A Snapshot of Employment Agencies - What They Actually Do

Brief history of employment agencies in the United States

Employment agencies are also known as personnel placement firms, personal consulting firms, and personnel service firms. Their major function is to place people into short or long-term positions. The National Association of Personal Consulting had aptly defined employment agencies as those firms "offering an orientation of finding jobs for people, building a back log of screened candidates by consistent advertising and by referrals from satisfied candidates and employers".

Recruitment agencies in United States came into existence quite a long back with the first known private staffing agencies being called the "Intelligence Offices" that began early in the 19th century. The earliest known bona fide employment agency was established in the name of "Employers and Servants Protestants Agency" in 1819. The first large-scale employment agencies appeared in 1863 in the name of "American Emigrant Company" that was created to secure laborers and skilled workers for a number of American employers. These agencies collected fees from employers and registration fees were extracted from European job seekers. At that time, almost anyone could be an employment agent - the intermediary or the middleman as the only source of information between employers and the prospective workers.

Growth of employment agencies

The rapid growth in employment agency industry occurred within the last quarter of the twentieth century in response to the fluctuating economy and with the double-digit increase in revenues throughout the 1970's and 1980's led to executive recruiting a booming business. An increasing number of mangers in publishing industry at that time were using the services of professional search firms. The advent of internet technologies during the late 80s' and early 90s' led to many staffing agencies using internet in their recruitment process. The National Personal Associates, Inc. founded in 1956 was the first employment agency to provide leading edge support to executive level contingency placement firms by maintaining a website for the public and its members.

The current conditions

In 2003, staffing companies with the largest U.S. presence was Adecco SA, Manpower Inc., Kelly Services and Gevity HR. Currently Adecco SA (Swiss based) is ranked as the world's largest staffing firm with a turnover of $29.38 billion in revenue for 2008. It is estimated that about three million workers in the United States are using employment agencies to find temporary work. The role of employment agencies cannot be discounted in providing variety of staffing services in the form of temporary staffing, contract to hire staffing services, professional staffing services, health care staffing etc. The global recession has affected the staffing industry as well with nearly about 30% of the staffing agencies severely affected by the recessive economy.

The only segment of the staffing industry that remained robust amidst the recessionary trends was the health care staffing that continued to grow at the rate of 15% to 20% annually because of an ongoing demand for registered and licensed practical nurses. Among those, who first tend to withstand the worst of economic recession are those employed in the staffing industry but they are also often the first ones to benefit from the fruits of a resurgent economy. Therefore, it can be observed that employment agency industry is expected to remain flat as long as the economy is sluggish, but any upturn in this industry is an indication of renewed health in the overall economy.

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What Good Can You Get From Employment Agencies

There are many advantages that can be obtained from employment agencies. In fact, both employers and jobseekers can gain from using employment or recruitment agencies that in today's market competition, these advantages must be optimized accordingly.

At first thought, many of us would think that employment agencies work for the jobseekers, yet in truth, their main client are the employers as the employers are the parties which pay the agencies for services rendered. When employers hire employment agencies to look for worthy candidates to fill the positions they offer, all the legworks are done by the agency. The company or employer need not sort through a lot of resumes. This task can take time considering each resume has to be reviewed to separate the qualified from those who are not qualified. Interview would already be started immediately. Employment agencies usually have a database of resumes that when job positions are offered by the employers, the agencies may already have some candidates on hand and ready for the interview. Depending on the needs and preferences of the companies, the services rendered by the agencies may be adjusted. For example, a company only needs and wishes to have resumes of qualified jobseekers so the company's staff can perform other recruitment tasks like interviews, screening, background checks and others. If the company wishes to rely everything to the agency, the latter can cater to the needs of the company. The candidate resumes will be processes, screening of candidates will be done, background, evaluation checks and initial interview will be performed before the lucky candidates are sent to the company manager for the final interview.

If the company or employer can gain from the employment agencies, so do the jobseekers. Just as what agencies offer to employers, the labor of finding open positions are performed by the agency to the jobseekers. Oftentimes, agencies have access to a number of open positions which may not be publicly advertised and thus cannot be found on your own. Therefore when you use employment agencies you have a better edge on being noticed by employers and you have a better chance on getting hired for the position. If you are looking for a new job while you are still employed, the agency can do the searching for you as you perform well on your present job. The agency will alert you when a suitable spot is available. It is the agency who sell and offer your proficiency to employers. If you want, the agency can also negotiate the topic about salary with the employers. This you are ensured they can do very well as a percentage of your supposed salary will be paid to them.

Both the employer and the jobseeker gain from using employment agencies. Through the agency, each party is informed that each of them is serious in winning or offering the position. If the employer or company is not serious in the position they offer and in finding a successful candidate to fill that position, it will not spend money on hiring employment agencies for the required services. The responsibility of the employment agency is to find candidates whose qualifications are suitable to the requirements of the job position.

Check out here for how to start an employment agency business.

Good Habits To Know About Temporary Employment Agencies

Nowadays, it cannot be denied that temporary employment agencies are playing significant role in the corporate world. In particular, an employment agency provides suitable employees to a corporate-client looking for manpower. It is the duty of the agency to make certain that the workers provided are able and have the skills required.

