The Role of Recruitment Agencies for Both Employers and Jobseekers

For large but yet to be established companies, handling the recruitment process themselves can be very time-, cost-, and effort-consuming. If they do not have their own human resource department, they are most likely to outsource the task of recruiting people for them. This is why many companies hire an excellent temporary recruitment agency to handle these tasks.

Meanwhile, for job seekers, it is easier for them to go to a recruitment agency if they are looking for the best suitable job based on their skills set.

Basically, the role of a recruitment agency is to act as the middleman between the employer and the job applicants. Therefore, a recruitment agency’s job work both ways for the employer and the jobseekers. So, if you’re looking for a good recruitment agency, here are some notes that you may want to consider:

Recruitment agency versus employment agency

First, bear in mind that a recruitment agency is different from employment placement agency. The main difference is that if you get a job through a recruitment agency, you become an employee of the employer but if you get a job through an employment agency, you become an employee of the employment agency.

The Preferred Supplier List

If you are a jobseeker, it is a must that you always ask the agency if they are a ‘preferred supplier’ for the employer you are applying to.  This means that they have already agreed payment terms with the employer, and the employer will consider your application.

Make sure as well that the agency has an exclusive contract with an employer in such as the employer has already decided to use a single agency for all recruitment, and all applications have to be submitted to that agency.

For companies, well-functioning PSL should also lead to solid relationships with your recruitment suppliers because they develop a good understanding of your business, which should in turn lead to better quality recruitment and time to hire employees.

The Recruitment Process

Because there are a lot of recruitment agencies, say in Singapore, today, the thing that can actually set a good one apart from the others is their recruitment process itself.

Thoroughness

For companies looking for partners, make sure that your choice of agency is extremely thorough in their processes and that they focus on the specific needs of your organisation and your industry.

Transparency

Meanwhile, for jobseekers, transparency is the most important thing. Terms and conditions must be clear with the set up with your future employer. Make sure you are undergoing the standard recruitment process. Initial screening, personality tests and profiling, and personal interviews are the most basic steps that should take place.

Good relationship

The success of a recruitment agency will depend on the relationship that its staff will be able to establish between the employer and the future employee.  But if you already have a company that you want to work for and they accept direct applications, applying through an agency may not be necessary.

After all, recruitment agencies can be of much more help later in your career when you are looking for more senior jobs. Because they handle more than one companies, they can easily search for the perfect position that best fit you qualification and at the same time fulfil the need of the employer on the other end.