Job Agencies

Diamond Geezer

Diamond Geezer

Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
13,884
Are these a good idea for someone seeking work ?

Do they make a charge to potential employees or take a cut on eventual salary offered or is the whole of the charge directed at the employer ?
 
They charge the employer. They are usually a bit of a waste of time - the only time I have ever got anything productive out of them is if you happen to knock on their door at exactly the right point in time, if you harrass them constantly so that they find you something to get rid of you or if you are the only person on their database who fits the bill for a post they have been asked to fill.

In general they will try to avoid you and your calls and are a shower of chancing salesmen-in-disguise.

Of course, it might just be me that they are useless for. ;)
 
DG, I've recruited my last two members of staff via a small job Agency, and I was extremely pleased with them.

As an employer, although it costs approximately 10-17% of their annual salary (depending on the wage), for me it has been worth it. The employee, as far as I am aware, pays nothing.

We have tried to recruit through the normal channels and to be honest, and personally I would rather pay someone to filter the job applications, and then send us those applicants who they feel fit the job. As an employer it saved a lot of time and I am sure like Estate Agent's there are the good ones and the not so good ones.
 
A decent job agency will do as Kathy describes, DG. For the job seeker, they must match their credentials to the jobs they have on file, offering the salary, location and any other criteria sought, such as disabled access or part-time. If you are absolutely clear about what's within your range of acceptability and that you want them to deal with you straightforwardly, no bulldust, then they should perform to meet your needs. There's no harm in registering with two or three, if they're available.

Alternatively, you could market yourself in the county paper and the local rag - 'dazzling professional, new to area, seeks ... '.
 
They have to, simmo, or you just jack 'em in and go elsewhere. When I worked for the Saudi Oil Co., we used nothing but agencies in the USA, UK, Asia, Oz, NZ, etc., to provide the company with these services. If they couldn't provide the service expected, their contracts weren't renewed. The individual has the same right of expecting a professional service. DG isn't an out-of-school teenager who's either got ambitions beyond ability, or neither.
 
To qualify my mirth, I must add that I am friendly with people who either work in agencies or have worked in agencies. They have confirmed that no-one who works there is interested in anything except the commission that they earn from each sale.

It would be wise to bear that information in mind when dealing with them and don't expect them to do anything which will not lead, fairly directly, to a sale, just as you would with any type of salesperson.
 
If possible, and if your CV warrants it, link up with a specialist agency ie. one that mainly handles one occupation like accountancy or IT. They often have more clout in the marketplace.
Do some research as it's not unusual for companies to have an semi-exclusive contract with a single agency and, if you really want to work for ABC Corp, you may have to sign up with XYZ agency.
I think Kathy's comparison with an estate agent is pretty close to the mark.
 
That may be true of little local agencies, simmo, but the better known nationals, many of which have been going successfully for decades, are a different deal - especially if they're handling company contracts and professional employees. They wouldn't survive if they kept sending duds, believez-moi.
 
Originally posted by krizon@Jul 13 2006, 05:00 PM
That may be true of little local agencies, simmo, but the better known nationals are a different deal
Click to expand...
Without wishing to sound offensive, I sometimes think that you believe that everyones head zips up the back. :D

I would argue that it is even more true of the "nationals". They can be a very useful tool, but it pays to bear in mind what they are really after when you are dealing with them (from either end).
 
I have experience of both sides of the business.

Generally a rule with employment agengies is the smaller they are the better the service.

I have recruited managers, and to be frank everyone nowadays wants someone under 40 with an MBA for management positions, so the market is age and qualification restricted.

I have also worked recruiting employees on commissions that are generally between 9% and 25% of expected annual earnings for agencies.

Head Hunting companies receive massive fees to recruit to profile people generally from within the client's industry.

So if you are over 40 looking for a new career in a new field and dealing with a national agency you have very little chance of securing a new career. I was once told by a head hunting company that I had all and more of the skills required for the position but I did not fit their profile so they could not put me forward.

