Recruitment Agencies | Local Services

Whether you are looking for a new job for yourself or you are a firm looking to recruit new staff you may be considering using the services of a recruitment agency.

How to find a recruitment agency
Have a look at websites which allow a range of professions to place classified adverts for their services. By running a search for recruitment agencies you can find a list of all agencies in your area, the services they provide and their contact details. This will provide you with a useful starting list. Another good way to choose a recruitment agency is on the basis of personal recommendations. Ask your friends or colleagues if they could recommend an agency that they used and were pleased with but do bear in mind that different agencies will suit different professions or industries.

Affiliations to professional bodies
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has a directory of professional recruitment firms on its website so check that the agency that you are considering is a member of the REC. This should help in ensuring that they will provide a high standard of service; that the firm operates ethically; and that their consultants are well informed.

What type of recruitment agency should you choose?
Some recruitment agencies cover a broad spectrum of professions so, if your recruitment needs are fairly general or, as an individual seeking a role, you don't want to limit yourself to any specific employment sector, opt for a more general type of recruitment agency. However, some agencies specialise in recruiting for particular fields of employment such as engineering, nursing, hospitality, construction, education, childcare etc. If you needs to recruit staff with highly specialised skills or you, as an individual, have identified a particular field that you want to work in, then you should choose a sector-specific recruitment agency with a proven track record.

Visit the recruitment agency
Call into the recruitment agency to check them out. Anyone can sound professional on the phone but a shabby office above a chip shop may give the game away! Talk to their staff to find out if they are well informed with a good working knowledge of employment law. Do they have a good knowledge of the market in question? If you are seeking a role, ask about their employer relationships.

Cost
Find out what each recruitment agency charges but do not base your choice of recruitment agency on price alone. It does not necessary follow that the most expensive agency will be the best -- or indeed that you should avoid the cheapest. As a firm recruiting, or indeed as an individual seeking a role, base your decision on a combination of cost, the agency's reputation, qualifications and professional standards and the services they offer. No reputable agency should charge prospective candidates for their services: it is the employer that foots the bill -- and the bill should only materialise in the event of a successful placement although many agencies will charge a retainer and re-charge costs associated with a campaign. This said, costs have a bearing on you as an individual seeking a position. If your agency's fees are high, this may place you at a disadvantage when compared with similar candidates from other lower cost agencies.

Other factors for a company to consider

Screening process
Check that the recruitment agency guarantees to send you applications and / or CVs that are directly relevant to your specific vacancy. You do not want to spend your valuable time reviewing applications from people that are entirely unsuitable. This is something that the recruitment agency should provide for you -- it is a major part of the service that you are paying for.

References
Ask whether the recruitment agency includes checking candidates' references as part of the service. Not only will this save further time and effort on your behalf but many regard this as an integral part of the screening process.

Other factors for an individual to consider

CVs
A good recruitment agency should be able to offer you help and advice on putting together a good CV. Since this is often the major driver for a firm in their short listing process, it is crucial that your CV markets you well and accurately presents all relevant qualifications, skills and experience.

Interview skills
Some recruitment agencies may be able to offer you help and training on interview technique. They may also be able to advise you on the sort of questions that you could be asked in an interview and can assist in formulating appropriate responses.

Choosing one recruitment agency or many?
Most people believe that it is important that you use more than one recruitment agency. This is a simple matter of coverage. If you are an employer recruiting in a sector where candidates are scarce, this is particularly important. The inverse is true for applicants seeking roles in a competitive sector. Some agencies will offer advantageous rates to employers if they are retained on an exclusive basis but you need to be sure that they have the reach to attract candidates of the right calibre. This is a balancing act: as a candidate there is really no point in registering yourself with scores of agencies as this might result in an employer receiving several copies of your CV (although a reputable agency should always check with you before forwarding your CV to a potential employer). Equally, as an employer, managing multiple agencies can result in more overhead and time in dealing with multiple contacts and a potentially higher candidate volume. You need to balance numbers with quality and be prepared to add rather than remove agencies from your list as needed.

A good recruitment agency can make all the difference to your search for a new job, improving your chances of success and helping you to avoid wasting time and effort. Recruitment agencies can equally help a firm to effectively and efficiently recruit qualified staff best suited to a particular vacancy. Ultimately the value that you receive from using a recruitment agency depends on how much care and effort you put into making sure that you choose the best agency or agencies for your particular requirements.