Nearly all of the staffing agencies are inclined to center their attention to a limited number of service fields and expertise. Some agencies largely deal on legal service, technical works, health care, accounting practice, and secretarial jobs. Note however that the nature of the work is generally non-permanent. Once workers are engaged by the staffing agency, in time they will be sent to a specific client and perform the required job for a period of time only.

History tells us that it was in the year 1965 when Henry Robinson conceptualized and introduced the term employment agency. The British government did not seem to like his proposal. As a result, he founded his own employment agency in private character. His business venture, however, did not last long. Sometime in 1893, Fred Winslow founded also his private engineering agency.

In the United States and United Kingdom, they both implemented the term public recruitment in the early part of the 19th century. Soon after, many other developed States established publicly-managed staffing agencies. The main objective was to resolve the concern on joblessness. From then on, many people were able to enjoy wider options in terms of employment career. Some workers were successfully retained as permanent personnel, whereas others were absorbed by larger establishments.

In these days, employers are heavily tied with employment agencies. So as to save time and resources in selecting eligible workers, they just refer to a staffing agency to do the selection for them. In effect, the employment contract is consummated between the employer and the agency. The contract preparation engaging the service of the worker forms part of the responsibilities of the agency. That is the reason why the agency is the one knowledgeable on matters like employment status.

Employers find it advantageous dealing with temporary employment agencies. Essentially, employers are no longer responsible in preparing working visa, tax paper, and all other related documents. In some cases, they are not even bound to give benefits to the temporary employees.

On the part of the employees, they are challenged with the fact that they'll be working in various employers. To them, having newer room for self-improvement and newer prospect to apply their talents is something favorable. Even if the nature of employment is temporary, the constant change of work assignment is somewhat refreshing.

The practice in the agency runs in this way. The employment agency admits applicants. The credentials of the applicants are held on standby. Meanwhile, whatever are the standards desired by the employer for a given job, the same shall be made available by the agency. Then the initially selected applicant will undergo screening process. Once fit, the employer will do nothing but accept the worker provided.

Sometimes, the recruitment agency is the one looking for employers who are in need of workers. Once the agency gets a call from an employer, the latter will then evaluate the applications and credentials relevant to the available job. The chosen employee is given notice. To complete the selection process, the agency is likely to require the applicant to undergo additional exams.

Once deployed to the worksite, the employee is bound to follow the rules and regulations imposed by the employer. However, in the event that a discrepancy is noted between the earlier agreed work and the actual work, the employee has the discretion to discontinue the job. In an instance such as this, workers are not usually compensated in any form by the temporary employment agencies or by the employer.

Learn more about how to run an employment agency.

Private Employment Agencies Vs. Professional Employment Agencies

Private employment agencies have the largest share of the market and are now quite well known to most people from personal experience at local offices and advertisements in the press. Local employment agencies deal with jobs that are clerical, junior administrative, shop staff, IT professional etc. Another type of private agency concentrates on recruitment and, sometimes, the initial stages of selection of middle and senior managers or of professional and specialist staff in fields such as, law accountancy, engineering, etc. Private employment agencies provide at times a very valuable service, especially in recruiting staff in situations where there is a shortage of the particular types of employees required. However, since they exist to make a profit, employers have to pay for any employees they may recruit in this way.

There are also pros and cons that have to be carefully weighed, especially when these private employment agencies are used to assist in the selection of managerial or professional staff. The advantages are the specialist knowledge that an agency can acquire of the employment conditions and requirements in particular fields, objectivity of view and skill in conducting the selection procedure. The main possible disadvantage in using external assistance for recruitment and selection purposes is the agent's lack of first-hand experience of the cultural and environmental aspects of the organization's work and life.

There has been substantial growth of so-called 'head-hunters' or recruitment consultants. As the terms suggest, these are private firms and agencies of recruitment consultants who earn fees by meeting the job needs of organizations for specialist and senior managerial staff. Much of their work is carried on by means of an informal network of contacts, whereby they keep records of career profiles of people likely to be in constant demand, and obtain information about the needs of employers for appointments to be filled. This method has provided its value to the employer and employee clientele of these agencies.

Professional Employment Agencies

Several different kinds of agencies are included under the heading or Professional Employment Agency. The features they have in common are that they are all agencies set up by particular organizations to help their own members or ex-members find employment and that they are generally nonprofit making. The agencies of this kind that employers are likely to need and use most regularly are:-

1. Career services of academic institutions: Universities and similar institutions maintain a full-time career advisory service. They serve as an employment agency for graduating or recently graduated students, are centers of information for graduates about employment opportunities and for employers who are seeking potential managers or professional specialist.

2.Employment services of professional institutions: A number of professional institutions, such as those representing accounts, engineers, etc. have an employment advisory service whereby a register is kept of members seeking employment and information is collected from employers seeking staff in particular professions.

3. Employment exchange provided by the state service for young people provides a regular liaison between employers and unemployed youth.

While both types of employment agencies have flourished, a private employment agency with experience and professionalism is the most sought after.

