On the benefits of personnel consulting – and what that has to do with insects
Do you like insects?
I don’t mean in culinary terms, but in general interactions? There are supposed to be people who react to insects with fear, disgust or feelings of annoyance. Such reactions often completely underestimate the enormous importance of insects for a functioning ecosystem : many insects, particularly bees, butterflies and some species of beetle, are important pollinators for flowers, plants and agricultural crops. Without their pollination work , many plant species would not be able to reproduce, which would have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and human food production. Many insects, such as ants, termites and beetles, play an important role in the decomposition of organic material, including dead plants and animals . Through this decomposition, they contribute to the release and recycling of nutrients that are necessary for plant growth. Some insect species contribute to aeration and mixing of the soil, thus promoting its health and fertility. This is particularly important for agriculture and the maintenance of natural ecosystems. Insects are also part of biological control mechanisms by regulating pest and weed populations. Many insects eat other insects or plants that are considered pests, thus helping to maintain an ecological balance.
So far , so good. Now you might be wondering: What does this have to do with headhunters , HR consultants, and recruiters? They, too, sometimes experience fear, disgust, or a more or less distinct feeling of discomfort when interacting with people. In rare cases, this is justified, but in many cases it’s unjustified—if you consider the underlying ecosystem:
Busy HR consultant bees fly from employer to employer, picking up a bit of know-how and leaving a bit of know-how behind. A bit of employer branding here, a bit of onboarding process optimization there . On their way from blossom to blossom, they circle around a manager or a specialist . One follows their buzzing , the other turns away.
Resourceful headhunter beetles pounce on dying, change-resistant companies and dismantle the latently frustrated middle management so that their energy can be productively deployed elsewhere.
Busy recruitment ants undermine long-established company buildings to provide fresh air from below.
These comparisons may seem like something out of an experimental children’s book and, of course, only depict individual aspects. However, the basic idea should hopefully be clear: HR consulting, headhunting, and recruitment are not always popular with everyone involved, but they are necessary and useful elements for the economic ecosystem – for example, for :
- Knowledge transfer : As in other branches of management consulting, every HR consulting process increases the company’s internal knowledge about industry trends, HR process optimization opportunities, and potential employer unique selling points (Employer Value Proposition – EVP).
- Competition : Similar to how cold calling and systematic sales activities in the product and service sector lead to more frequent and diverse purchasing decisions and thus create constant pressure for innovation on the supplier side, the direct recruitment and recruitment of personnel also leads to more frequent and diverse job decisions, which leads to constant innovation in working conditions.
- Market consolidation : Companies that only lose staff and do not gain new ones are inevitably invited to either innovate or gradually leave the market.
- Expansion : In their genuine interest in successful placements, HR consultants naturally also look for alternatives when the pool of candidates is too small or even exhausted. For example, by providing advisory and placement support for career or lateral entry, creative professional rehabilitation, and so on.
With that in mind, the next time you see a bee or an ant, think kindly of our community. We at Riverstate and many others in our industry work hard every day to pollinate, diversify, and modernize our collective economic ecosystem to the best of our ability.
Christian Kaya
Chief Development Officer
The author
Christian began writing for a Cologne-based journalism agency at the age of 20. His articles have appeared in the Handelsblatt, the FAZ Hochschulanzeiger, and the former Financial Times Deutschland, among others. After completing a master’s degree in philosophy, political science, and literature, as well as training as a psychological consultant and coach, he gained diverse professional experience in the insurance industry, social work, and B2C product sales. In 2016, he joined Riverstate Personnel Consulting. Since then, he has gained valuable experience in both operational recruiting and sales . Since 2020, he has been part of Riverstate ‘s management team and is currently responsible for various corporate development projects.
