Choosing a Recruitment Agency

 Flexibility, dependability and speed are critical in the contemporary Irish recruitment environment. A recruitment agency with experience and understanding of the employment market can provide a range of useful recruitment services. Recruitment agencies can help with the planning and execution of a recruitment programme. Whether you are looking to fill a few key posts at higher levels within your organisation, or to take on a large number of new staff for a new facility or department, an agency can help manage the process from start to finish. Different recruitment companies offer a range of services. Some will act as a conduit, forwarding you CVs from interested parties. More useful are companies who will work closely with your HR department or manager to design a complete recruitment programme to attract and select the best possible candidates. This can include designing advertisements, helping define effective job descriptions, filtering candidates, checking references, offering interview facilities and even conducting psychometric and other tests on your behalf. Recruitment companies should also be actively involved in promoting your brand. Job advertisements and recruitment campaigns reflect on an organisation. You should really sell your organisation to potential employees, demonstrate how successful you are, and show them tangible benefits of coming to work for you. Competitors, customers and existing staff will all see your advertisements, whether in the national media, on the Internet or in trade publications, and make judgements based on their opinion of your recruitment campaign. You might want to consider using an industry-specific agency. While this sort of expertise may cost a little more, companies with knowledge and experience of a particular job market will be able to offer you valuable advice about the calibre of candidates available, market salary rates or valuable training and professional qualifications to look out for. Specialists can be particularly useful when an organisation is branching into a new area or sector and looking to recruit senior level staff. Many organisations decide to use a combination of temporary, contract and permanent staff. An agency can advise on the right mix for your business. Temporary staff can be ideal for employers looking to plug short-term gaps or experiencing extra busy periods. There are a number of companies who specialise in providing secretarial, administrative, IT, healthcare, sales, call centre and many other job sectors. Typically, temporary staff can be employed by the agency, who look after social insurance and other employer liabilities.   Recruitment agencies usually charge the employer (not the jobseeker) for their service. Fees are generally charged on a contingency basis, with the agency claiming a percentage of what the annual salary once the position is filled. Factors such as the industry sector, seniority of the role, and the reputation of the agency can affect the costs involved. Using more than one agency may be cost effective, as you will generally only pay the one who provides the best candidate – although it is prudent to advice the agency that you are dealing with other providers. It is important to agree some form of rebate structure with a recruitment agency. Unfortunately, some candidates may not be as ideally suited as you may have thought. This can be particularly troubling if you have paid an agency to recruit and then have to start the process all over again. A standard rebate structure means you can reclaim some of the fees paid to the recruitment agency if this were to occurs. Successful recruitment can have an enormous impact on your organisation, and an expertly planned and executed recruitment programme is the best way to ensure the meeting of long-term company goals. Enlisting the assistance of a professional recruitment agency can attract the talent you need for your organisation.

Dermot Corrigan