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Employment Agencies Are Helpful for Finding Quality Employees

Employment agencies can be an excellent option to assist in a job hunt or for finding a suitable employee for your company. I have found employment agencies to be very helpful in finding great employees, and I didn't have to spend a lot of my time doing interviews and background checks. My own company pays the employment agencies, which then send us employees that have been previously interviewed. Keep in mind that although employment agencies provide a place for companies to start their employee search, they can't eliminate every unsuitable candidate. Local employment agencies sent two of my best and undoubtedly reliable employees to my company. Both of these employees were hired full-time within the first week.

Job seekers may have better luck by registering at employment agencies. Many potential employers wish to avoid the time and effort involved with placing a newspaper ad and interviewing applicants. It can take a great deal of time to complete the full interview process for all potential new hires. When a company contacts an employment agency with a request for an employee with specific abilities, the agency can go to its database of pre-screened applicants to find exactly what the company is looking for. If you are hunting for a job, employment agencies can send you to fill the position so that you can start immediately. Mailing out your resume and not knowing if anyone has looked at it, while you sit by the phone, will be a thing of the past. You won't have to go through being nervous in a job interview. As the employment agencies make offers to you, you may accept or reject the position. These jobs can last just a few weeks or months, or they may be permanent. Employment agencies have helped countless people get high paying, full-time jobs.

When moving to a new area it is a good idea to use the services of an employment agency. Maybe you have moved to a new area and are unfamiliar with the town or the job market. You can use an employment agency to find out which companies you fit with the best. There's typically no cost for employees since the company that hires them is responsible for any fees. When employers know about the work and time involved in finding an employee, they willingly pay the fees. They only need to wait for the employee assigned to arrive.

If you are not trained for the jobs they need employees for, sometimes employment agencies will offer the necessary training of the skill for that job. Often you can learn basic computing skills and programs at the employment agency. You might be given assistance in resume and job interview preparation. Some of these training opportunities are free, while some others will cost a small fee. Both job hunters and prospective employers find employment agencies to be a good place to start.

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Five Ways To Find The Best Employment Agency

People around the globe consistently rate two things in their lives as the most important: their families and their jobs. When something goes wrong in either of these areas, it's always a serious problem.

In addition, in the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Australia and New Zealand, the number one cause for divorce is job-related financial problems.

Using an employment agency to find the right job for your skills and salary requirements can make your career search much easier and faster.

All employee agencies are not created equal. As in every field of business, some are very good and some have a low success rate. When making your decision about which employment agency is best for you, consider these five points:

1. How long has the employment agency been in business?

Agencies that have been in existence for five or more years have usually established a good reputation for success with both employers who seek qualified applicants, and for clients who register with the agency to aid in their job search.

2. Does the agency's prospective employers coincide your skill level?

If you're seeking a position as an executive administrative assistant in a large company but don't have the necessary skills for this high-level job, the agency should inform you of this problem right away and refer you to another employment agency with a prospectus of employers more suitable for your skills.

3. How did you find the employment agency?

In a matter as important as your career and financial stability, picking up the telephone book and picking an agency at random isn't a good idea. Word of mouth is an excellent way to choose an agency; ask friends, current co-workers or anyone else you know if they have used a particular agency with good results.

Primarily, audition the employment agency! Since your career depends upon the qualifications and procedures of the agency, you have the right to ask questions such as their percentage success rate and an honest appraisal of how an agency can best help you.

4. What's your first impression of the agency personnel?

Jobs seem more scarce these days, and there is more competition for some specialty areas. When you first meet with the personnel manager assigned to you, pay attention to his/her demeanor towards you - are you viewed as just another case file, or does your manager take a serious interest in your job search?

5 Ask specific questions about the employment agency's policies.

Before you register with an agency, ask about how many interviews you can expect per week, and exactly how the agency intends to advocate for you in your job search.

If you don't like what you hear or see about the agency, don't settle for less! Keep looking until the "feel" of the agency is right for you.

Check out here for how to open a employment agency.

The Benefits Of Using A Recruitment Agency To Find A Job

With the employment market now slowly beginning to improve throughout the UK, it's quite surprising to see that recruitment agencies are actually thriving in a recovering market. In fact, recruitment agencies barely noticed the reduction in employment over the past few years - with some agencies publicly announcing that more vacancies were being advertised than previously.

What is a recruitment agency?

An employment agency is a company which aims to provide their clients (businesses / organisations) with qualified and experienced candidates. They handle the whole recruitment process, which may include vacancy advertising, headhunting, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews and candidate assessment.

From a businesses point-of-view, using a recruitment agency is beneficial because they don't need to hire in-house teams of recruitment specialists and HR teams.

How Agencies Can Help You To Find A Job

Because agencies work with multiple clients, they are often advertising for multiple vacancies across multiple market sectors. This is particularly ideal for candidates who have a wide and varied skill set, and may be suitable for different job roles.

In addition to this, because agencies usually specialise in specific job markets, they often only work with companies who recruit within their markets. For example, an agency specialising in call centre recruitment would only work with call centres.

