Recruitment agencies | why theyíre still so valuable

Love them or hate them recruitment agencies are here to stay. Even in a climate where thrift heads a list of cautions the hiring process would not function effectively without the skills and knowledge afforded by these organisations, many of whom, despite the press, provide superb services to both candidates and clients.

Good recruitment is central to the success of any business and a good recruitment company can help candidates find the right job, in the right environment and on the right terms. It can also help companies to source and employ high-quality staff who they may not otherwise be able to find. Many of the very best candidates would not consider applying directly for a job with another company, but may well let a recruitment consultant know they would consider a new position if given an attractive offer.

The emergence of online social media may have diluted a key area of the agency proposition but even with seemingly endless routes to new connections there is still a need for specific targeting and understanding the variables that separate a good candidate from bad and, so, the identification of the metaphoric oil that ensures the employment wheel turns smoothly. The reliance on so-called ëinteractive networking channelsí, whilst clearly highly dimensional, raises a question over confidentiality: one piece of indiscretion could see a perfectly happy, but nonetheless curious, employee without a job and facing a struggle to find a new one. Do the very best of the untapped market promote themselves on such accessible sites that even their boss could find them?

Thousands of recruitment agencies exist in the UK, operating in an industry worth billions of pounds annually. Whilst these agencies come in all shapes and sizes there are clear distinctions between those fulfilling their objections and those who are not. Aside from the profit sheet there are other, equally tangible, denominators. The recent top-ten recruitment agency poll undertaken by Only Marketing Jobs was compiled using information from jobseekers and direct employers. From it came some intriguing insights to the thoughts of agency-subscribers, many of which were very positive. However, what appeared to cement the more frequently mentioned agencies was the level of extended and interactive service they offered. And this is, of course, where an agency should come into its own.

Recruiters are able to communicate personal messages unachievable through the more generic blogs, SMS or other such mediums. A proactive consultant still perceives the telephone to be the most personable method of information delivery and candidates, in particular, appreciate this. They also appreciate the level of confidentiality that comes with a personal conversation and with it an informal non-disclosure-agreement. Neither Facebook nor LinkedIn, as examples, can offer this exclusivity. A face-to-face meeting to better understand one anotherís motives further galvanises the notion that we buy into people we know and this can act as a wholly substantial relationship-developing tool. Online propositions cannot offer this.

Claire Owen, Leader of Vision and Values at marketing recruitment specialist, Stopgap says: ìQuite simply, the most significant thing is to see candidates as real people, not just a name on a database. Itís vital to understand that everyone is unique and needs to be treated as the individual they are. People shouldnít be labelled and pigeonholed – two candidates with similar experience can have very different sets of needs and motivations.î

Clearly, recruitment agencies operate in different ways so anyone looking to engage with them should do their homework and identify which are most likely to match their requirements. The outcome of this is often industry-specific but subscribers should be looking to work with agencies that have previous and proven experience within their field. This instantly reduces the amount of unsuitable opportunities presented to the candidate and, conversely, the number of unsuitable candidates submitted to the employer. The ways in which recruitment consultants can filter applications and disseminate these within their own organisation and to their clients is perhaps the most significantly obvious benefit.

Owen summarises: ìKeeping an open mind is essential. Everyone who applies for a job through the Stopgap Group is reviewed by the consultant whoís handling that particular assignment. Initially they will be considered based on the skills and experience requested by a clientís ëwish listí. However weíll keep an open mind with regard to the transferability of the candidateís skills. We often meet candidates who have great experience but lack some of the specific skills a client is looking for because we understand that a CV isnít as accurate a reflection of candidate skills as it could be.î

In any climate reducing cost is a prudent business decision and this is never more applicable than in times of downturn. Direct employers will always look at ways to cut recruitment spend, where agency prices are invariably more expensive than other channels. But you get what you pay for. Posting a well-positioned advertisement on a website will undoubtedly attract applications and whilst there will be genuine quality amongst these there remains an element of speculation. Sifting through these and identifying those relevant to the vacancy can be both time-consuming and frustrating, often in equal measures! Despite protestations to the contrary, most hirers rarely have either the experience or inclination to run a recruitment campaign.

Value-added-services are now demanded by clients so it is important to look at what else you can offer them. ìOn the added-value frontí, says Owen ëStopgap has invested in a bespoke profiling tool to give us, and subsequently our clients, a better insight into the behavioural style and motivations of our candidates. In terms of cost-saving we have recently invested in a CV-reading & formatting software that reduces the number of staff needed in our Candidate Support Team (CST), which is currently handling the data entry/CV formatting of every candidate who sends us their CV.î

Recruitment agencies act as the buffer between candidate and client. Good recruiters are strong coordinators and project managers. They are multi-faceted agents offering free career advice to candidates, whilst employing an empathetic working practice to often highly demanding clients. Consultants feed knowledge to jobseekers and coach them through interview processes whilst trying to remain sympathetic to the supposed impartiality governing the employment sector today. To dismiss the role an agency has in the recruitment process is foolhardy. Without them, balance sheets may look prettier, though this is still questionable. With them, time is saved and careers are enhanced and this is undeniable. Dropping the proverbial spanner in the works of this mechanism are the bad agencies, those that are in it for a fast buck.

Efficiency is what separates businesses that survive from those that donít. By offering a more cost-efficient recruitment model whilst maintaining the quality of service synonymous with the more scrupulous agencies, traditional recruitment will stand the test of time. Whilst the market may be changing with the evolution of digital technology we remain human beings, titillated by personal and personable interaction.

Agencies, job boards and online networking sites are all high-performing sports cars on this winding recruitment circuit. Each vehicle has its own strengths and weaknesses, driven by a common goal to stand out in the employment market. As we whizz around the track all eager to be first it is the agencies, fuelled by determination that will ensure the wheels keep turning...

Simon Lewis | Only Marketing Jobs


Stopgap

Stopgap

Additional: Quotes were taken from comments made by Claire Owen, Leader of Vision and Values at marketing recruitment specialist, Stopgap who own permanent marketing recruitment company RightStop