As major tech companies lay off workers by the thousands and employers across industries institute hiring freezes, recruiters are watching their current work responsibilities, and their job prospects, dry up. Talent acquisition (TA) professionals at Facebook, Amazon, and Google have all been handed pink slips in the last few months.

But during a From Day One’s December virtual conference on the future of jobs, Robyn Thornton, the director of talent acquisition at talent-recruiting and management platform SeekOut, made the case for why employers should hold onto and invest in their recruiters, despite a potential economic downturn.

When there is no hiring to do, employers often let go of recruiters. Thornton believes this is short-term thinking.

“There’s a perception that if we aren’t filling roles as recruiters, then we’re not adding value. The thinking goes: ‘As the market rebounds, I can just hire recruiters again.’ They also think that it’s easy to turn on pipelines and let the talent flow back in, kind of like releasing a dam,” said Thornton. “We all know that it doesn’t work this way. We know that we’re working with human beings, we’re not working with a product. They may not be ready to make those job changes as soon as hiring plans resurge. Meanwhile, the pendulum swing of your business is delayed behind the rhythm of the market.”

Retaining your recruiters can help companies maintain a competitive advantage when the market turns. “In TA, we are always keeping companies strategically prepared for the swings. We know that it’s our job to stay current on market trends and macroeconomics to provide insights to hiring managers and leaders as they’re building out their workforce strategies, and their headcount strategies, and their workforce planning.” This skill is just as relevant in a bust as it is in a boom. 

Companies can use the downtime to polish their employer brand, refine hiring processes, and train hiring managers on interview best practices. Thornton reminded employers to “look under the hood” of their recruiting operations to ensure what they have is high-quality. “It’s really critical from a candidate-experience standpoint to always be thinking about your engagement,” Thornton said.

Further, talent acquisition expertise is versatile, said Thornton, and can be redeployed across an organization. For example, recruiters can help lift burdensome work from colleagues who need the support. “Hiring managers who have worked with pared back or lean teams will be extremely anxious to supplement their overworked folks who may have had to do the work of two or three people during this time,” she said.

Plus, recruiters are a natural fit for talent-development work. Good recruiters don’t stop after the new workers are onboarded, “they nurture the talent,” Thornton said. “We’re on the front lines, so people like to come back to us and ask lots of questions and feel comfortable.” 

She believes these internally connected employees can be valuable tools in employee retention and morale boosting. “You want to continue that relationship and check in with them and make sure they’re OK.”

And for the recruiters themselves, Thornton advises them to invest in their own knowledge of the business. “The best thing you can do is go into your organization with fresh eyes and say, ‘OK, I want to understand more about these different teams.’” They could ask to shadow different leaders, devote time to understanding company objectives, and take ownership of their capabilities. 

And finally, Thornton recommended proactivity. “Don’t wait for your leaders to come to you,” she said. “Go to them. Talk about how you’re addressing slowdowns. Talk about what we can do to retain teams, and show them the financial costs, show them the cost-benefit analysis. Show your work.”

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this Thought Leadership Spotlight, SeekOut.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance reporter based in Richmond, Va. She writes about the workplace, DEI, hiring, and issues faced by women. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Fast Company, Quartz at Work, and Digiday’s Worklife.news, among others.