Misconceptions of recruitment agencies.

Misconceptions of recruitment agencies.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to Recruitment Agencies, and I’m sure the consultants out there will agree.

1. We ignore people.

We don’t, basically! If you’ve applied for a job, it’ll go one of these ways. If you’re a great candidate, we’ll either send your CV to the client, or send you for the job. If you’re an ‘OK’ candidate, we’ll give you a chance to prove yourself. If you’re a terrible candidate, you can probably imagine.

What do we mean by terrible candidate?

 

We actually don’t mean that you’re lacking experience or qualifications. Yes, some positions INSIST on having these, but for many, employers will consider genuine enthusiasm and determination. If you’ve put effort into your CV and cover letter, made polite and friendly conversation over the phone or in our office, we’ll certainly not forget you.

 

2. You have to pay to use agencies.

An agency which asks for money upfront should be avoided. You are looking to be paid, not to pay.

3. We’re out to get as much money off you as possible.

We don’t pay everyone minimum wage in order to gain maximum profits – we charge the client more than we pay you, yes, but we would never  pay minimum wage where we could easily pay you more.
We’re human!

3. There’s a club.

This is half true. If you work for us and prove to be a hard working, reliable kind of person then you’re going to be the first person who comes to mind when we’re filling a position. It’s not hard to get into the club – if you treat us with respect, you’ll receive the same back.

This means that…

4. We [don’t] send anyone.

If an employer asks for 5 people, it won’t be the first 5 people we think of. We select candidates based on experience, reliability, skills, enthusiasm etc – not just ‘arms and legs’.

5. We don’t do much for our money. 

I’ve heard people say it’s an easy job, matching vacancies to job seekers. ‘They must be banging your door down’ they say. It’s not that easy. (psst, recruiters back me up!)

– Not everyone who signs up to agency really wants to work. Perhaps they do it to please the job centre, to please family, or because they’re full of good intentions at the time. The truth is, we spend a lot of time chasing people who would rather be in bed.

– We do our payroll in house. This means ensuring all our hundreds of workers are paid each week. This means collecting timesheets from all of our clients on a Monday morning, processing the hours and paying.

– We’re on call 24/7. For all of the workers who fall ill or are absent for another reason, we need to be able to fill the position with a back  up worker. This means many late night/early morning calls.

– Some positions are very hard to fill, for example when very skilled workers are needed. The best ones are working, because they’re rare – and that’s why employers use agencies. The sourcing and interviewing is a very lengthy process!

6. We’re all the same.

We’re not. Company culture is something which differs from company to company for a start! We’re a close-knit, friendly group of people. We get excited by small victories, we care for our candidates and clients and bond with them. We’re proud to be Essential.

I’m sure there is loads more that can be said about all of these points, so please feel free to comment below.