When to Use an Agency and When to Recruit In-House

When to Use an Agency and When to Recruit In-House

Hiring the right people is one of the most critical decisions any IT team or business leader will make. Choosing whether to recruit in-house or partner with an external agency is not always straightforward, and the right answer often depends on your goals, timescales, and the type of role you are hiring for.

Both in-house recruitment and agency support have their place within a modern IT hiring strategy. The most effective businesses understand how and when to use each one to build resilient and high-performing tech teams.

When In-House Hiring Makes Sense

In-house recruitment teams are well-placed to handle business-as-usual (BAU) hiring needs. These typically include:

• Entry-level or junior roles

• Positions with clear, repeatable requirements

• High-volume recruitment (such as service desk or support staff)

• Roles where internal knowledge of company culture is key

An internal team has the advantage of knowing your systems, your leadership, and how different teams operate. They can often move faster on roles where talent is already available in the market and do a great job managing the onboarding and retention of new hires.

However, internal teams can sometimes struggle when hiring for highly technical or specialised roles, especially if they do not have a deep understanding of the skills involved or a strong network in that space.

When an Agency Adds Value

Specialist IT recruitment agencies are particularly valuable when you face:

• Niche or hard-to-fill roles such as DevOps engineers, cybersecurity specialists, or ERP consultants

• Urgent hiring needs where time-to-hire is critical

• Senior or strategic appointments such as Heads of IT or CTOs

• Temporary, contract, or interim requirements

• Projects with specific technical demands or time-sensitive deliverables

Agencies bring market intelligence that goes beyond what an internal team may have access to. They know current salary expectations, how competitive the market is for specific roles, and what motivates top talent to move. More importantly, they have access to passive candidates who are not actively applying for roles but are open to a move if approached the right way.

By taking on the legwork of searching, screening, and shortlisting, an agency can reduce time-to-hire and free up your internal resources to focus on interviewing and onboarding.

The Power of a Blended Hiring Strategy

The most successful IT teams do not rely solely on one method. Instead, they adopt a blended hiring strategy that makes use of both internal and external expertise. For example:

• Use your in-house team for roles that are consistent, repeatable, and well-understood

• Engage a recruitment agency when entering new markets, launching complex projects, or scaling quickly

• Build long-term partnerships with agencies who understand your business and can act as an extension of your internal talent function

This approach ensures you are not wasting internal resources on complex searches or struggling to fill urgent roles using channels designed for BAU hiring.