A recruitment agency (also known as a search, staffing or employment agency) matches employers and employees. It connects job seekers with employers and employers with candidates. Job seekers receive the benefit of a large pool of possible jobs while the employer is provided with a pool of pre-screened, pre-interviewed job seekers who are ready to start work. A staffing agency reduces the hassle and difficulty of finding the right hire, saving your business time and offering candidates you may not be able to find on your own. So, what do you need to know when using a recruitment agency to find staff?
What is a recruitment agency?
Recruitment agencies manage the recruitment, screening, referencing, interviewing and skills verification of applicants and then refer suitable candidates to a business. An organization may use a staffing agency for temporary staffing; vacation relief, illness coverage, maternity leave, cyclical overtime situations and project-based work. Companies also use staffing agencies for contract-to-hire jobs (short-term positions with the opportunity to become full-time/permanent jobs at the end of the contract) and for filling open permanent positions (from entry-level to executives). Recruiters understand how important it is to find an employee that will fit into your organization. Some recruitment agencies perform site visits prior to any placements in order to understand the work environment and ensure a successful placement.
What do recruitment agencies do?
Recruitment agencies (also known as employment agencies and/or staffing companies) help businesses find workers for permanent jobs, temporary work, part-time jobs, entry-level positions, temp-to-hire positions, direct positions and specialized technical and professional roles. These agencies assist companies in filling job openings at all levels of work experience and in any industry. A recruitment agency informs your company about qualified candidates, coaches you through the recruitment process and provides valuable advice and suggestions. Agencies have insider knowledge, connections to a large pool of job seekers and successfully match companies and job candidates.
What services are offered by a recruitment agency?
Though services differ from agency to agency, the following is a list of common services provided by recruitment agencies.
- Contingency search: A company seeking to hire someone for an open position may choose to perform a contingency search with a staffing firm. The recruitment agency is paid only for a successful search with payment typically a percentage of the candidate’s starting salary.
- Agreement or contract recruiting: This is when an HR expert is engaged from a recruitment firm to join a company’s organization, temporarily, for the purpose of filling a large volume of positions. This arrangement is typically made when a company is short-staffed in the HR department and needs a recruiter quickly.
- Freelance help: Architects, innovation experts, designers, tech specialists and highly experienced/educated individuals often freelance or work on a short-term contract basis. A recruitment firm can help a company find and employ freelance help.
- Managed services occur when a company outsources an entire department or function (call center, mailroom, etc.) on a continuing basis. Such companies find a recruitment firm with expertise in the area concerned.
- Offshore outsourcing occurs when an organization outsources certain jobs or tasks to overseas companies. This type of staffing offers savings of up to 50% as compared with local salaries. Offshore outsourcing also offers employers a greater availability of candidates who have in-demand skills.
- Outplacement: Sometimes a company hires a recruitment agency to help manage employment separations and/or to provide assistance to former employees whose employment has been terminated. This service is used because separations impact how the company is viewed by former employees, current employees, and the wider community in which the company operates.
- Payrolling: A client company identifies a candidate but asks the recruiting firm to put the person on the recruitment agency’s payroll. This service is often used for summer or casual labour, for bringing back a retiree or former employee, for hiring a consultant or for situations where budgets or policy do not allow for a full-time permanent hire.
- Professional employer organization (PEO), also referred to as employee leasing, is a service for small and mid-sized companies that don’t wish to manage administrative functions internally or can benefit from pooling insurance and other benefits. The company outsources functions such as payroll, worker’s compensation, HR support and benefit plan administration in order to reduce time-consuming, non-revenue-producing activities. This allows a company to focus on their core business, reduce/control costs and free up time for profitable projects.
- Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) occurs when a staffing firm performs a process of selecting for a specific ability level (ie: care staff, janitorial staff) while the company continues to select for other areas (ie: administration). This permits a company’s HR staff to concentrate their efforts on the company’s core business while ensuring high-quality staff for other positions.
- Retained Search is similar to contingency search except that the company retains the recruitment firm by paying some of the fees before the agency begins looking for candidates. This practice is common when recruiting for executive positions and ensures the staffing firm is committed to the search.
- Temporary help: A recruitment agency enrolls, screens, interviews and hires workers to develop a pool of qualified representatives for vacation relief, illness coverage, maternity leave, cyclical overtime situations and project-based work.
- Temporary-to-hire, also called temp-to-permanent, occurs when a company asks a recruitment service for a temporary worker with the expectation of assessing the possibility of permanent employment. This allows the company to evaluate the applicant before hiring them as a member of their permanent staff. Temporary-to-permanent placements are ideal for employers and temp workers alike because there’s time for both parties to assess the working relationship.
- Permanent recruitment is a service where recruitment agencies manage the recruitment, screening, referencing, interviewing and skills verification of applicants and refer suitable candidates for full-time employment. This is a cost-effective method of hiring.
- Software testing and training: A recruiting agency performs extensive computer software assessments for potential/existing employees of a company. This provides the company with a number of benefits; gaining an understanding of their employee’s skill sets, having an industry professional evaluate and provide recommendations for training, setting a standard level of competence for positions and using benchmarking for new hires. One-day courses and micro-courses that target a specific program(s) may be provided (Microsoft Office, Visio, Simply Accounting, QuickBooks, Adobe Acrobat, etc.).
Agencies typically provide a number of services. Some firms specialize in one or more specific services so make sure you shop around to find the recruitment firm that suits your company’s needs.
What are the benefits of using a recruitment agency?
There are many reasons that companies employ the services of a recruitment agency.
- Reduces costs: Recruitment and training are costly. Using an agency eliminates many of these expenses. A recruitment agency will determine the needs of the business, develop advertisements, manage job postings, and handle all aspects of the hiring, onboarding and HR process. Using an agency mitigates the risk of making a bad hire, causing disruption to your workforce and the potential need for termination.
- Saves time: Recruitment agencies have deep networks of passive candidates allowing them to source qualified people with speed. An agency saves a company the time of weeding through hundreds of resumes, checking references and taking calls from candidates, who may or may not be qualified. Instead, your company is given the best three to four candidates to interview.
- Specialized knowledge: Using an agency gives a company access to the recruiter’s insider knowledge of skilled available candidates (active and passive), salary ranges and local market trends.
- Training: Many recruitment agencies provide training that strengthens existing abilities and develops new skills. This ensures that when an employee starts at your business they’re well prepared and have very little need for extra training.
- Increased productivity: Agencies have pre-screened qualified workers ready and willing to work with little notice. This means that a skilled employee can be placed in your vacant position within a short time frame ensuring good productivity.
- Flexibility: Whenever you need them, a recruitment agency is there! They help you fill in for maternity leave, provide additional help during a busy holiday season, cover emergency sick leave, fill in during vacations or step in with added manpower during an unexpected project. They can quickly find candidates for managerial and executive positions. Agencies provide employees in a wide variety of disciplines to meet all of the needs of a business.
- Try before you hire: Many recruitment agencies allow you to try an employee before taking on the liability of their employment. They work for the agency for a short period giving a company a chance to see if it’s a good match for both parties before hiring.
There are many benefits to using a staffing agency. High-quality recruiting in a timely and cost-saving manner, access to hiring experts and increased productivity are but a few. If your company wishes to simplify the hiring process, contact a reputable recruiting agency. Use a recruiting agency to find the staff you need.
Looking for a recruitment agency to help you find qualified candidates for a position(s)? Call the Calgary recruiting agency, Equation Staffing Solutions at 1-844-367-9618. We are a reliable, innovative, collaborative agency here to support you in your search for a position and/or personnel. Our experience will assist you! Contact us today.