You are most likely to be reading this post if you have had a negative experience with a recruitment agency. And if you have, you are certainly not alone; a high number of employers report that they regard the recruitment industry in a negative light.
And we agree, the recruitment industry certainly does get a bad rep. For instance, there are regular scandals in the press about recruiters who have behaved badly or who charge sky high fees for doing very ‘little’ work. Recruitment consultants are even slotted into the same stereotype as a car salesman, who will pressurise a customer for a sale.
But how do you avoid getting ‘fleeced’ by a recruitment agency while looking for a new member of staff? Well take a look at these 5 steps in seeking out a suitable agency…
1) Don’t Use Multiple Providers
Sometimes using too many agencies at once can be the main reason behind having a bad experience with the recruitment industry. Agencies will be well aware that they are battling with competitors to win your contract. This is where speed is the key, resulting in some agencies spending less time than needed to find a suitable candidate. Using multiple recruitment agencies also means that you are asking recruiters to work for free if they don’t provide you with the right person for the job. Using one recruiter exclusively will guarantee that they will deliver more suitable results to meet your objectives.
2) Use An Agency With A Good Reputation
There is a huge common misconception that those who are employed in the recruitment industry are not qualified professionals and have very little experience. Of course, there are those ‘cowboy’ recruiters that give the sector a bad name, but surely that happens in every industry. It is important to choose an agency who has a proven track record and who can offer a tailored service to meet your business needs. Ensure that they hold the same values and company culture as you, for instance if you valuable customers highly, choose a recruiter that does the same.
3) Review Their Current Clients
Along with ensuring that a recruiter has a good reputation, you need to take some time to review their current client list. For instance, if they mainly work on small contracts, they may not have the capability to meet the objectives of a nationwide company. Choose a recruiter who works with both small businesses and high profile clients alike, that way you can ensure they have the expertise and resources available to meet your recruitment needs.
4) Meet The Recruiter
Now you’ve chosen a recruitment agency, it is essential to meet them face to face. Don’t rely on the easy option of exchanging all information through a chain of emails. By putting more effort in at this initial stage, it can only increase your chances of securing the right person for the job. Remember it is important for a recruiter to fully understand all of your requirements.
5) Connect With A Good Communicator
You may have had your negative experience with a recruitment company because they were bad communicators. This is not a great situation to be in, especially if a temporary worker has gone AWOL and the recruiter is nowhere to be found. By first getting to know the recruiter and forming a relationship with them, you will be able to judge if they are a great communicator. And in return, you can gain a positive experience from using a recruitment agency.
COMING SOON: To ensure we give our clients the best experience possible, Baxter Personnel have been working hard on a brand new recruitment product! Look out for its launch in 2016...