How to find the best recruitment agency?

So, you’ve identified that your organisation requires an additional set of skills to help with a specific project, facilitate growth, or solve a problem - none of your existing team members have the capacity to upskill or take on additional tasks. In short, you need to hire a new employee but don’t have the internal resources to facilitate this crucial talent acquisition process.

At this stage in the hiring process, you should consider eliciting the expert services of a recruitment agency. What type of recruitment support you need will depend on your individual situation. With so many options available, how can you be sure you’re making the right decision and choosing the best recruitment company to help you hire the right talent?

We’ve compiled everything you should consider when making that selection so that you get it right the first time around, saving you time and money.

---

1. What is a recruitment agency?
2. How do recruitment agencies work?
3. How do you choose the right recruitment agency for you?
4. What are the types of recruitment agencies?
5. Do you need to use a recruitment agency if you have an internal team?
6. What is recruitment exclusivity?
7. What are the benefits of using a (specialised) recruitment agency?
8. The costs and risks of making a bad choice
9. As an SME, what is the best type of recruitment agency to choose
10. Still unsure how to choose the best recruitment agency for your needs?

---

1. What is a recruitment agency?

Recruitment agencies are workplace matchmakers. They connect organisations that are looking to hire talented professionals who are considering a career change, working closely with both sides to ensure their desires and requirements are met.

When a hiring organisation notifies its recruitment agency that it is looking to fill a job vacancy, the dedicated consultants will then get to work sourcing suitable candidates (but in many instances, they already have people in mind).

Recruitment agencies and recruitment consultants help streamline the hiring process.

2. How do recruitment agencies work?

It’s easiest to think of a recruitment agency as the go-between for you (a hiring organisation) and your next employee (a job seeker).

A recruitment agency aims to find the right candidate for your company quickly. Most agencies can do this because they have built deep networks of highly qualified professionals in their respective industries. This expertise allows them to identify trends, predict hiring needs, and provide valuable insights to employers and job seekers.

Equipped with cutting-edge recruitment tools and AI-driven platforms, agencies can efficiently sift through resumes, conduct background checks, and assess candidate suitability. These tools also help them understand what attracts passive job seekers, making it easier to engage with high-quality candidates.

You will pay a fee once they find you a new team member and successfully hire them. That amount will equate to an already-set percentage of the employee’s salary (but it’s not deducted from the person’s salary; that figure is used to calculate the cost).

But they don’t just find you one person and then move on to the next assignment. A big part of their jobs is to foster long-term relationships with hiring businesses and talented professionals, so they cultivate a strong list of contacts over the years—repeat business is a great business!

3. How do you choose the right recruitment agency for you?

Working with a recruitment agency will give you an external perspective on not only your potential new employees but also your hiring process as a whole. This will place more of a focus on the candidate experience, which is incredibly important at the moment.

The agency you decide to partner with will depend on the area where you are trying to hire a professional. Recruitment agencies specialise in different professions and will therefore have whole teams specialising in specific industries.

This means they have extensive networks, know what to look for in your ideal candidate’s profile, and understand exactly what motivates professionals in that area.

When selecting an agency to partner with, remember the following:

• Always clearly explain your hiring needs.
• Interview them as if you’re hiring a team member - you want to make the right choice!
• Does their experience match your requirements?
• Focus on candidate experience.
• Do their fees match your budget for the hire?

4. What are the types of recruitment agencies?

There are several different options that you can choose from in terms of the type of agency. Whichever you go for will depend entirely on your specific requirements for any recruitment project.

• For permanent hires, a contingent recruitment agency will be the best choice.
• For highly skilled contractor hires, a contract recruitment agency is best
• For senior hires, you should seek the help of an executive search agency
• For short-term hires, your choice should be a staffing recruitment agency
• For large-scale recruitment projects of numerous people, Recruitment Process Outsourcing is the most efficient approach

Did you know? Morgan McKinley offers all of the above!

5. Do you need to use a recruitment agency if you have an internal team?

Internal talent acquisition teams are great as they work with the organisation daily and can offer an unrivalled understanding of who will be the best fit for an opening. However, relying solely on an internal team for recruitment can sometimes lead to unforeseen costs and challenges.

