US Corporate and Third-Party Recruiters Have These 3 Things in Common

LinkedIn recently completed our third annual Global Recruiting Trends survey of nearly 4,000 corporate talent acquisition and recruitment firm professionals in 19 countries. As we began to dig through the findings, we found that – while these two groups have some obvious differences – many of their 2013 priorities and challenges are the same.

Here are three major things that US corporate and third-party recruiters have in common:

1. They're doing more with less

The good news for both groups is that hiring and placement volume remains healthy this year. Ninety percent of corporate recruiters report that they'll hire the same amount or more professionals in 2013, and 96% of recruitment firms report the same when it comes to their placement pace. The less great news? Budgets aren't keeping up: only 34% of corporate recruiters and 51% of recruitment firms report a growth in budget this year. Increasingly, talent professionals are maximizing resources and finding leverage wherever possible.

2. They're focused on the passive candidate more than ever

Both recruitment firm professionals and corporate recruiters rank "finding better ways to source passive candidates" as a top long-lasting trend. Recruitment firms rank it #2, with the #1 spot going to "utilizing social and professional networks." For corporate recruiters, it's the reverse. Either way, it's clear that passive talent is here to stay.

3. They're investing in their brand

We regularly hear from our customers – both third-party and corporate recruiters – that branding is a crucial differentiator in today's highly competitive talent market. In fact, 80% of recruitment firms say they are investing in their organization's brand, and 85% of corporate recruiters believe their employer brand has a significant impact on their ability to hire great talent. When we asked which channels were most valuable for brand-building, online professional networks were by far the fastest-growing channel year over year for both groups.

Perhaps the biggest similarity between corporate and third-party recruiters? Their mission is to help people find their dream jobs. And that's why we love working with them.

To learn more about the latest trends in recruiting, read our reports for recruitment firms and corporate recruiters: