Recruitment Agencies – What are they good for?

As an in-house recruiter for over a decade, I’ve had the fortune of working with some really good quality recruitment consultants.

Good recruitment consultants made my job really easy because they naturally partnered with the business.  And, they took the time to build long-term working relationships.

We both shared information critical to the success of filling the vacancy.  After all, that is the shared goal.

However, it’s no secret there can be a little tension between in-house recruiters and recruitment consultants. They have a different agenda, even though the main goal is the same. 

• An in-house recruiter is often tasked to save money for the business and maintain the quality of the candidates. 
• A recruitment consultant is often focused on commission, meeting financial targets, and making placements.  That’s not to say, they’re not concerned with quality because there’s often a rebate period if the placed candidate leaves too soon.  

The recruitment agencies with a long-term view will want to spend time building a good quality relationship with their clients.  They know the value this brings to their business.  

The really good consultants will also want to build good working relationships with the candidates too. This is crucial to building up a successful and continuous pipeline of talent.

The very best consultants spend just as much time networking with candidates in the market as they do building relationships with their clients (employers). 

A good agency will be researching their market every day. They are likely to have business development managers gathering knowledge from research and working closely with their clients.

This knowledge is really valuable to a candidate. They will know what companies are expanding and recruiting even if they are not advertising widely.

As they have the market knowledge and they know what their clients are looking for in a candidate, you can take advantage of this when attending an interview. Listen very carefully to what information they share with you about their client as this will help you prepare.

The consultant is likely to know more about the company than a job description could ever tell you. They will understand the company culture, the team players in the department, and the management style.

This won’t necessarily be an advertised service. However, they will want to make sure you have the best possible chances of getting an interview.

It’s in their interest you meet all the client’s requirements and it’s very clearly presented on your CV.  So again listen to their advice and feedback.  They know better than you (at this point) what their clients are looking for.  

A good consultant will also spend time prepping you for the interview.  They will talk you through what their client is like and what is important to them.  This will massively help you with your preparation and interview performance. 

When, or if, you decide to register with a recruitment agency do your homework.  Your time is precious and you don’t want to go through the registration process if they cannot help you with your particular job search.

You want to research the very best agencies that will take just as much time and effort to manage you through the recruitment process as they do building relationships with the businesses.

When you are ready to consider registering with a recruitment agency, consider the following.

• Research and find the right recruitment agencies for your sector or discipline
• Meet with the recruitment consultant and start building a relationship
• Share your career aspirations and requirements 
• Agree how you are going to keep in touch with each other 
• Keep your consultant up to date with your status (particularly if you’ve landed a job!)

Your job search and career management are 100% your responsibility.  Agreeing to keep in contact will help you manage communication and build a strong relationship.