I suspect that there are numerous people who have all the knowledge, skills, attitude and need but have very little prospect of being employed given the current criteria applied.

I researched starting a specfic employment agency to place people over 40 into major corporations but discovered after talking to a few HR Directors that this was a not a commercial proposition due to their restrictive profiling.
 
Originally posted by archie@Jul 13 2006, 12:54 PM
If possible, and if your CV warrants it, link up with a specialist agency ie. one that mainly handles one occupation like accountancy or IT. They often have more clout in the marketplace.
Do some research as it's not unusual for companies to have an semi-exclusive contract with a single agency and, if you really want to work for ABC Corp, you may have to sign up with XYZ agency.
I think Kathy's comparison with an estate agent is pretty close to the mark.
Click to expand...
I'll second that. I work in the IT sector and only got any real joy through the IT specialist agencies. I got the job I am in now through an agency that has a semi-exclusive deal with my new employer.
 
Simmo, you make wildly accusatory and derogatory remarks, and you don't expect a bit of comeback? I dealt with three UK, one Irish, one Australian, one NZ, one Phillipino, one Bangladeshi, one Pakistani and one Indian agents' offerings for nearly 20 years, examining thousands of applications, while other departments used the same agencies for different job requirements, and also sourced from agencies in the USA, Canada, and North Africa. While they're not perfect, I'd never describe them in the excoriating terms used in this topic. I can only speak from the experience of using large agencies - I assume little picayune ones may be less effective, because they're not servicing large, multi-million $ accounts, where the withdrawal of a contract could spell serious financial difficulty.

And I've seen the back of your head - it's got 'Made in Romania, Model No. C-9743, Patent Pending' stamped on it, and there's not a zip in sight. (Nice natural-looking hair, too.)
 
Originally posted by krizon@Jul 14 2006, 08:29 PM
I assume little picayune ones may be less effective, because they're not servicing large, multi-million $ accounts, where the withdrawal of a contract could spell serious financial difficulty.
Click to expand...
I would argue that the reverse could well be true. The effect on financial stability would be relative regardless of the size of the business. The smaller agencies often offer a more personalised service and the incentive for them to place the "right" candidate rather than "a" candidate is likely higher.
 
Wha'evvah... we set out to try to help DG, who now has two entirely opposed viewpoints, so I'm leaving my effort at that.
 
My first two positions were through a job agency, and both experiences were pleasurable. When I first got out of high school, I thought it would be a matter of looking up in the paper, and finding a job. After so many interviews, and 2 months of doing it the hard way, I eventually gave in and put my CV through an agency that my brother had always used. One of the agents rang me up. The next day I went in and had an interview did the standard typing test, and then she submitted my resume to a company that was looking for a junior secretary. Their requirements were for a young person, with a business college diploma, seeking employment as a first job. I did not have a college diploma, but I was young, keen and well presented. The agent had my name submitted, two interviews later, I got the job. All in all, it only took 2 weeks to get that job, and I stayed with the company for 2 years.

I used another agent, for my next job, and within 2 weeks had another job.

My current position I did not use a "head hunter" (we call agents head hunters in Australia), to find it, I just found the position in the City Weekly, the Sydney magazine that lists jobs etc. I also was using two job agencies, but had a bad experience with both.

However I would never judge those two bad experiences as entirety of my opinion on agencies, as that would be generalising. My previous two experiences prior to those two bad experiences were fantastic, and I think in general it pays to do your homework. Most agents specialise in industries, that is some specialise in financial services (ie. insurance, banking, etc). Again its about doing your homework, in my opinion. Its sort of like real estate, shopping around for the best property on the market, whereas you are shopping around for the best job. Its always important to advise your agent your expectations, that way they know what you want and will not just put your resume forward to every Joe Blogg Pty Ltd out there. I know there are some rogue agents out there whom are only interested in cashing in on the bonus that they get for doing the job, and have no interest in the person they marketing for the position.

Again I will say do your homework.
 
Back
Top