If it’s the first time in your life you are searching for jobs, and
you don’t yet know what recruitment agencies are about, the
following is some basic information to help you understand what they
are and what they do.
Fundamentally, recruitment agencies seek to place candidates – i.e.
you the job seeker – into position held by their clients – i.e.
the organisation you think you’d like to be employed by. The
clients may not have the time available or the means to look for
employees themselves, so locating good personnel for their roles
without assistance could be testing and expensive. Conversely,
agencies that concentrate on a particular industry will be constantly
advertising for positions, and continuously building a database of
people who might be suitable for different roles. Agencies are
therefore likely to be capable of putting a candidate forward
whenever the client asks them to do so.
What’s more, with recruitment agencies interviewing people in their
relevant sectors all the time, they should become accomplished at
identifying good eggs, and be able to provide the client with the
necessary expertise for picking out a high standard of potential
candidates.
How do recruitment agencies earn their money?
It’s fairly straightforward. In the case of permanent positions,
recruitment agencies bill the client a percentage of the candidate’s
starting salary, for example 14%. If the agency is unable to fill the
vacancy on behalf of the client, they don’t get the fee – simple
as that. In the case of temporary recruitment, for example providing
hospitals with bank nurses, agencies employ the candidate and pay the
salary, prior to passing over the bill, plus their fee, to the client
on a monthly basis.
What channels do recruitment agencies utilise for advertising?
By and large, recruitment agencies advertise in a few different areas
simultaneously. Examples are:
Industry-specific publications like newsletters and magazines
Local Newspapers
National Newspapers
And more and more, online jobs sites, particular to the industry as
well as more general
How do you sign up with recruitment agencies?
In general, it's a simple and speedy procedure to register on the
Web, either through the recruitment agencies home website or using
a jobs board through which they are advertising. I would also
definitely recommend chasing up any registration with a quick phone
call. Recruitment agents are positively immersed with contact from
candidates, and a chat over the phone adds a personal connection that
will raise your profile in their eyes, and with it the likelihood of
you being put forward for a position.
Once you’ve registered, what next?
If you have the kind of background they’re looking for, usually a
recruitment consultant will interview you, either in their office or
over the phone. Then, if you are successful they will introduce you
to the specific company, after which you will enter into the
company's own recruitment process.
It’s not common for individuals to get the first few jobs they
apply for, so keep trying and stay positive. Even if your first
couple of attempts don't prove fruitful, you will eventually find the
employment you’re looking for.
