Why not just hire several contingency search firms and let them compete for my business and the best candidates?
Contingency search firms measure themselves in resume volume and number of searches completed. They most often passively collect resumes from people out of work and looking for jobs. They often do simple keyword searches and may or may not have had a phone interview with the real person behind the resume they send. They hardly ever have face-to-face interviews with the candidates. Contingency search firms can waste your precious time with candidates who may look OK on paper, but the chemistry fit with you and your team is all wrong. The best candidates do not deal with contingency search firms. They are barraged with phone calls from recruiters, and will not spend the time it takes to meet with a contingency recruiter while not knowing whether they will actually have a chance to meet with their client. The best people are very conservative about where their resumes go and do not want them distributed without permission. Contingency firms simply do not have access to these quality candi