This can be extremely beneficial for candidates who have a specific skill set and are looking for an employment opportunity within a niche market. Typically speaking, candidates who specialise in a technical job role (such as Information Technology) have difficulty finding employment - because local companies aren't always recruiting.

This is where recruitment agencies provide a unique and bespoke service to candidates. Not only can candidates immediately apply to the recruitment agency for any advertised vacancies, but the recruitment agency will also be able to directly approach clients who may not even be advertising. Because employment agencies earn a retainer fee on each successful placement, they often take candidate placement seriously - and this can be very beneficial for skilled candidates.

In this situation, agencies will employ sales techniques to approach employers who operate within the candidates field of speciality. From there, they will sell the qualifications and experience of the candidate, and attempt to persuade the company to hire the candidate either immediately, or in the short future ahead. Throughout the years, this method of employment has proven to be extremely successful - especially if the agency has a prior positive experience with their clients.

Finding a job can often seem like a difficult task - but it's always beneficial to consult with local recruitment agencies. In short, recruitment agencies earn money when candidates are given a job - and so they are always working in mutual benefit with the candidate; making job searching that little bit easier.

Know more about how to register a recruitment agency.

Joining Their National Industry Body Helps Recruitment Agencies Emphasise a Good Reputation

Employers and recruitment agencies are subject to various rules and regulations and membership of a national industry organisation that asks members to sign up to best practice can be a significant boost to their reputation.

These bodies provide a valuable service in keeping members informed on changes to legislation, updating them on industry information and in lobbying government and other agencies about issues of concern to their membership.

In the UK the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) provides all these services and functions and has more than 9000 members from all industry sectors as well as from the Institute of Recruitment Professionals.

Members must agree to sign up to a code of conduct in order to join and this covers nine principles from respect for the law, to behaving ethically with candidates and clients, working with honesty and transparency and in a way that pays heed to issues of diversity and to safety at work.

For a specialist recruitment agency, membership can provide evidence of its reputation, credibility, expertise and adherence to best practice and this can be an important deciding factor for candidates looking for a recruitment agency that will best help them to find suitable work in line with their skills, capabilities and employment experience.

It is also helpful for any corporate level employers planning to recruit through the agency. Such clients, perhaps looking for an executive PA, for example, will want to be assured that the agency it is using understands the culture in which candidates will be working, which often requires a high degree of confidentiality and tact.

Employers and recruiters have access through their membership to a wealth of information to not only on best practice but also on their rights and obligations.

It also provides guidance to candidates and job seekers on how to get the best from the agency including asking the recruitment consultancy for a copy of the CV they are intending to send to clients and finding out what the agency's policy is on submitting CVs to possible employers.

It also suggests that candidates need to decide on whether they wish to be consulted before an agency puts their CV forward to a potential employer and advises them to keep in regular contact with their agency.

They included avoiding increasing taxes on business to encourage investment and job creation and also reducing and simplifying the regulations governing the labour market in order to encourage business growth. The third area of focus was on building a highly skilled workforce and tapping into the expertise of recruitment professionals to provide guidance for job-seekers.

When competition is all the more fierce in a difficult economic climate membership of a professional body can make a significant difference to the success of an individual recruitment business as well as providing an avenue for raising issues that are affecting the industry as a whole.

Interested to know more about how to run a recruitment agency from home.

Recruiting Agency - The Best Source to Land a Dream Job

Recruiting the right employee is very critical for any organization to function with accuracy and reach the goals set by them. An organization cannot spend time on recruiting staff as part of their expansion or for their new project. Under such conditions, corporate companies usually turn up to staffing agencies, which bridge the gap between the organization and the right candidate for a post. Staffing services is fast catching up as they filter out the maximum personals based on the requirement for a company. A staffing agency acts as a bridge between the employer and the required talent from the ever increasing market.

A dedicated team works continuously to find the right candidate that fits into the requirement as stated by an organization. The basic step they perform is to listen to the corporate company about their requirement to get complete idea about recruiting the right candidate. This procedure will ensure that both the company as well as the candidate builds a trust with the recruiter. A complete transparent procedure is followed which automatically builds a good relationship with the recruiting company. Let us see how both a client as well as a candidate gets benefit from this procedure.

A good staffing agency will understand the requirements of the client and they will hunt for the right candidate that suits to the job profile as stated by the client. This procedure is very transparent and also benefits the client by saving good amount of time and money. The entire procedure will cut short the recruiting process as major interviewing is carried out by the staffing agency and a client can directly approach a group of people, who are talented and fit into the job profile. Irrespective of the job position, one will be able to look for the right profile according to their experience and area of interest. They can perform the last round of recruiting process by interviewing them and selecting the deserving candidate for the post.

On the other hand, as a candidate will approach the recruiting team, he or she will be provided complete assistance in finding out the right job profile. The profile collected will be matched to that of an employer's job description to suit the needs. Once this is done, the candidate will be informed about the same and also they will be called for initial screening procedure according to the client's requirement. Through this way, one will be able to find different job profiles from different corporate companies. The candidate will also spend less time through this procedure rather than approach every single company by self.

