Once you have researched and identified the agency or agencies that you think will be able to source you the strongest and most relevant candidates for your criteria, your next step is to establish whether a working partnership with them will be feasible from a financial, legal and ethical perspective.
Your first three priorities, before going any further should be to get information on the agency's fee structure, terms and conditions and their equal opportunities policy. Most agencies will structure their fees according to temporary and permanent contracts. They will charge a margin on temporary contracts; a placement fee for permanent contracts; and a temp to perm fee for temporary workers they introduce who go on to be permanent employees with you. Any agency you are considering working with should be able to provide you with a transparent fee structure up front.
You are also entitled to ask for a copy of the agency's terms and conditions before agreeing to let them work on your behalf. Again, these should be free from ambiguity and the staff at the agency should be able to answer any questions you may have on these. If in doubt about any of the terms and conditions, have them checked out by a lawyer.
Any agency you choose to work with should have a clear equal opportunities policy and again, you would be well-advised to check this before proceeding any further.
Once you are happy that your chosen agency is professionally run and adheres to industry regulation, you can get on with the selection process. Having given them consent to look for candidates on your behalf, you should be assigned a consultant. If their position changes, the consultant/agent is obliged to let you know. Agencies must have the permission of the candidate before sending their CV through to you and they should always be able to explain what it is about the candidate that makes them particularly relevant for the role.
There are certain checks that the agency is obliged to perform before placing a candidate in a position - these include eligibility to work and identity checks. There are some checks that the employer is required to carry out itself and the consultant or agent should let you know upon placement of the candidate exactly which checks it has completed and which outstanding ones you need to perform.
There may be circumstances when a temporary worker doesn't meet the needs of the role or the company and in this case you are not under any obligation to continue employing them. The agency will be able to advise you on how to proceed in this case.
If, for whatever reason, you are unhappy with the level of service you are receiving from the agency, or they are sending you consistently sub-standard candidates, they should have a clear complaints channel that you can use to communicate any problems that have arisen. Ideally, you should be clear on what this complaints procedure is before entering into a contracting them to work on your behalf.
How to Select a Good Recruitment Agency | Agency Fees Explained | How to Hire Permanent Staff
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