Using Recruitment Agencies

What are recruitment agencies?

A recruitment agency provides services to both employers and job seekers. They make profits by successfully placing job seekers into specific jobs, and charge the employers (not the job seeker) a fee for doing so. They also place temporary staff in organisations, charge employers an hourly rate, and the worker is paid by the agency.

What types of recruitment agencies are there?

Agencies can be high-street-based and deal with a wide range of opportunities. There are also a number of specialist agencies, that focus on one or two sectors particularly. You will find a huge range of online recruitment agencies. To track down the right ones for you, have a look at

www.rec.uk.com

Why do employers use recruitment agencies?

Employers will use recruitment agencies for a whole host of reasons: a last-minute opportunity, the need to avoid putting their name in the press, a low company profile, lack of sector knowledge, or they may want to contract out their recruitment activity because they do not have the staff time to manage it themselves.

Why should you use an agency?

There are many reasons why you might want to use an agency. You may find yourself looking for a job in a sector that relies heavily on recruitment agencies for their graduate intake. You may want to try out a particular sector for a shorter period of time. You may simply want some short-term work to raise some money to go travelling. All of these reasons are typical. Using an agency will save you time, particularly if you aren't that fussy about the job or employer you get. To make the most of what an agency can offer, you really do need to get some focus and think through what you want before you approach them.

Tips for getting the most out of your recruitment agency

Build a good rapport with the recruitment agent – they will typically work much harder for candidates that they get on with – it's human nature.

Shop around – not all agencies are the right one for you, so go and talk to two or three before deciding which to go with.

Know the rules – make sure you understand what a recruitment agency can and cannot do for you within the law. The REC also provides best practice guidelines (see website mentioned further up).

Explain clearly and carefully what you want – if you take time at the start, it can reduce misunderstandings and wasted efforts, and ensure you get the job opportunities that interest you.

Don't underestimate the power of a recruitment agent – in some cases they will not only be putting your CV forward, but they will be making initial pre-selection decisions for the company and even running assessment centres.

Work quickly – if they contact you with an opportunity, respond ASAP. Agencies thrive under time pressure, often because the employers they work for ask for help at the last minute. Late responses may lead to disappointment.

Keep an eye on the results – if your requirements are reasonable and the market is also reasonably buoyant, then you should hear about potential opportunities within a few days. If you don't hear anything, then get back to them and politely ask why, encouraging them to be honest with you. If you keep in contact, they won't forget you – but don't become a thorn in their side.

Keep control – make it clear that you want to make decisions about who sees your CV. Some less professional agencies can flood the market with your CV, and if you are also applying to other companies without the help of the agency, then employers could have two of your applications on their desk at once – this can leave you looking a bit desperate and quite indiscriminate in your application decisions.

Be selective – if you hand your CV to four recruitment agencies, then you may find every employer receives your CV four times!

Use their knowledge – if you get a good recruitment agent, they will often know the market well. They are a great source of market information, especially regarding salaries and benefits.