7 Useful Benefits of Using a Recruitment Agency
A reputable recruitment agency is a dream for employers and job seekers alike. Check out our guide to the seven best benefits of using a recruitment agency.
There are now over 35,000 recruitment agencies in the UK.
Recruitment agencies are a placing more and more candidates, with 56% of new vacancies expected to be filled by recruiters. But what does a reputable recruiting agency really offer to help you out in your search?
Whether you are an employer or employee, read on for seven of the best benefits of using a recruitment agency.
1. Proactivity
Using a recruitment agency allows a business to take a proactive approach to their hiring policy. This allows them to align recruitment with strategic HR policies.
Businesses can be freer to plan out the skills they need and the staff they will require to fill future vacancies. This means they can more easily set company goals and their future hiring plans.
Anyone that has spent any time job-hunting will appreciate how much time it takes. Having an agency actively working on your behalf not only frees up time, but also improves the quality of the jobs you will interview for.
2. Talent Identification
A major benefit of recruiting agencies is that they work for employers and candidates at the same time. This means that they are uniquely placed to mediate between both parties.
Recruiters are normally even more experienced than your HR department when it comes to weeding out poor candidates, and hold large amounts of information on the people on their books. They know who is actively looking for work, who may be willing to be approached, and how capable they all are.
As a candidate, you can be safe in the knowledge that having a recruiter on your side means that you won’t miss any potential careers moves, even if you aren’t actively looking.
3. Advertisement
Advertising your vacancies doesn’t always provide you with quality applicants. Even if your advert is well written. Particularly if you are after a niche skillset, or a certain amount of experience. This is normally due to a lack of advertising reach. The chance of this limited candidate pool seeing your advert is slim. And if they don’t see your advert, they can’t apply.
Not only do recruitment agencies advertise your vacancies, they will seek out candidates that fit your needs. They have a wealth of contacts, including reliable candidates they may have placed in the past. This greater reach increases the quality of prospective applicants.
As a candidate, you can be sure that your recruiter will ensure that you don’t miss out on any potential opportunities. They may even approach you with an enticing offer when you aren’t actively looking for a new job.
4. Screenings
With a traditional hiring process, a business normally has to make their decisions based only on a CV and interview. You have to make decisions on which candidates you interview with relatively small amounts of information. This means there is every chance that you never even call the best candidate to interview.
A recruitment agency can further screen the candidates they have on their books. Many carry out in depth interviews, tests and other mechanisms. They have better understandings of their candidates’ personalities and traits, giving them greater insight into how good a fit each candidate will be for a job.
For candidates, this means they won’t have to waste time on job interviews where they are unlikely to succeed. They can focus on only job vacancies where they have the right qualifications and would fit the culture.
5. Salary Negotiation
After going through the entire advertisement, interview and selection process, the last thing you want to happen is for the candidate to reject your offer.
The main reason for this is salary and benefits. A recruiter can help to ensure that this doesn’t occur by providing information on expectations in the industry. They are experienced with placing skilled candidates and negotiating salaries.
Similarly, as a candidate, this means that the recruiter will work on your behalf to make sure you aren’t short changed when it comes to salary, and receive a mutually acceptable remuneration.
With both candidate and business aware of the wider situation in the industry and each others expectations, there is a much greater chance of a successful negotiation.
6. Industry Insights
Recruitment agencies spend all their time working in their chosen sector. They therefore have a large amount of insight into the jobs market all the way from the international to the local.
They can help businesses plan their hiring strategies. They have information on where the market is growing and the current state of supply and demand in the jobs market.
This means they are able to help businesses make educated decisions to help a business with its bottom line. Candidates with a recruiter have help with how to grow their career.
7. Help Build Your Reputation
The average company doesn’t have the resources of a large, recognizable brand. Candidates will often have next to no knowledge of a company before they are made aware of the vacancy. A quality agency will learn about their clients, and be able to provide insights into the company. The candidate will receive a run down of what the company is like, the culture, benefits and future career options.
A good recruiter will also be able to answer many of the questions candidates may have, and head off any concerns. This reduces the chance of any nasty surprises for candidates in the later stages of the recruiting process.
The Benefits Using a Recruitment Agency
As you can see, there are real benefits to using a recruitment agency.
As your proactive ally, a reputable agency will connect the right employers with the right candidates. They can also assist with negotiations and make sure that both parties know exactly what they are getting.
If you are in need of one of the best recruitment agencies in Manchester, then contact us at Manchester Staff. Our unique 20 step search and selection process ensures that we always find the right candidate for the job.