A good staffing agency in the market will provide complete assistance to both an employee as well as the employer. If you want to reduce the hassle of job hunting, signing up for a recruiting agency is a smart thing to do. The staff will guide a candidate through their knowledge rather than carry out an interrogation for a job position right away. Going through the availability of job listings from the agency will be helpful to approach the recruiter for the right placement.

Learn more about how to setup your own recruitment agency here.

Recruitment Agencies - Why You Should Use Them

Numerous contractors hold the view that recruitment agencies don't supply value for money. Now this can be true of some agencies however utilizing a good agency to secure a contract can be quite cost effective. As a contractor there are two ways to find a contract:

1. Using the recruitment agency
2. Finding a contract for yourself

What's involved in finding a contract yourself?

Firstly, you need to find time to research the companies along with contract opportunities that suit your skill set which means trawling through umpteen job sites as well as boards and understanding where to look.

If you are already in a contract and looking for your forthcoming one then it's very difficult to find the time in the working day whilst you're at the client site to cold calling HR departments of potential clients, after all you are getting paid on an hourly basis by your current client plus they are not going to be very happy if your telephone is glued to your ear all day or sneaking off to the hallway every 10 mins.

If you have no experience in selling then it can be a daunting prospect. You may be a specialist in the field that you're in but are you an expert sales person?

The biggest challenge is developing contacts. These days the majority of Human resources departments within multi-national companies possess preferred supplier agreements with agencies and will only take on a candidate when they come via one of the companies on their preferred supplier list and therefore these people won't even entertain an individual approaching them directly - 'If you're not on the list you can't come in'.

So why make use of a Recruitment Agency?

You can treat recruitment agencies as your sales force, working for you on a commission basis. The nature of the recruitment agency business model would be to make money when you are paid commission for effectively placing applicants with clients, so it's in their financial interest to find you a contract as quickly as possible.

The agencies invest a lot of time and cash in creating contacts as well as building associations with customers. They contend with each other to get on preferred supplier listings of customers which involves lots of wining and dining and jumping through hoops.

Clients also want the safety that if a candidate doesn't work out then your agency is actually obliged to find another using the relevant skills. It may be possible to earn more money if you found your own agreement and skipped out the 'middle man'.

However, what you need to ask yourself is whether or not you have:

1. The contacts
2. The sales knowledge
3. The time
4. The understanding

Even if you were able to by-pass the preferred supplier lists it might take months for you to find a contract by yourself, during which time you most likely won't be earning money. The time being from a contract searching for a new one is possibly more costly compared to the margin the experts at a recruitment company charge their own client.

Check out here for how to start a recruiting business.

Choosing the Best Online Recruitment Agency for Your Business

There are many ways to find a quality online recruitment agency. A small business owner can benefit from using one as they can save costs on hiring a human resources manager. If a business owner uses the right recruitment portal, they kind find quality employees that are able to fulfill their job duties. There are many firms to choose from, but a business owner must be smart and know how to choose the right one.

The first step is to consider what type of agency is needed. The agency should be able to focus on certain fields. In some cases, it is better if they specialise in a particular field or niche of the business. The next key is to look at reputation. Checking the reputation of an agency is almost crucial to making sure that a business owner does not lose money. An agency should do more than just simply blast a job posting to free classified ads in the hopes of picking between a bunch of applicants. An agency should also have the skills to weed out applicants by asking interview questions and doing a complete background check on the candidate. This service should be included in the fee.

Using a recruitment agency is a better choice over traditional means because of the amount of time it saves the business owner. Since hiring can be a tedious job, it is better to use a reliable agency. Another way to choose an agency is to look for those who don't charge an upfront fee. Most quality agencies will only charge a flat rate after the employee is hired by the client. The client is mostly paying for the creation of print ads which will be placed in newspapers. Agencies are also able to reach a larger area when it comes to finding quality applicants. This will provide a client with more options for choosing a good worker based on previous work experience.

It is also important that the online recruitment agency has the experience in order to provide results. Clients should also look at job retention statistics. The agency should be able to provide clients with previous statistics or testimonies from past clients. The agency should also be able to use some of the most advanced software in order to scope out candidates. They should also have experience using social media networking sites in order to connect with qualified candidates.

If you are interested to read more, feel free to check here for how to start a recruitment business.

The Advantages Offered by Recruitment Agencies to Job Seekers

It is not easy to find a job these days. The requirements of employers are becoming ever higher, while the competition for each vacancy is fierce. In this situation, each job seeker has to adopt a precise strategy for reaching his goal. One highly effective strategy is to use the services of a recruitment agency. Find out how it can help you secure a job.

Recruitment agencies are intermediaries between employers and job seekers. Their aim is to match the right person to the right job. That way, both workers and businesses are satisfied. It is worth pointing out that typically job seekers do not have to pay a fee for accessing the job ads and for using the core services of an agency.

Job Ad Reliability

The major advantage of using the services of an agency is that you can have peace of mind about the dependability of the job advertisements. Each employer submits their requirements to a recruiter and the professional starts the search for the right kind of talent. The credentials of employers are verified in advance and there are no fake ads simply designed to attract people to the agency's website. When you make an application, you can rely on a response from the other party, even if it is a negative one. You will never have to worry about applying in vain. The security which you will get is in great contrast with what free job ad websites have to offer.

