|
Recruitment Consultants - A User's Guide
Recruitment consultants can be useful partners in your search for the right job. They can help you:
Access jobs in the hidden job market
Market yourself persuasively to employers
Negotiate the best package with your new employer
The term 'recruitment consultant' can be used to refer to different types of organisation. These include:
Recruitment Agencies
Who place individuals in temporary or contract jobs. These can vary from agencies placing clerical temps for a few days to those finding interim management positions for senior managers.
Recruitment Consultancies
Who find permanent staff for employers, either by placing direct advertisements on behalf of employers and/ or by searching their own database of applicants.
The line between these two types of agency is increasingly blurred as more employment is now found through short-term contracts.
Executive Search Consultancies ('Headhunters')
Who concentrate on filling a small number of in senior or specialist posts by approaching individuals directly.
Many agencies specialise in a particular occupational sector or type of job.
Whichever type of recruitment consultancy you are dealing with, bear in mind that all these organisations act for, and get paid by, the employer.
So , in the same way that an estate agent earns commission by marketing a vendor's property to potential purchasers, a recruitment consultant's job is to market the employer's vacancy to potential jobseekers. The consultant must also persuade the employer that the candidate is suitable for the job. It's no wonder that so many recruitment consultants have a sales background !
The strong marketing role that recruitment consultants play can be very useful to you as a job seeker. They can help you present yourself to employers in the best possible light and they may make you aware of opportunities you had not considered.
However, this need to 'sell' each party to the other may result in some conflicts of interest. For example, there may be a tendency to 'fit square pegs in round holes' in order to meet targets and please their customers.
So it's important to clearly communicate to the consultant the type of job and package you are seeking. And you would be well advised to make your own checks about the suitability of the employer during the selection process - don't assume that if the agency has put you forward for an opporunity, then it must meet your criteria.
There are literally thousands of recruitment consultants around covering every conceivable occupation. So, whilst it's not difficult to find agencies with which to register, finding a professional agency who can access the right opportunities for you can be more difficult. Here's our tips on how to spot the best agencies.
A professionally-run, reputable recruitment consultancy will:
Employ qualified and experienced staff. Ask to see the consultants' CVs and judge for yourself how well they know the sector for which they are recruiting.
Have a track record of recruiting for leading organisations. Ask about their client list (ask about past projects if they are sensitive about revealing the current client list).
Spend plenty of time assessing your needs, usually in a one-to-one meeting or lengthy phone call. They should be happy to meet with you in their offices if requested.
Give you the opportunity to tailor your CV and covering letter to specific positions (rather than routinely sending out your standard CV ).
Offer you feedback on your CV and interview style, with constructive hints for improvement. Ensure that employers provide you with feedback on your performance in their selection exercises.
Explain the purpose of any psychometric 'tests'( such as aptitude tests or personality profiles) used as part of your career decision making or employer selection procedures. Offer you personal feedback on the results of these tests.
You should check that the consultants are qualified to administer and interpret the tests they are using.
Contact you regularly to keep you informed of new opportunities on their books, to check your current situation and to remind you to update your CV on their database.
Have a code of practice on confidentiality. You should have a say over which employers see your CV.
Be concerned if the consultants:
Spend more time persuading you to apply for certain jobs than in understanding your needs.
Invite your for interviews for positions which do not meet your criteria.
Spring interviews and other selection tests on you at short notice, where this is avoidable.
Expect you to take selection tests without a proper explanation of how they will be used, and without offering feedback.
Seem reluctant to meet you at their offices (some recruitment consultancies operate out of spare bedrooms !).
Have only a skeleton staff. Generally speaking the more established the consultancy, the bigger the team of consultants and back office staff (although there are some small , reputable, specialist companies) . Be concerned if you are constantly getting an ansaphone when you ring.
Word of mouth recommendations from colleagues in your field is usually the best bet for finding a good agency.
You can seek out established recruitment consultancies in your field by browsing professional journals to see which are advertising the most attractive jobs.
You can also conduct a search on www.rec.uk.com (the website of the federation of recruitment consultants and employment agencies) to find an agency operating in your geographic and occupational area.
If you are employed in a senior professional or managerial role , there is no harm in sending your details to executive search consultants ('headhunters') as well as to recruitment consultancies who openly advertise posts. Headhunters may well want to meet with you to establsih your needs and may well contact you again when a suitable opening comes up.
When you have found the consultancies with whom you wish to register, remember:
Be assertive about your requirements in terms of job content and employment package.
If you are unsure about your next career move, ask to speak to a consultant about possible opportunities within your field and what it would be realistic to aim for. (Don't forget that you can also email or visit the careers service for advice - see info on the right).
Ask the consultants to clear with you beforehand to which employers they intend to circulate your CV.
Ask the consultants to pass on to you feedback from employers on your CV and your performance at selection events, such as interviews.
Keep in regular contact with your agencies to let them know how you are getting on in your jobsearch. This reminds them that you are still looking for new opportunities and you may get to hear about new openings sooner than other applicatnts.
|
