards are visited by thousands of ambitious candidates who are looking for their next role, whether it’s a permanent role or a short-term role. Now, the good news itself is bad news. Meaning that your inbox will be bombarded with lots of CVs and cover letters, and it might get very frustrating for you.
You might also face ‘the paradox of choice’. Basically, having a lot of options can be overwhelming to humans—that’s just psychology. However, if you have time, or if some of your trusted employees who are experienced in recruiting have time, then posting an advertisement on an online job board should do the trick. Otherwise, you can engage with an agency or a freelance consulting marketplace, tell them what type of candidate you need, and they’ll handle almost the entire process for you.
Conclusion
Before you hire a consultant, interim manager, or an employee, it’s important that you spend some time analyzing your options. Sometimes, it makes sense to hire a full-time employee, and sometimes, you should most certainly hire a freelance consultant. There are several approaches you can use to find your organization’s next rockstar. However, if you want to save a lot of time and energy, and get access to the best candidates, then using professional agencies or online consulting firms is the best option.