Many organisations traditionally assign this responsibility to their HR department. But if that employee (or department) already has a long list of tasks, asking them to conduct ‘talent research’ could negatively impact their other responsibilities. By outsourcing recruitment, internal teams can focus on their primary responsibilities, ensuring overall productivity and efficiency.

Recruitment agencies bring specialised skills and resources to the table. They leverage their expertise to create compelling, accurate, and inclusive job adverts, ensuring each vacancy receives a bespoke approach that enhances the quality of applicants. Additionally, agencies use state-of-the-art recruitment tools and strategies to attract top talent, which may not be feasible for an internal team to manage alone.

While internal recruitment might seem cost-effective initially, the expenses can add up. These include costs related to creating job adverts, posting on multiple job boards, and the time invested in the recruitment process. Recruitment agencies have established relationships with job boards and can distribute vacancies more efficiently and cost-effectively. Doing this independently can be significantly more expensive.

Agencies also offer a faster turnaround time and a broader reach. They can fill positions faster with extensive candidate networks and databases than an internal team. They can also access passive job seekers and industry-specific talent pools that internal teams might not reach.

Whilst internal TA teams are essential for their deep organisational insight, partnering with a recruitment agency can complement their efforts by providing specialised skills, reducing hidden costs, and ensuring a more efficient and broader recruitment process. This collaborative approach can lead to better hiring outcomes and a more streamlined workflow for your internal team.

6. What is recruitment exclusivity?

The key is in the name. Recruitment exclusivity is when there is only one agency working on a hiring project for a client. 

In many instances, a hiring organisation will work with more than one recruitment agency to find its new employee as quickly as possible. This sounds logical, but it often is not the best approach, as it can result in recruiters rushing to try and be the first to deliver candidates in the hope of getting hired and then paid.

Working exclusively with one agency means that they will focus solely on finding the right people to match your requirements and not worry about competing against the other agencies involved - don’t worry, they’ll still deliver on time!

7. What are the benefits of using a (specialised) recruitment agency?

The most immediate (and perhaps most attractive) benefit of using a recruitment agency is that it’s one less time-consuming item on your to-do list. Because hiring a new team member is a serious commitment and such an important decision, you will inevitably get fully engrossed if you’re doing it all by yourself, heavily reducing the time you can spend on your actual job.

Did you know? 42 days.. The average time it takes to fill a role is 42 days.

Eliciting the assistance of the best recruitment agency for your requirements will not only free up your working day, but will also give you peace of mind that several appropriate potential new employees will be presented.

• Top recruitment agencies can immediately introduce you to suitable individuals from their extensive talent pool, meaning you can hire much faster.
• The best recruitment agencies and their specialist consultants will have in-depth knowledge of your market, so know the type of people you are looking for before contacting them.
• They can also reach passive, harder-to-find candidates you wouldn’t otherwise be able to contact.
• External recruitment agencies can help tailor your job adverts and external value proposition to appeal to talent.
• Because they understand your requirements, the candidates put forward will be high-quality, meaning you don’t have to conduct unnecessary interviews.
• You may need a short-term, flexible solution to help with a specific problem or to solve an issue. In this instance, a contractor or temporary worker is likely the best choice - recruitment agencies will have lists of contractors who they know can start immediately and provide the specific skills you require.
• If you’re unsure of the exact profile of an employee you require, recruiters can offer expert advice about what makes candidates ‘suitable’ for any particular role.
• Choosing the right recruitment agency can improve your employer branding. They represent your company to job seekers, giving them an insight into what it’s like to work for you.

External recruitment agencies are constantly on top of the market and can give you access to talent that is not yet available. In addition to this, they can also give you extensive market information on the current trends within the talent environment.

Benefits of choosing a specialised recruitment agency

While all the above benefits apply to most recruitment agencies, there are a few more advantages of choosing a specialised recruitment agency over a generalised one:

? Quality of candidates: Specialist consultants can deep dive into talent without being saturated and spread too thinly across multiple sectors.
? Reduced time to hire: They have built extensive talent pools with quality, highly demanded candidates that they can tap into quickly to find the right people for you faster.
? Building relationships: Recruitment consultants will build key relationships with the same candidates who become increasingly senior, continuously extending their talent pool.
? Market knowledge: Industry knowledge is key to finding the right talent quickly. Specialist recruitment consultants know what skills are in demand for a specific area of expertise, what candidates are looking for in an employer, and what the market salary rates are. They can advise accordingly.

