Choosing the Right External Hiring Support: A Practical Guide for Growing Businesses

Shannon
6 days ago
3 min read

Hiring the right people is one of the most strategic decisions a business can make. But almost every leader I talk to tells me the same thing:

“We know we need help but we just don’t know what kind.”

Some businesses struggle because they have no internal recruitment support. Others have internal teams, but they’re consistently swamped, reactive, or trying to fill roles without the strategy needed for quality outcomes.

The truth? There is no one-size-fits-all for hiring support, but there is a way to figure out what you truly need.

Here’s a simple framework to help you decide.

1. Do you have internal hiring expertise?

Many small and mid-sized businesses don’t have an in-house recruiter or talent lead. When hiring is done by founders, operators, or managers as a side task, it becomes:

time consuming
inconsistent
less strategic
tactics-driven rather than outcomes-driven

If you don’t have anyone dedicated to recruitment, strategic sourcing, pipeline management, or interview design, then internal teams will always be reactive, not proactive.

Result: You need external strategy and execution support.

2. Are your hiring needs predictable or sporadic?

Ask yourself:

Do you consistently hire the same number of people each month?
Do you have a long hiring runway?
Are roles similar and predictable?

If hiring is sporadic, unpredictable, or high-stakes, that’s not usually a situation where hiring a full-time recruiter makes financial sense, even if recruiting is critical.

In these cases, organizations often benefit from on-demand recruitment support that scales up and down with their needs.

Result: Fractional or part-time recruiting is often the smartest fit.

3. Are your roles easy to fill with job ads alone?

Job boards and postings may work for high-volume, low-skill roles, but for specialized, leadership, or hard-to-find talent, traditional posting simply doesn’t reach the right people.

Why?

Most of the best candidates aren’t actively searching
Competitive companies don’t post their top performers
Passive search and outreach is required

That’s where targeted search comes in. A research-driven approach that proactively identifies and engages talent that won’t show up on a job board.

Result: If the role is highly critical, you need a targeted search, not just a reactive posting.

4. Are you struggling with quality, speed, or process?

Different hiring problems require different solutions:

Hiring Problem	Likely Need
No one is dedicated to recruiting	Fractional Recruiting
Hard-to-find talent	Targeted Search
Internal team overloaded	Coaching + Embedded Support
Hiring takes too long	Strategic Process Design

Trying to solve these with job ads or “just posting more” rarely works and often creates false positives and bad hires.

Quick Diagnostic Cheat Sheet

✔ No internal recruiter → Fractional recruitment

✔ Urgent, one-off critical hire → Targeted search

✔ Hiring frequently but inconsistently → Fractional + targeted combo

✔ Internal team stuck in reactions → Embedded support + strategy

Final Thought

There is a right way to support your hiring, and it starts with defining the problem first, not the solution.

Before you post another job or spend another hour on LinkedIn, ask yourself:

“What’s missing in our process right now?”

The answer to that question will tell you the type of support you truly need.

Need help defining your next hiring support strategy?

We specialize in helping businesses like yours figure out the right mix of support. Whether it's fractional recruitment, targeted search, or a blended approach, we have the team and expertise to help take your business to the next level.