Recruitment Agencies

Remove this Banner Ad

craffles

craffles

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts Sweet FA: Survivor Knock Out Koala BeanCoiNFT Investor Essendon Player Sponsor 2017
May 20, 2008
12,518
29,301
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Brooklyn Nets, New York Jets
Hi all,

Just looking for some information on Recruitment Agencies. More specifically the questions below, but happy to use this as a forum to discuss other information too.

1. What are the ways recruitment agencies structure their fees to clients eg a portion of the successful candidates wages, retainers, flat fees etc.
2. What value do recruitment agencies have for non entry level roles? I've established myself in my industry and have a few networks so don't see them as anything other than a pain in the ass.
3. Who are the most reputable agencies, who are the ones to avoid?
4. What dodgy things have you seen from agencies (advertising for non existing jobs to build candidate pools etc).
5. Tips for dealing with agencies from a candidate perspective.


Cheers guys
 
The only agencies that I currently use (I'm HRM for a hotel with over 400 employees) are Chefs on the Run, MINT and Hotel Staff. MINT tends to be more of a short-term solution, so I use them when I can't fill a roster gap and we have an account with them. Hotel Staff and Chefs on the Run are paid 20% of the successful candidate's salary after 6 months of employment, so they can be quite an expensive solution. I only use agencies as a last resort.

My tips for candidates using agencies:
  • always follow their instructions for submitting your application. If they ask for a CV and cover letter in PDF via email, then send it through exactly as requested. Agents don't have time to review gimmick resumes.
  • call the agency after submitting your application to discuss it. Some agencies recruit for a wide range of industries-this is not ideal. Try to find one that specialises in the sort of jobs that you're looking for, and let the agent know that you're also interested in future opportunities and that you'd like to meet with them.
  • the most successful candidates create a relationship with their agent. Your agent's job is to sell you, so you need to present yourself as friendly, professional, and above all-marketable.
 
Recruitment agencies vary greatly some have long tern positions some short term like one day jobs , avoid the one day type jobs they just are not worth the hassle , always clarify your pay rates for each client, work hard and make a good impression at your workplace .
 

Log in to remove this ad.

I'm in the Accounting & Finance industry so can't speak on behalf of all industries, when talking of recruitment agencies I think most people tend to do business with either:

a) Full Service Agencies (Hays, Robert Half et al); and
b) Consulting Firm/Job Shop - where the employees are effectively "leased" to clients for specific projects but are FT employees of the consulting firm/job shop - I think this is common in IT.

All my experience is with a) Full Service Agencies and as was mentioned before - they are parasites. Most of these recruiting firms operate like retail merchants - buy their product at the lowest possible wholesale rate (your pay) and mark it up at the highest possible margin (their bill rate) - i.e. pay the contract employee as little as possible and charge the client as much as possible.

Advice - If you are going down the contract route always, always ask the recruiter what the bill rate is for a particular assignment, and use it as leverage against their offer of pay rate. The client DOES NOT know how much they are paying you, they only know what they are getting billed by the recruiting firm. If they don't tell you, just move on to the next agency.
 
It's not worth it, employers I'd say would prefer those who find advertisements on their own accord. I'd only bother using an agency to satisfy Centrelink demands.
 
I applied for a job 2 weeks ago through recruiter. Called them the next week to check the status of my application got told the company is only thinking about hiring coz they are going through some changes but maybe they will look at the applicants in a months time. I felt like saying then why the * did you advertise the position you dumb bitch. Yes the company is to blame but I would be suprised if she just rolled out the ad thinking if would force the employers hand or something.
 
Can definitely be a mixed bag.

After I left a full-time job last year, I joined about five agencies. You go in and meet them with a bit of hope, but ultimately these ones did bugger all for me. I found a job on Seek, went in and signed up for what was supposed to be a two-week assignment on good money and six months later I'm still there. Never heard from any of the other agencies in an area where there are plenty of jobs.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

I know a lot of recruitment agencies just post ads to get people to sign up, the jobs aren't really there (in some cases).

Think of it from their perspective, they need to go out to businesses and sell their service (eg we've got x amount of great people on our books), then they need to be able to deliver on that promise.

The employer is their customer, you're just the product, you may be sitting on the shelf for a while (or reach our expiry date before someone picks you up).

There are obviously some good agencies out there, or sometimes you get lucky. But the whole system is a bit of a rort.

Businesses are paying through the nose for often inferior products.
 
Yeh I went to one a while ago which sounded like it was for a specific job so I go in and am like "I'm here for the job interview". They're like "You must be here for the sign up". So I did and never heard from them again
 
Unnecessary middle men for the most part, IMO.

To me, a recruitment agent should actually know and understand my skills/abilities/experience etc. and be liaising with employers to identify potential job opportunities then working with both parties to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

In practice they don't seem to add any value whatsoever. I can find a job on seek and email a resume myself.
 
Agree the with consensus on here. Job advert goes up on Seek, been up for a couple of days. I submit my resume then get a call the next day saying the job has been filled but would i like to come in and meet the recruiter. This has happened several times to me, cant be a coincidence every single time

The whole idustry is a sham, useless middle man that just treat you as a number (or a product as has been rightly worded)
 
vealesy said:
Absolute s**t people who i will not deal with again.

Long story, but they charge too much and are only for people who dont know how to go out and get a job themselves.
Click to expand...
Tracy's the Placement People are pretty bad as well.
 
Scotland said:
Unnecessary middle men for the most part, IMO.

To me, a recruitment agent should actually know and understand my skills/abilities/experience etc. and be liaising with employers to identify potential job opportunities then working with both parties to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.

In practice they don't seem to add any value whatsoever. I can find a job on seek and email a resume myself.
Click to expand...
yeah but you can't just rely on them to get a job for you. You also have to look for work as what your employment pathway plan tells you to do.
 
I hate trolls said:
yeah but you can't just rely on them to get a job for you. You also have to look for work as what your employment pathway plan tells you to do.
Click to expand...

This x 10


Have to say I got my role through an agency.

Also use agencies to fill vacancies I have. I don't have time to go through hundreds of applications. They give me my top four and then do my reference checks.
 
craffles said:
Hi all,

Just looking for some information on Recruitment Agencies. More specifically the questions below, but happy to use this as a forum to discuss other information too.

1. What are the ways recruitment agencies structure their fees to clients eg a portion of the successful candidates wages, retainers, flat fees etc.
2. What value do recruitment agencies have for non entry level roles? I've established myself in my industry and have a few networks so don't see them as anything other than a pain in the ass.
3. Who are the most reputable agencies, who are the ones to avoid?
4. What dodgy things have you seen from agencies (advertising for non existing jobs to build candidate pools etc).
5. Tips for dealing with agencies from a candidate perspective.


Cheers guys
Click to expand...

They ask to speak to your boss, claiming it is part of the background check but it is in the knowledge a new job vacancy will open up on your departure. Sure they are just chasing up work but it also signals to your boss that you are leaving.

They ask what other jobs you have seen, and same again they call that business chasing work

They claim the job pays less than it does, this is just a way of increasing the chances of getting a fee.

They offer jobs that don't even exist and keep you on the hook until a job does actually come up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top