Last week, we wrote a blog about how to deal with recruitment agencies.
And within that blog, we touched on the fact that there are different kinds of agencies – and it’s important that you approach the right ones.
With that in mind, this week, I thought I’d go into a bit more detail about that.
So, here are the four kinds of recruitment agencies you need to know about.
1. Temp Agencies.
We all know someone who has done some “temping” at some point.
Temp agencies (aka staffing agencies) do as the name implies - they hire candidates to work at companies for temporary periods of time.
Companies may require temp staff if they, for example, are experiencing a busy season or period (i.e. during tourist seasons etc.) or if they are temporarily short-staffed due to a permanent employee’s absence (be it maternity leave, extended sick leave etc.)
Other companies (especially tech) might just need someone to complete a specific project.
If you’re thinking of taking temporary work, the time period should be pre-defined, so you should know when you need to have secured your next job for.
Clients hiring people through temp agencies normally pay them hourly and sometimes at a higher rate than their permanent staff! The temp agency pays your wages and any benefits according to the provided guidelines.
Temporary work isn’t for everyone but it can be great if you’re looking for flexibility and like to challenge yourself with a variety of roles (and don’t mind meeting lots of different people) – and as I mentioned, you could get paid more.
And there is always a chance that you may get offered a permanent position at the end of your contract too (especially if you’re a hard worker).
2. Traditional Recruitment Agencies.
These recruitment agencies are the most common and they are usually based around the same kind of fee structure:
Contingency. The recruiter doesn’t get paid unless their client chooses to hire one of the candidates they put forward.
They will usually have a rebate and replacement scheme in place too, which means if they place someone who drops out within a certain amount of time (3 months usually) then they either have to replace them for free, or give the fee back.
So as you can imagine, for these kinds of recruiters, it’s really important to find the right candidate for a job and to guide and support them to actually get it.
This is why they’ll often offer job candidates a lot more support with their application, interview them over the phone and offer resources to get better at interviews.
This makes your relationship with them very important, as you essentially rely on each other to make a living! It really is a 2-way street here.
3. Executive Search Agencies.
Now at the very top-end of the market, for roles where the salary and competition is really high, agencies might offer a service called:
Retained recruitment. The client will pay a non-refundable fee to “retain” a recruiter.
There will usually be an upfront fee, possibly followed by instalments and the overall percentage to pay will usually be very high too.
This kind of agency will usually take part in head-hunting and other, more time-consuming, yet effective activities.
So it would probably be in your interests to approach the contingency agency.
They will still put a lot of effort into getting you the job – and they will be working on more roles that might suit you.
Plus, executive agencies will probably approach you directly, anyway.
4. Niche/Specialist Agencies.
Niche agencies hire candidates who are skilled in highly-specialised areas and fields such as:
- Electronics
- Digital marketing
- Management
and much more.
They can work on a temp, contingency or retained recruitment basis.
Niche agencies often have relationships with specialist companies in their niche of choice.
That's why they seek candidates with the matching skills and criteria to fit these roles.
They will often be the best people to advise you on improving your CV and smashing your interview – but they may also be more tough (pernickety) than your average recruiter.
These agencies can be valuable to those who are looking for jobs in a specific field (i.e. not just any ol’ work) who want to broaden their horizons and take advantage of a specialist agency’s connections.
Summary
So there we have it! 4 different types of agencies you should be aware of.
In most cases, a traditional recruitment agency (specialist) would be the way to go.
So check some out, take a look at vacancies, apply for any relevant ones. Then you can follow up with a phone call to the consultant.
They’ll keep you on file and contact you as and when vacancies appear.
Although, it’s always worth checking the website every so often. They work with thousands of jobseekers and you don’t want to miss anything.
If you’d like any more advice on job-seeking, careers and alike, feel free to subscribe to our blog today – here.
Happy hunting!