8. The costs and risks of making a bad choice

There are numerous benefits to choosing a recruitment agency to help with your hiring needs. But what if you rush your decision and choose the wrong agency to partner with? The two biggest mistakes people make when using a recruitment agency are that they either pick the wrong one or don’t engage properly in the process.

If the agency quickly sources candidates without a thorough understanding of your needs, you may hire someone who looks great on paper and performs well in interviews but isn’t the right fit for your company culture. This mismatch happens more often than you might think, leading to considerable challenges.

One of the major repercussions of a bad hire is the increased costs. A bad hire means you have to redo the entire hiring process—from crafting the job ad and screening CVs to conducting interviews—essentially doubling your time and costs for that one hire. This can strain your budget and resources significantly. Additionally, a poor hiring decision can negatively impact your existing team’s morale and productivity. Team members may become frustrated or demotivated by the presence of a poorly fitting new hire, disrupting the harmony and efficiency of your team.

Time constraints around deadlines and deliverables can add further pressure, especially if a bad hire leaves and you need to find a replacement quickly. The recruitment agency may struggle to find the right candidates if you don’t clearly communicate your needs, provide feedback, and actively participate.

Mitigating these risks involves learning from mistakes. Bad hires, though unfortunate, can offer valuable lessons. Analysing what went wrong can help refine your hiring criteria and processes, making future hires more successful. Furthermore, depending on your agreement, a good recruitment agency will often provide a refund or promptly work to find a replacement if a hire doesn’t work out. This safety net can mitigate some of the risks associated with a bad hire.

Bad hires, like all mistakes, generally have something to learn from and will assist you (in some way) in making the next hire all the better. Depending on the terms agreed upon, using a good recruitment agency will generally mean you can receive a refund, or they will immediately start working to find you a replacement.

9. As an SME, what is the best type of recruitment agency to choose?

Whilst every hire for each business is important, the risks and dangers of getting it wrong are perhaps greatest for SMEs. Depending on your hiring needs, there are different recruitment types you can choose from. 

With tighter budgets and fewer resources available, getting your decisions right the first time is vital. Talent competition is fierce, so having a streamlined and effective hiring process is integral if you want to have any chance of hiring the best professionals in your industry.

What you should look for, as an SME, when choosing your recruitment partner:

• Understanding business goals: Choose an agency committed to understanding your business goals, both long-term and short-term. This alignment ensures they can find candidates who fill current roles and support your company’s future growth.
• Accurate representation: The agency should be prepared to represent you as if they were part of your company. This means applicants will get an accurate depiction of the organisation they are potentially joining, helping to attract candidates who are a good cultural fit.
• Quality over speed: While hiring quickly is important, especially for urgent roles, the agency should be prepared to resist unrealistic timelines to maintain the quality of service. Properly managing each stage of the hiring process ensures you get the best possible candidates.
• Flexibility and diversity of solutions: Partnering with an agency that offers a variety of solutions provides flexibility to meet your specific requirements. This adaptability can be crucial in responding to changing business needs and market conditions.

By partnering with a well-established, reputable recruitment agency, you can increase your exposure and boost your talent-pulling powers. Make the right decision, and you’ll attract the best professionals, giving you one-up over your competitors!

10. Still unsure how to choose the best recruitment agency for your needs?

We’ve explained what a recruitment agency does, whether you need to use one if you have an internal team, the benefits of partnering with an agency, the costs and risks of making a bad choice, and what sort of agency SMEs should partner with.

If you are still uncertain about whether or not your hiring could be elevated by the help of a recruitment agency, we are happy to discuss your specific business requirements with you to determine the best hiring route for you. Simply get in touch today, and a member of our expert team will gladly contact you for a chat!

If you think partnering with a recruitment agency is the right option for your business and you would like to find out how Morgan McKinley can help you, please provide us with a bit more information about your organisation and the sort of job you are looking to fill.