Why use recruitment agencies?

Category: Tips and Advice Publish date: 29/04/2015

What are Recruitment Agencies?

When you are job hunting it is important that you spread your search as widely as possible to ensure you are utilising all the different angles available. Recruitment agencies can be one useful source of job vacancies: some employers outsource all their recruitment to agencies, so signing up with an agency can give you access to jobs that are sometimes not advertised elsewhere.

Recruitment via agencies can generally be divided into 2 distinct areas, depending on the managerial level of the position to be filled: Recruitment Agencies tend to deal with roles from entry level up to middle management and large scale recruitment campaigns. Search and Selection Consultancies (head-hunters) handle the more specialist appointments and the senior management end of the market. Some recruitment firms will have separate divisions which act independently within the two areas of the market.

Using Recruiters Effectively – Hints & Tips

• There is nothing to stop you using more than one agency. In fact, this is encouraged as you'll get access to far more jobs. It is also a good idea to sign up with a mixture of local and national agencies.
• When registering for any recruitment firm, there should be a proper face to face interview with a consultant or researcher for you to stand any chance of being considered properly for a position. Ask for full and frank feedback on your CV and the probability of finding employment with them.
• Most reputable agents will notify you before they send your CV to a company, but it is always worth asking them to do this when you first register with them. This way you can track all your current applications and be prepared when an employer contacts you.
• Remember that your CV does not have a long shelf life and if nothing has happened with a particular company after a few weeks you should consider contacting the company again and revising your CV. 
• You must remember that recruiters and head-hunters are really only interested in you if you are right for an assignment that they are currently handling. If they are very busy and you are not suitable for any current roles, you may not get much information and assistance from the consultants. Don’t take it personally.
• Reputable recruitment agencies and Search consultancies will not charge candidates any fees for registering. These companies earn their money from the employer upon the successful placement of their candidates.
• Generally speaking, recruiters like to work with people who are wishing to continue working in their specialised field. However, if you are looking for a complete career change, taking a temporary or short contract in this field may help you to decide if this is the right pathway for you.

Once you have engaged with the CTP and have the basis for your CV, there are many platforms available to conduct your job search. In addition to online job boards, company websites and specialised trade sites a good recruitment agency, coupled with solid research and pro-active job searching, can be a great way of maximising your chances of landing an interview which might just lead to the perfect job.

View useful external links to recruitment agencies in the Approaching the Market Resettlement Guide.