What’s the Real Cost of DIY Recruitment?

When you need to hire, it can be tempting to do it yourself. Especially if you’re running a small business without an in-house recruiter. Write an ad, pop it on a job board, wait for the CVs to roll in. Simple, right?

Well… not quite.

Recruitment isn’t free just because you’re the one doing it. The hidden cost isn’t just in the time it takes — it’s in what that time could be better spent on. That’s the real price of DIY hiring: the opportunity cost.

The Hours Add Up — Fast

Even when everything goes smoothly, recruitment takes time:

• Writing the job description and advert – 4 hours
• Posting to job boards and sharing across networks – 2 hours
• Reaching out to passive candidates – 6 hours
• Handling inbound enquiries - 3 hours
• Reviewing and filtering applications – 12+ hours
• Phone screening candidates – 8 hours
• Interview Scheduling - 3 hours
• Conducting interviews – 16-20 hours
• Candidate admin, feedback, follow-ups – 5+ hours
• Offer, negotiation and paperwork – 4 hours

🕒 That’s 60+ hours, just to get from advert to offer — and that’s a best-case scenario.

In real life? Candidates drop out. Interviews are rescheduled. People accept counter-offers. You might need to restart entirely. That 60 hours can quickly double — and every single hour is time not spent on your actual job.

What’s the Opportunity Cost?

Recruitment hours aren’t just admin time — they’re high-value hours pulled from elsewhere in your business.

While you’re:

• Screening CVs…
• Chasing interview feedback…
• Reposting jobs…

…what aren’t you doing?

🚫 Meeting new clients
🚫 Building your pipeline
🚫 Developing your team
🚫 Driving your strategy
🚫 Supporting your customers

It’s not just a time issue — it’s a focus issue. Recruitment can derail your week, disrupt your priorities, and dilute your impact. When your attention is split, your business can’t grow the way it should.

Job Boards Are Just the Beginning

Yes, job boards are useful. But they’re just the starting line — not the finish line.

The real work begins once the applications start landing. Sifting. Screening. Shortlisting. Interviewing. Negotiating. It takes time, tenacity, and know-how — especially if you’re not doing this every day.

At Ten2Two, we:

• Speak to candidates personally
• Assess for culture fit as well as capability
• Provide detailed profiles (not just a CV)
• Save you hours by only sending people worth meeting
• Stay close to candidates so you don’t lose them mid-process

We're not here to add to your to-do list. We're here to take it off your desk completely.

Would You Do Your Own Legal Work? Or Payroll?

Probably not — because you know the value of expert support and the risk of getting it wrong.

Recruitment is no different. It’s a specialist task, and when it’s done well, it saves you hours, improves your outcomes, and frees you up to do what only you can do: run your business.

Let Us Carry That Weight

Whether you're hiring someone junior or bringing in senior expertise, Ten2Two makes the process lighter.

We handle the heavy lifting — and we do it with flexibility, professionalism and a human touch. So by the time you meet a candidate, they’re not just a CV. They’re a real contender.

💡 Because recruitment might not be your day job. But it is ours.

Let’s Chat

If you’re planning to hire and wondering how you’ll find the time, we’re happy to talk. No pressure. Just good advice, friendly support, and flexible recruitment that works around you.

📩 Get in touch with the Ten2Two team today.