Variety of Employment Opportunities

Recruitment agencies have a very broad scope of services, which employment seekers can use to their advantage. They advertise vacancies in all industries and in companies of all sizes. They offer part-time as well as full-time jobs.

Some recruiters offer temping opportunities as well. Temping is a great solution for the long-term unemployed, parents returning to the labour force, people looking to change their career and students. As a temp worker, you are employed by the agency and work on different assignments for different employers. That way, you gain experience and new skills and have the chance to impress the employer and to get offered a permanent position in addition to earning income.

Professionals in a specific field can find lucrative contracting opportunities via a specialised agency. They can establish solid relationships with clients and earn even better contracts every time.

Last, but not least, recruitment agencies offer personalised support and assistance to job seekers. You can work with a professional consultant who will help you prepare your CV and covering letter and train you for job interviews.

Know more about how to start a recruitment agency from home.

How Do Recruitment Agencies Work?

Recruitment agencies act as liaisons, intermediaries between hiring firms and prospective candidates seeking employment. Basically, they pursue candidates that meet the specific needs and requirements of the hiring firms, managing thousands of resumes and matching them with prospective employers. They work with large corporations, enterprises, government agencies and many other workforce organizations, often specializing in a specific field, such as the legal sector, the medical industry and so on.

How do agencies work?

Thousands of individuals seeking employment sent their resumes to such agencies, hoping for a better career. The recruitment agency creates a database to maintain all the resumes, and classifies them based on specific criteria. Firms with job openings frequently outsource the staffing responsibilities, thus hiring specialized recruitment agencies. They detail their job openings, their requirements and expectations, and after thorough assessment and research the recruitment agency finds the best candidates from their database. In order to cater the specific needs of their clients, agencies specialize in certain core fields.

They constantly extend their databases with increasingly more clients and resumes, pursuing candidates through effective strategies. They create their networks by attending job fairs, trade fairs, industry exhibitions and expositions, always meeting new people and creating alliances with other agencies. What makes recruitment agencies so powerful and effective is their strategic staffing methods, catering directly to the business needs of the hiring firm, both on short term and in the long run.

If you are looking to hire a recruitment agency, first of all determine the exact needs of your company. Generally, each employer seeks a certain set of skills and qualities in a prospective candidate, according to the goals and values of the company. Determine the set of skills and qualities necessary for your company, decide how many employees you need, come up with a detailed job description and then set up appointments with representatives of several agencies. Remember to request references from the agencies, and once you find one that seems to suit your needs, propose a trial period.

Agencies can make a great difference in the productivity and overall success of your company. They consist of teams of highly qualified professionals, with extensive recruitment experience in the field they specialized in. They already know your competition, the current requirements of the labor market, and they have direct access to the best candidates. Finding the right recruitment agency will take your business to the next level and ensure you have the best team of employees to stay on top of your competition.

Please visit here for how to run a recruitment agency.

How Recruitment Agencies Can Help Find You the Right Job

Looking for a job can be a time consuming and frustrating experience. Telephone interviews, in person interviews, waiting for a call that sometimes doesn't arrive can all add up to stress that makes it hard to focus and find that job we are seeking. When we have done everything we can think of to find that job, what else can we do? One answer might be to try a recruitment agency.

The customers of job recruitment agencies are the employers. It is in the agencies interest to place candidates, because when a candidate that they recommend is hired, the agency gets paid. The employer and the agency work out the terms of the commission amount. This relationship is best explained by saying that the recruitment agency is there to serve the needs of the human resource department of the organization. The quicker an agency finds the right candidate, the quicker they get paid.

Agencies keep a database of potential candidates to make their match quickly and efficiently. When an opportunity comes up, agencies will contact candidates to see if they are still looking for a job, and if available, the agency will do an interview, sometimes at that moment on the phone to determine the candidates match, as well as get any relevant updates, and will often send qualified candidates over immediately.

If you have reached a point in your job search where you feel as though all your options have been gone through, an agency might be able to put you in contact with a job, the one that you really want, that you haven't been able to locate on your own.

As a prospective candidate, you don't pay any fees to an agency, the company hiring does. The agency takes care of all arrangements, setting up the interview, and following up after the interview with you to see how it went. If it is not the right fit, they will continue to look for you until a job is found.

The best way to maximize your experience using a job agency is to communicate everything with them that is relevant to your search. Give them testimonials from previous employers. Show them your qualifications. Perhaps you have been in school, or have found you have a strong attraction to certain types of jobs. Give all of this to the agency so it is considered when you are competing for jobs. Having an agency look for you can help find that all elusive, perfect job that you could not find on your own, at no cost to you.

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The Truth About Recruitment Agencies

Many people have very strong opinions about why it is better to find a job on your own rather than use a recruiter. A lot of people feel that recruiters are 'salespeople' that are trying to use you to make money, many others feel that they provide an unnecessary service. This article is going to attempt to dispel the mystique that is associated with recruitment agencies, and explain why it is in your advantage to use a recruiter. Here are some of the most common objections that I hear while speaking with a potential candidate:

1. "The agency" will take a cut of my wages; I can make more money if I get the job myself.
2. A recruiter cannot do anything for me that I can't do for myself.
3. Agencies will just try and 'low ball' me on my salary/rate so that they can take a bigger cut from their client.

