Hiring a Staffing Specialist vs. Generalist

When you look at Western medicine and how we categorize medical doctors and their capabilities, they usually fall into one of two categories: specialist or generalist. Specialists are able to provide a higher quality of care because of their additional training, education and focus on a specific area; they can target and treat specific conditions by providing expert procedures or treatment plans to help their patients achieve a higher level of care. The same distinction can also be found in the recruitment and staffing industry.

What's So Special About a Specialist?

A recruiter that concentrates in a specific industry will help efficiently target the specific skills needed. This is especially important for technical positions. For instance, if you are seeking an engineer, a recruiter who understands the scope and complexity of the technical aspects will add the extra layers needed in the recruitment process. This is very relevant for technical positions. By having an engineering expert on your side, extra layers can be added to the recruitment process allowing for additional vetting. Engineer staffing recruiters typically know where to search for niche talent and can communicate with them on their level.

A specialist will ask the right questions. During the review and interview process, they will know what the answers should be when discussing specific platforms or software used. They will not misunderstand or mistake similar-sounding language, such as key differences between 3D engineering needs, or push a candidate through because they 'seem' like a qualified fit. This makes the process efficient and cost-effective with successful results. 

>> Read Why HR Departments Use Staffing Agencies

What About a Generalist?

Most job seekers don't realize that all staffing agencies are not the same. They think that all of them will take anyone with any skill set. These generalist agencies typically cover a wide range of job functions, industries and locations. They often shine during times when there is a peak in hiring or there are multiple changes within a company that needs a rapid turnaround. These are ideal situations for recruiters that have a broad pool of candidates that allows them to be adaptable to multiple openings and can quickly change direction.

However, while generalist agencies are the most well-known, this is not how all agencies are structured. Due to pure volume of the candidate pool, finding a good fit for talent that has a special skill set may be time-consuming and potentially may have difficulty being placed in a position that will draw from their special expertise. 

The TriMech Difference

If you're looking for engineers specialized in a given area, TriMech Staffing can help you. Our focus provides significant benefits to companies as well as candidates as we find dedicated or temporary engineering placements that are a perfect 360° fit. We're a company run by engineers for engineers and are here to support you with your technical staffing or staff augmentation needs.

Working on expanding your team? TriMech Staffing can help!