Career related topics are more often than not contentious. Advising people on career trends and moves can be risky, more so because of the fact that they may work for some and may not work for some others. If they do, well enough; if not, they can back fire on the recruitment consultants causing them a viral negative publicity. That said, from the candidate’s point of view, the most pertinent question stands to be – Can recruitment agencies be helpful in finding a befitting job?

For those who have previously taken help from recruitment agencies, their reviews can vary anywhere from good, bad and the immensely hopeless – Why did I even bother?

While the final conclusion is for the candidate himself/ herself to decide, here is a humble effort to explaining what recruitment agencies are, what can be expected of them and how can one best leverage their services to bag a befitting job.

What are recruitment agencies?
Somewhat different than employment agencies which hire you out and pay your wages too, national or international recruitment agencies specialize in providing manpower for specific industrial sectors like Engineering, Health, Logistics, etc.

Their services are aimed at finding the best candidates for various job profile in specific industries and on the successful placement of the candidate, both parties or either may have to pay certain charges. These agencies may also extend their services in screening a CV and providing inputs on improving its appeal such that candidates get hired.

The service charges may vary from being negligible to a certain percentage of your first payout.

Why employers seek services from recruitment agencies?

Companies may often resort to seeking help from a manpower placement consultancy services for one or more of the following reasons:

• When they need to find a resource or a candidate for a role that they have little or no recruitment expertise
• When they have insufficient staff to carry out the task of recruiting
• To address quick turnarounds

Why use the services of a recruitment agency?
Common gripes that candidates have on seeking recruitment agency services include:

• Being sent unfit positions
• Providing short notices on the date of joining
• Receiving no feedback from the agencies after interviews

• Being pitched by other agencies because the CV was posted online

Well, not trying to make it sound biased but, there could be a number of valid reasons behind why such incidences happen. Some of the reasons could be:

• You rushed through your CV and didn’t put in the effort to review it which is why it didn’t get the weightage it needed.
• Miscommunication or lack of proper communication between the company and the recruitment agency
• Choosing the wrong recruitment agency or choosing one without proper prior research.
• Miscommunication about your expectations
• Lack of proper communication between you and the recruitment agency

How to best leverage recruitment agency services?

• Know and manage your expectations about the job you are seeking
• Choose accredited agencies
• Its best to contact large companies directly
• Ensure the CV provided to the agency is up to date
• Make your expectations and preferences clear about the job to the agency
• Opt for more than one agency, don’t depend on one only
• Ensure they are up to date with your latest contact information and credentials
• Take the effort to chase them for the progress on your candidature
• Proactively ask for feedback on interviews
• Don’t hesitate to turn down an offer if it doesn’t fit your bill

How have your experiences been with a recruitment agency services? Share them with us; we’d love to hear from you. Have more queries on how recruitment agencies can help you?