Many of these questions have to do with money, and it seems that most of the people that I speak to begrudge the fact that I have to make a living. They also fail to notice that I can provide them with a service that may prove to be invaluable. Allow me to start off by explaining how an agency works, and why companies use recruitment agencies rather than hiring internally.

Most HR departments lack a specific recruitment arm and people that are trained in HR have absolutely no recruitment training. HR is diametrically opposed to recruitment; one helps all people within a company and the other is trained to eliminated all candidates but the one that is best for the job. HR is customer service, "recruitment refers to the process of sourcing, screening, and selecting people for a job at an organization or firm (Wikipedia)." HR is in the interest of helping everyone that they come into contact with. This makes it very hard to eliminate candidates in a job selection process. It is also very expensive to maintain an in house recruitment arm when you don't do a lot of hiring.

This is where an agency comes to the rescue. We have an accessible database of qualified candidates and chances are that one will match all of your job requirements. The cost of one of our candidates is fractional to the cost of running your own source, screen, interview, and hire process; an agency will actually end up saving mid-size companies on their on-boarding costs. We find a company the right candidate and give you a 'trial period' (usually 90 days) to make sure that they are going to fit in before you will even have to pay us. This is why a company will use a recruitment agency.

Our fees are not some magical number that we pull out of thin air, they are a percentage based on the rate / salary that we negotiate on the placement. For a permanent job, it is usually around 20% of the hiring salary and contract rates fluctuate very widely but average around 10 -15%. We make more money if you make more money not the other way around. Our contracts are based on a set mark-up percentage agreed to by the client to pay for the cost and convenience of the service that we provide them. The client would not pay a penny more to a direct hire due to the fact that they will now have to internalize the payroling and on-boarding process, greatly increasing their internal hiring costs.

Recruiters also have a lot to offer to job seekers. We know exactly what the client is looking for and have a much better ability to 'sell' a candidates skills to a client than even the most persistent candidate. We have the ability to dig a lot deeper into a clients job openings, and can tell a candidate exactly how to write the winning resume for a certain job. A recruiter knows what kind of interview style that a candidate is going to walk into and can give a candidate a competitive edge. Wouldn't it be nice to know what kind of questions you are going to be asked days before a job interview? Agencies can even tell you what kind of specific hiring criteria you are going to be chosen by, making it possible for you to highlight your specific experience in those areas. Using a recruiter can dramatically increase your chance of getting a job.

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How A Recruitment Agency Works

Recruitment agencies are a common way for companies to outsource the process of finding short term staff, or the filtering of applicants for full time positions down to a manageable few candidates. From the outside, whether you need a staff member or need a job, it can feel like you talk to only a single person in the company and they handle the whole process of matching vacancy with worker. In reality, recruitment is teamwork, both within the agency, and with the clients with vacant positions and the candidates looking for work. Here we look at how a standard recruitment agency works, and how a vacancy is filled by the recruiters.

Standard practises within recruitment agencies

Usually, recruitment agencies larger than a few people will split their staff in to two roles. The 'Consultants' will talk to the agency's clients and gather requirements. The 'Resourcers' will find the right candidates for the vacancies the Consultant and client have defined.

A Resourcer needs to be good at communicating with people looking for a job, assessing which teams they would work well with, how reliable they are, what skills they have, and how someone's skills can change over time. As they progress through their working life, a candidate's experience and skills will change, and their needs and wants may change too. A younger person may be relatively inexperienced, but be willing to commute long distances to a role that will accept them, or stay in cheap accommodate near a the workplace for a contract. Conversely, the same person a few years later may have much more experience, but also a family and will not be willing to spend time away from home. However, their expertise may mean a client will accept them working from home if the right balance between that and a presence in the office is negotiated.

Within many agencies career progression involves starting as a Resourcer and moving on to becoming a Consultant after some experience and training, but this is not always the case, some people stay as very successful, sought after Resourcers for their whole career.

How a vacancy is handled by a recruitment agency

When the client of the agency has a vacancy, whether full time or short term, they will discuss their requirements with a Consultant from the agency. The Consultant and Resourcer then discuss this within the agency and will check their internal database of registered candidates to see if it contains anyone suitable for the role.

If suitable candidates are registered with the agency and have recently been in touch either because they contacted the agency or vice versa, the Resourcer will either call or e-mail them to check their availability and interest in the position. If the candidate is available and interested, the Resourcer and Consultant will start the process to confirm their suitability for the position. Depending on the client's requirements, this may include a phone interview or technical test before the details of the candidate are forwarded to the client.

Applications from candidates new to the agency will be registered in to their database of CVs or disregarded, depending on their suitability. Candidates not right for the position but who fit other criteria the agency like will also be registered, but not put forwards for the position being advertised.

Once the agency has some candidates they are positive are right for the position, they will pass a copy of their details on to the client, often with the contact details for the candidate removed, although that depends on the relationship between the agency and the client. The client then decides, sometimes in collaboration with the Consultant, who to interview, or who to hire - for short term contract work, an interview is not always a requirement.

