Temporary deployment doesn't have to produce temporary results. What's more: those who set up collaboration with a secondment or recruitment partner strategically gain in quality, speed and continuity.
In short: it's time to shift from project thinking to partnership thinking.
The traditional pitfall: hiring as a fire extinguisher
In many organizations, external hiring is only set in motion when a direct necessity arises — think of an impending deadline, unexpected sick leave or a sudden spike in workload. That is understandable in itself, but it does mean that actions are taken on an ad-hoc basis each time. This reactive approach has adverse consequences: knowledge is lost because professionals quickly replace one another, onboarding takes more time and productivity suffers. Moreover, hiring costs rise due to the time pressure under which decisions must be made, and the likelihood of a mismatch is greater because the focus is on speed rather than quality. That way you solve a capacity problem in the short term, but you do not build a sustainable strengthening of your organization.
The numbers don't lie
Organizations that choose a long-term collaboration with their hiring partners demonstrably achieve better results. This way they shorten their averagetime-to-hire by as much as 35%, which means that vacancies are filled faster and more efficiently. In addition, the risk of mismatches withbad 27%, because the staffing partner increasingly knows better who really fits within the team and the culture. And perhaps most convincingly: companies that structurally work together with a fixed partner save on averageup to 18% on their total hiring costs.
These figures (source: Intelligence Group, 2025) show that strategic collaboration not only makes working together more pleasant, but also delivers direct benefits for your planning, quality and budget
4 tips to move from project to partnership
1. Share more than just your request
Provide insight into your objectives, team culture, challenges and the impact of the assignment. That way your partner can advise and match much better.
2. Work with fixed points of contact
Create a single line of communication. That way you build mutual trust and prevent duplicate work.
3. Make room for evaluation and feedback
Evaluate not only the candidate, but also the process. What went well, what can be improved? A good partner grows with you.
4. Involve your partner early in capacity planning
Don't only think about hiring when the water is up to your lips. Make it part of your HR strategy.
The power of partnership
Working with a secondment or recruitment partner like Circle8 offers more than access to a CV database.
At Circle8 we believe that real value only arises when you look beyond the CV. We build relationships, not files. Whether it's IT professionals, HR specialists or interim recruiters, we not only deliver the right people, but also insight, speed and commitment.
Because clients who invest in partnership today will win tomorrow at every level: operational, tactical and strategic.
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