Crowdstaffing and crowdsourcing
Evolution or Revolution in Recruitment and Talent Acquisition?
What is crowdstaffing?
Crowdstaffing is a modern recruitment model that delegates the candidate sourcing process to a distributed network of external recruiters, specialists, or even a broad community (the so-called "crowd"), often operating through a dedicated online platform.
These recruiters are usually paid for a specific outcome, e.g. delivering a candidate matching defined criteria or for their hire. The goal of crowdstaffing is faster access to a wider talent pool and increased recruitment efficiency.
Crowdsourcing and its narrowed definition - crowdstaffing - typically combines dedicated software with an online platform (such as Crowd Hunter) that lets employers easily connect with a large pool of potential candidates.
In recent years, crowdstaffing has become increasingly popular, gradually displacing existing models and staffing services. Hiring a new employee is often a long and costly process, and simply publishing a job ad is rarely enough.
What is crowdsourcing?
Crowdsourcing is mainly the process of collecting ideas, solutions, or services from a wide group of people, often from an external online community. It is a broad concept covering various forms of collective action.
Crowdstaffing, in turn, is a specific form of recruitment in which clients use recruitment platforms to hire people for specific projects or tasks. Although both methods rely on tapping into the "crowd", they differ in scope and purpose.
What are the most commonly used recruitment models?
1. Paid job boards
Pros:
Lower cost, speed, and ease of publication
Cons:
High costs of popular boards, low application quality, cost regardless of result, mismatched CVs, no access to passive candidates
2. Recruitment Agency
Pros:
Extensive candidate databases, access to passive candidates, high application quality, dedicated account manager
Cons:
High cost, problematic agency selection, time-consuming negotiations, no full cost control
3. Employee referral program
Pros:
Good fit, employee engagement, lower costs, full control
Cons:
Limited reach, risk of no success, risk of promoting friends due to relationships
How crowdstaffing eliminates the drawbacks of standard methods?
Cost reduction
The employer sets the referral bonus amount. Full control over costs.
Higher chance of successful recruitment
A published project is automatically distributed to all registered agencies and recruiters.
Quality of candidate fit
The process of recommending vetted people reduces the risk of receiving mismatched CVs.
Access to passive candidates
Agencies and recruiters can reach passive candidates.
No need to negotiate contracts
Parties operate based on Crowd Hunter's terms of service.
More effective Employee Referral Program
Reach extends far beyond the employer's organization.
Operational order - built-in ATS
Ability to use a built-in ATS (Application Tracking System) tool.
Crowdstaffing - a win-win-win model
Crowdstaffing brings many benefits for all parties in the recruitment process. It's a model where employers, recruitment agencies, and candidates win simultaneously.