The agency will send a contract to the successful candidate, which sets up the relationship between the candidate and the agency. This lays out payment terms, what legal rights the candidate and agency have in relation to the work, and other issues related to employment law. If the candidate is being placed in a full time job at the client company, they will also have a contract to sign with the client. When the candidate fills the vacancy at the client, the agency receives their fee, either as a percentage of the hourly rate of the candidate in the case of contract work, or as a flat fee which could be based on a percentage of the annual pay the position for a full time member of staff.

During the contract phase, the Consultant will keep the client appraised of progress, and the agency may keep other candidates ready to step in should contract negotiations fall through for any reason.

Once the candidate is signed up, they will be marked as in work within the agency's database, and if the work is a limited term contract their expected finish date will be registered, as the agency will be looking to place them in another contract when they become available. If another candidate who has good skills has come to light during this process, the agency may try to place them with other existing clients, or use them as a way to gain a new client if they see a company advertising a relevant vacancy. If a candidate has good skills, an agency would much rather place them in a position rather than lose touch with them, even if they missed out on the original vacancy that was advertised.

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Benefits to Employers of Using Recruitment Agencies

Finding talent for the vacancies in your company is often challenging and time consuming. For this reason, you can consider using the services of recruitment agencies. Find out more about the benefits that this option will bring to you.

Employers get to use a comprehensive set of recruitment and human resources services. Recruitment agencies do not just post vacancy ads. They actually search for suitable candidates through CVs sent to them by job seekers. The recruitment specialists will work closely with you to determine your requirements for the respective position. Then they will screen applicants based on these requirements. You will just have to conduct the final interview and make the final decision. Additionally, agencies can assist you with employee agreements and other paperwork, with organizational changes and with human resources development.

Using recruitment agencies increases your chances of finding talent for vacancies. In general, by using recruitment services, you adopt an active talent seeking approach which is always more effective than the passive one - posting an ad. Furthermore, agencies use a wide range of search methods including networking. A professional human resources specialist can assess a job applicant much more effectively compared even to the best manager. Another benefit is that you will find the right employees for vacancies faster than if you choose to advertise and evaluate applicants by yourself.

Using the services of recruitment agencies is cost effective. It has been estimated that outsourcing recruitment and HR can save between 19% and 37% of labor costs. These are large savings in monetary terms even for a small company. In general, recruiters price their services competitively and give employers great flexibility when it comes to paying for these services. At the same time, you save both capital and labor costs when outsourcing these functions.

Employers can increase the productivity of their companies in the long run. By recruiting employees that match the requirements for vacancies precisely, you automatically increase the productivity of your company in the short run. However, professional HR services can increase productivity in the long term as well and bring even more profit to the company. By building an efficient relationship you will get talented employees filling vacancies more quickly. You can rely on the agency for large scale projects such as expansion and restructuring. You can even use human resources development services.

The benefits you will get from using the services of recruitment agencies should be sufficient to convince you to take advantage of them. You just need to focus on finding an agency that is known for its professionalism, creative and proactive approach and special attention to clients.

Learn more about how do recruitment agencies find clients.

Employment Agencies On The Rise

As more and more people are being laid off and replaced by technology, more and more people are finding themselves unemployed. It is sometimes difficult to find a new job in today's competitive job market. Every year thousands of people are turning to employment agencies as a way to aid them in their job search. Employment agencies specialize in placing individuals with companies that would be a good fit. These agencies have access to thousands of companies that are looking for employees. By signing up with several different employment agencies you are sure to increase your chance of finding the best job available for you.

Employment in UK is becoming harder and more difficult to find every year as more people are graduating from universities and expanding the talent pool. Employment agencies are always looking to add new companies to recruit for, and new employees to place within these companies. While employment in UK continues to become more competitive, employment agencies such as Adecco, which is very popular in the United States, continue to garner more business every year.

A big plus of employment agencies is that they work for you. They do not get paid by their clients, unless they place you with them. This makes the agency more urgent to get you a job, because if they do not, they may be joining the unemployment ranks.

Like employment agencies in the United States, employment agencies in UK generally do not charge the employee for searching a job out for them. Generally speaking employment agencies find you work cost free! They collect all of their fees from their clients. But nothing is that easy, is it?

Employment agencies also do a good job of screening job seekers. They make their money by placing quality employees with their clients, and relying on repeat business. Therefore agencies must screen applicants to ensure that they will provide quality work. Screening may consist of checking into the applicant's background, as well as testing at their office. Both language and math may be tested. For the majority of applicant these tests are no problem at all. Employment agencies realize this, but must administer these tests as to cover themselves if something does not work out with their client.

Employment in UK is growing every year, which is a positive sign for job seekers. The growth of the technology sector has opened up jobs for many new graduates, as well as experienced professionals.

Though more jobs are becoming available, competition is also heating up! Employment agencies realize this and are prospecting on a daily basis looking to add new clients, and new applicants to place into jobs. The jobs available do come in thick and fast so new clients will keep all those positions within those new jobs filled.

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