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How to Select a Good Recruitment Agency

It is important that businesses, small and large, are aware of their obligations and responsibilities to employees (both permanent and temporary) when selecting and working with recruitment agencies. For example, many organisations don't know that they may in some cases be considered by law to be the employer of temporary agency staff and therefore could be liable in cases of unfair dismissal and maternity leave rights, amongst other things.

In addition to understanding their own duties and responsibilities to the employee and potential employee, employers should also make sure they are clear on the obligations of the agency they have nominated to work on their behalf. Unless they have their own HR department, an organisation may not be aware that the agency working for them is legally bound to ensure that they have checked the working environment complies with Health and Safety regulations; that it has taken up all references supplied by the candidate, and that they have supplied the employer with all available information on the candidate.

For further information on the obligations of recruitment agencies, have a look at website for The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)

There are many reasons for selecting an agency or agencies to act on your behalf in the recruitment process, but it is crucial that you do some research beforehand to safeguard yourself and your organisation against significant damage from a legal, financial and PR perspective. A good recruitment agency will save you considerable time and money. They can source candidates that you wouldn't otherwise have access to, save you time by screening potential employees so that you only get to see the strongest ones, and provide expertise on the entire interview and recruitment process.

Five tips on how to select a good recruitment agency

To find the most professional agencies and safeguard yourself from a legal perspective you should look for one that is a member of the REC. You can find a members directory on the REC website and every agency listed is bound by a Code of Professional Practice.
If you are looking for candidates with specific technical skills (eg IT professionals) you should seek agencies which focus specifically in this area. Not only will they be able to find you the best qualified candidates, they will have a much better understanding of the type of role you are trying to fill and therefore save you time. You will find agencies broken down by sector on the REC site.
If you do choose an agency that is not a specialist in the area you are recruiting for, find out about the structure of the agency and make sure at the very least that they have consultants who have experience in recruiting the type of candidate that you're looking for.
Ideally, you should meet with the consultant that will be recruiting on your behalf to make sure that they have a full understanding of the role you are looking to fill and the types of candidates you would like to interview (as well as those that you don't). If the consultant doesn't strike you as knowledgeable enough at this stage, don't proceed any further - there are plenty of others out there and the cost and time implications could be significant with the wrong agency.
Make sure that any agencies or consultants you are considering working with have clear equality and diversity policies in place. If they are strong in this field, they will have no hesitation in answering the question.

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