A recent survey commissioned by Arras People set out to gain a snapshot of the recruitment market across the UK, revealed that 45% of recruitment companies believe their services to clients to be a value added service, though a quarter responded suggesting that recruiters are seen as a necessary evil! Perhaps surprisingly 43% believe candidates see agencies as a professional industry where quality of service is improving, with 18% seeing agencies as necessary evil.
ìThe recruitment companies own perceived value is that of a provider of professional and high quality recruitment services to both its clients and candidates, but the reality can often be very differentî said Lindsay Scott of Arras People. ìMany candidates are still surprised to be offer a professional service where the recruiter treats them with respect and dignity so I often wonder what kind of service theyíve received in the past.î
Over a 100 REC (Recruitment Employment Confederation) registered agencies responded to our questions which were designed to ascertain their agency view of the market place for jobs and to show trends for the past 3 months. This survey was not aimed at any particular market sector, it included a mix of large high street agencies and discrete niche agencies specialising in specific job roles.
The survey also indicated that the number of candidates applying for positions over the past 3 months has increased. Ian McKenzie from Arras People said ì At the moment it looks like the fees for agency services have remained the same over the last three months (51%); however some agencies believe they are now firming up with some claiming that their fees are starting to edge upwards (26%).î
The general view of the agencies is that activity in both the contractor (50%) and permanent (51%) market places has increased; there are now more jobs available through recruitment agencies in most sectors. In terms of the anticipated market trends for agencies, there is a resounding agreement of yes to expected growth over the next 12 months particularly in the contractor arena (68%).
With regards to which job sites agencies use to advertise opportunities nearly 60% of the agencies said they use Reed, with over a quarter using TotalJobs (28%) or Jobserve (26%). Many agencies also responded saying that they use a combination of sites plus their own job boards. The preferred site for agencies is the Reed Freerecruitment because itís free!
Ian McKenzie went on to comment, ìWe are pleased to report the job market has picked up for many agencies (positive for candidates also) with sustained growth expected over the coming 12 months. The agencies view themselves as seeking to do a better quality job, improving their professionalism and value to both candidate and client.î
Recruitment companies move from being a ìnecessary evilî to a value added service
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