When you're looking for a job, you are obviously going to want to explore every available avenue and take advantage of any resource that you can. One excellent resource that is available to candidates are Recruiters (that's us).
But what does a recruiter do? And how are they going to help you find a job?
In the simplest of terms, a recruitment agency is a business that finds candidates and matches them with employers and their requirements. Recruiters can open up opportunities and roles that you may not have known were available, as some companies don't recruit themselves and ask agencies to hire for them exclusively.
A recruiter's business is to fill jobs for their clients, it's how they make their money, and so they make sure that, most of the time, they are damn good at it and that they do the best they can for you.
It's also worth noting that as a candidate using an agency to find work for you is 100% free service.
Why would an employer use an agency?
The short answer is that they don't have time to recruit… Recruitment, believe it or not, can be a mammoth task and it takes time to do it, and even longer to do it well. Looking through a vast amount of applicants CV's, screening candidates and arranging interviews can be a huge use of the time that business owners could be spending running their companies. Recruitment agencies are there to solve this problem, they often have access to massive databases and networks of active candidates that are looking for work, something the employer doesn't have.
Agencies are also experts in attracting new candidates, so if they don't have the right person at the time, they can go out and find that person.
How do recruitment agencies work?
Agencies can help you, as a candidate, in two main ways. Firstly the recruiter may contact you directly, as they have seen your details, and want to talk to you about a role. Secondly, you may have registered with the agency, and they have matched you up with a role.
Agencies are given jobs by employers, and after qualifying them and getting all of the information needed, they will start pulling together a shortlist of potential candidates. They will also advertise the job on their website, internet job boards and social media platforms. Once a shortlist has been put together, the recruiter will submit candidates to their client. The next step is to secure and arrange interviews with their candidates.
Once you have been to an interview, your recruiter will then follow up and give you feedback on how you did, and if you are going to be invited back for a second interview or offered the role. This makes the whole process streamlined and straightforward, and your recruiter will be there with you until the day you start to make sure that you have everything that you need. And in the case of contract workers, your recruiter will remain your main point of contact throughout your employment.