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How to find a good recruitment agency.

It’s no secret that for job seekers, the recruitment industry has some downfalls. Many recruiters put clients first with little regard for their candidate’s values, aspirations and lifestyle needs. It can be a toxic process whereby candidates are placed in a never-ending cycle of poor opportunities that simply don’t fit.

While it’s great that recruitment is a completely free service for job seekers, it can take away from the reality of what placing someone in a role is. With a standard working week of 38 hours, a job is a massive part of any candidate’s lifestyle and identity so being placed somewhere they’re unhappy only then begins to impede on other areas of their life.

So how can you recognise a poor recruiter?

Overtalking

One of the worst things you can experience from a recruiter is being talked at rather than talked to. If you get off your first phone call to a recruiter and realise they didn’t ask a single question about you, this is an immediate red flag.

If a recruiter truly thinks you’re a fit and wants to ensure you will meet the needs of their clients, they should have plenty of experience and personality type questions to ask you before the end of that call.

Ghosting

While it’s talked about a lot where a consultant is ghosted by their candidate, the same happens for candidates. Ever been really excited about a potential opportunity only to never hear from the recruiter again?

You are not alone. Recruiters tend to work under a lot of pressure, and this can sometimes get in the way of their ability to do the little things. If you’ve missed out on an opportunity, it’s natural to want some feedback and an explanation.

Poor Organisation

There is nothing worse than a disorganised recruiter. The type that doesn’t communicate interview times clearly or forgets to email you confirmations and resources that you may have spoken about on the phone.

A high-quality recruiter should coach you through every step of the process. This includes giving advice, setting clear expectations and communicating transparently on your behalf when contacting the potential employer.

Empathy

Something recruiters tend to forget is that interviews are TERRIFYING. Often, when presented with an exciting new role, job seekers already feel pressure to answer all the questions correctly and be generally well liked.

In addition to interviews, quitting your current job is equally terrifying. It can go one of many ways and it’s something that needs to be treated with care. Ask your recruiter for advice on how to quit and you’ll know almost immediately whether you’ve found a good one.

What kinds of questions should you be asking?

Some of the methods we’ve mentioned often come about much too late. By the time your recruiter has shown poor organisation and a lack of empathy, you’ve already dealt with them and experienced the added stress. Resultantly, we’ve compiled some questions you should be asking your recruiter from the get-go to help you ensure you’re not wasting your time.

• How long have you been recruiting for this industry?
• How long have you been a recruiter?
• What area of recruitment do you specialise in?
• What made my resume/profile stand out to you in relation to this role?
• What are some challenges this employer is experiencing right now?
• Can you describe to me the nature of other applicants for this role?
• Have you placed many candidates with a similar background to me in the past?

For more career advice or assistance finding employment, give the Pace team a call today.