There are Different Types of Recruitment Agency
There are now around 30,000 recruitment agencies in the UK, and, much like job boards, each of them fills a slightly different role based on things like job specialisations, geography, and more. To ensure timely, reliable results, companies must take the time to understand what each recruitment agency offers, and which would be best to fill any given role.
Of course, to some extent, the fact that you only pay for hired candidates means that choosing the wrong agency to start needn’t be a hugely costly mistake. However, selecting an unsuitable agency could double the length of your employment drives, as well as potentially landing you with an unsuitable candidate that you might pay through the teeth for.
To avoid that, always research recruitment agents carefully, and consider things like –
- Agency specialisations (e.g. IT, financial, management, etc.)
- Geographic focus
- Temp vs full-time focus
- Candidate screening processes
- And more
Once you’ve found an agency that serves your company’s needs, it’s well worth entering a long-term agreement. This should see that same agency offering you candidate options for future recruitments, without the need for any legwork on your part.
You’ll Need a Specified Agency Contract
When you agree to work with any staffing agency, it’s essential that you draw up a reliable agency contract. This is essential for ensuring that both parties know what they can reasonably expect. It can also help to guarantee things like agency expenses, and the quality of candidates that you can expect.
- Things that you should especially specify in an agency contract include –
- Terms of payment (when/how much/how)
- How long the relationship will last
- The degree of candidate vetting expected
- Any volume discounts
- Specialist requirements (candidate insurance/special skills)
- Etc.
Recruitment Processes Look a Little Different
In a standard employment drive, you’ll post your job listings and wait for candidates to apply. But things work a little differently with a recruitment agency. In this instance, instead of advertising on a public job board, you’ll sign a term of business agreement which will see an agency headhunting suitable candidates out of their existing talent pool, or by advertising on job boards like LinkedIn on your behalf.
If you’ve chosen your agency wisely, this should mean that you have easy access to a team of ready-vetted candidates that are handpicked according to your company. This will allow you to proceed directly to the interview stages. The right agency may also coach their candidates in things like interview skills, and information about your company to ensure their success.
It is worth noting, however, that an agency won’t simply send candidates your way and let you get on with the rest. Given their financial ties to this candidate, many agencies will want to be present for interviews, and some will also stay in touch with their successful candidates (though you can stop this with a contractual stipulation). This can help ensure more suitable hires from that agency in the future, though it does depend on a company’s ability to be flexible, and willing to share those elements of their recruitment processes.
Agencies Offer Different Types of Hires
‘Agency work’ often brings to mind temporary working arrangements, but the majority of agencies now provide hire lengths according to your initial specifications and their speciality focus.
Most commonly when working with an agency, you’ll want to specify between your need for –
- Temporary workers: Agencies are largely known for their ‘temp work’ status as they make it possible to hire consultants who work off pay-role outside IR35, and instead require a daily rate. This saves employers from needing to pay for things like national insurance and can be ideal for covering things like high-demand periods or staff sickness.
- Full-time workers: Most agencies can also source candidates to fill full-time roles where required, though they may typically require higher overall payments for these individuals.
Determining which kind of hire you would need from an agency is the best way to understand upfront things like suitable agencies, potential expenses, and also whether or not agency employment will be best for your company.
Get Agency Recruitment Right With HireHive
When it’s done right, agency recruitment can significantly simplify your employment drives, as well as making it more likely that you’ll always find the right high-quality candidates. However, agency recruitment that’s very different from standard employment can also end up costing you if you aren’t careful.
HireHive is specifically designed to simplify all elements of your recruitment drive, and agency employment is no exception. Through the use of a recruitment candidate portal that allows agencies to directly recommend candidates for specific roles, it’s far easier to ensure that you and your agency are on the same page. You’ll then be able to easily review, track, and determine the value of every lead that your chosen agency sends your way. By allowing you to store full candidate profiles online, HireHive also makes it easier to keep your agency in the loop, allowing them to see at a click which candidates you’re impressed with, and which ones fail to make it past the interview stages.
In short, HireHive makes it easier to connect with agencies who will better understand what you’re looking for at every turn. So, get agency recruitment right by starting your free trial of HireHive today.
