13 Dec What should my Recruitment Agency be doing for me?

The Recruitment Industry has been developing a bad rep as engagements with certain agencies have left job seekers with a less than glowing impression. Horror stories range from candidates not knowing where their CVs have been sent, to personal information being traded.

This is the dark side of the industry spectrum. On the other end, agencies exist that operate with integrity and sincere care for the relationships they build. These agencies don’t endorse the idea that the recruitment process starts at sourcing and ends at placement. There is a lot of energy that goes into finding the right opportunities for candidates, but also in maintaining these relationships and providing support throughout the span of the candidate’s career.

Keep reading to find out what your agency should, at the very least, be doing for you.

Face-to-Face meetings

After contacting an Agency, you should be asked for a face-to-face meeting. This initial meeting is important, not only so that the consultant can get a better understanding of your career preferences, but also so that both of you can get a feel for one another and your ways of working.

Insight and knowledge

Agency consultants should provide you with expert knowledge about the roles and clients they service. This includes in-depth knowledge that ranges from industry trends to client environments.

Integrity checks

It’s standard practice for clients to request academic, character, credit, criminal, fraud and identity verification checks. Your Agency will run these checks in-house or make use of a partner organisation if they do not have the relevant facilities. These costs are incurred by the Agency.

Relevant, detailed information

You need to be able to make an informed decision when it comes to considering role opportunities. An Agency should provide you with a clear overview of roles.

Permission

An agency should ask your permission to be submitted for roles. This is your career after all – imagine not knowing for which company, or for what role, you have been put forward? This also mitigates the risk, if you are using more than one Agency, of your CV being submitted to clients more than once (this reflects really badly on the candidate and the Agency).

Regular feedback and updates 

You should be provided with frequent updates regarding the status and process of the consultant’s progress.

Prepping you for interviews

If the client asks to interview you (whoo!), the consultant will help you prepare for the interview. Through the consultant’s knowledge-sharing of the client and their environment, you should be well equipped to respond to questions during the interview. The consultant should also let you know the names of the individuals that will be interviewing you (a social media search of these individuals could help to conquer some of those nerves!).

Ensuring you are happy and healthy in your role

Transitioning into a new role can be challenging. Your Agency should offer continuous support to ensure that you are settling in and operating to the best of your ability. This isn’t a standard service offering in the industry, however, it is a service that separates good from great Agencies.

Image sourced from: Technology Advice
Article by Brand Ant