How Do Staffing Agencies Work?

Staffing agencies are everywhere! There are specialist agencies/recruiters for every job imaginable and with businesses hiring more than ever across all sectors – the number of agencies is on the rise, but how do they work, and what even are they?

Let me give you a recruitment agency 101.

What Is A Staffing Agency?

Staffing agencies are known by many other names such as a Recruiting, Search or Staffing firm or service.?Regardless of the name, the aim and end goal for any recruitment business is the same – to successfully find and place the right candidate into a position with their client.

How Do They Work?

Agencies can work in multiple different ways however the most common route involves the agency obtaining a requirement or vacancy from an existing or prospective client and taking this to market to find some candidates.

Some agencies may opt to use job board websites such as Indeed or the LinkedIn Jobs section to post paid advertisements for their job roles however this doesn't often give great results - especially in a job market that is candidate lead/short on candidates. Relying on paid ads could mean that you will not find the candidates with the exact skill set and instead be showered with hundreds of candidates of which none meet the requirements of the client - this is where headhunting comes in.

Other agencies may opt for a more search-based plan - this is especially useful in niche markets where candidates are few and far between (such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud!).?We use multiple different routes and resources to map out markets and headhunt the perfect candidates for our clients needs. LinkedIn is one of the best resources as an individuals profile acts as an almost online resume - visible to all, and allows you to search users based on keywords, job roles, location and industry. This type of outbound search can often be more successful as you can ensure you are only reaching out to candidates that meet the requirements of your client. Recruiters are nifty individuals who are experts at networking, and most will have multiple ways to source.

Once the agency has obtained one (or more) candidates for a position - they will submit the profiles to the client?and work to arrange interviews . The recruiter will prepare and guide the candidate through the interview process as well as advise and provide market insight to the client throughout their partnership. The job does not end when the candidate is place either - recruiters will also often provide aftercare for a candidate for several months after a candidate has started a new role.

Do I Need a Recruiter?

Working with a recruiter whether it is to find a new position or to hire for your business can be extremely beneficial. A recruiter/staffing agency can offer some very useful market insight on things such as salaries, competitors etc. This can allow a candidate to maximise their options when interviewing as well as knowing what salary to market themselves which can help them to aim for the best possible package in their next business.

I could list 101 reasons why recruiters are beneficial – but that is a story for a different time.

Any questions? Need a recruiter? Looking for a new role? Let me know!