A closer look at why a " busy candidate market" doesn’t translate into high-quality applications.

When the job market feels active and CVs and resumes are plentiful, it’s natural for membership organisations and associations to think, “Why not just advertise directly? We’ll save money and fill the role quickly.” 

It’s a tempting mindset, but one that can often actually lead to more cost, more time lost, and more risk than expected. For both UK and US membership bodies, the truth is simple: a busy candidate market doesn’t automatically make hiring easier. 

Here’s why.

1. More applicants don’t always mean better candidates

When you advertise directly, you open the door to anyone who clicks “apply.” In roles for membership organisations and associations alike, where communication, member experience, attention to detail and sector understanding are vital, quality matters far more than volume. 

A job advert may bring you dozens or even hundreds of unsuitable CVs, candidates applying to every role they see, people who don’t understand membership environments or applicants with no relevant experience. 

Sorting through this noise takes time and slows your ability to move quickly on the right people.

2. Direct hiring puts all the risk on you

When you recruit directly, every risk sits with you. If the hire doesn’t perform, the risk is yours. If they leave quickly, the cost is yours. If the fit is wrong, you start the process again. If the role stays unfilled, the workload falls back on your team. 

Membership organisations cannot afford weak hires, especially when member engagement, renewals, events or policy work rely on experienced and capable people.

3. Restarting the process costs you time, money and momentum

The true cost of a bad hire goes far beyond salary. It can cause:

  • Lost member satisfaction
  • Stalled projects
  • Delayed events or member renewals
  • Lower team morale
  • The opportunity cost of leadership time wasted restarting recruitment. 

When you advertise directly, beginning again means everything repeats: new adverts, new shortlisting, new interviews and more lost time.

4. A specialist membership recruitment agency removes that risk

Working with a dedicated membership recruitment agency changes everything. 

Because we specialise in the membership and association sector, we understand sector-specific skill requirements, organisational structures and what great looks like. We filter candidates based on relevant experience, approach passive talent you cannot reach through advertising and present only those who can genuinely add value. 

Most importantly, if the candidate doesn’t work out, we restart the entire process for you at no additional cost. 

  • You don’t pay again.
  • You don’t start over alone.
  • You don’t carry the risk. 

We do. 

This gives your organisation protection, stability and continuity. Membership staffing is too important to leave to chance.

5. Your time is better spent on members, not recruitment admin

Every hour spent writing job adverts, screening CVs, arranging interviews and chasing candidates is an hour not invested in member value or strategic delivery. And the administrative load is far higher than most organisations expect. 

Across both the UK and US, Hiring Managers, Heads of Department and HR teams typically spend: 

  • 10 to 20 hours writing and posting job adverts 
  • 25 to 40 hours screening CVs and filtering unsuitable applicants 
  • 5 to 10 hours scheduling and coordinating interviews 
  • 10 to 15 hours on candidate communication, follow-up and admin 
  • An average of 6 to 8 weeks to fill a role (CIPD/SHRM benchmarks) 

Combined, it’s common for 60+ hours of staff time to be absorbed by a single recruitment process, time the key teams in the membership sector can rarely spare, especially during busy renewal, events, policy, or programme periods. 

For membership organisations, this often means: 

  • Delays to member-facing projects 
  • Reduced engagement and slower response times 
  • Internal bottlenecks as work piles up 
  • Decreased team morale during understaffed periods 
  • Pressure is placed on individuals who are covering the gap 

A specialist membership recruitment agency like Membership Bespoke removes this burden entirely. We manage the full hiring process end-to-end: sourcing candidates from our unique UK database of 19,000+ membership-sector professionals, supported by targeted, specialist advertising channels. We handle all screening, shortlisting, interviewing, and candidate management, so your team can remain focused on the priorities that matter, including:

  • Delivering value to members 

  • Driving engagement and renewals 

  • Running events and education programmes 

  • Supporting committees, boards and stakeholders 

  • Progressing policy, advocacy and strategy 

  • Managing finance and budget responsibilities

  • Leading marketing, communications and brand growth

Put simply, outsourcing recruitment frees your organisation to stay member-focused while reducing risk, cost and internal workload. 

Final Thoughts 

When the market feels busy, direct advertising may appear like the quickest and cheapest route. In reality, it often costs more, takes longer and carries far greater risk to you and your organisation. 

Partnering with a specialist membership recruitment agency gives you expertise, speed, and crucially,  protection. With our no delivery, no fee model, you only invest when we successfully place the right candidate. And if a hire doesn’t work out, we take full responsibility and restart the process at no additional cost to your organisation.

If you’d like help securing the right talent with zero hiring risk, we’re here to support you. Contact us for a tailored ROI comparison of our services versus the true cost of advertising and managing the process directly.