In our experience, the two biggest mistakes people make when using a recruitment agency is that they either pick the wrong one, or else they don’t engage properly in the process. Both errors will most likely result in failure, frustration and financial or career pain.

The other big error of selection made by many is going for the cheapest option available. Instead of just looking at a rate, examine what service is being offered and with what resources and what support. A good recruitment agency will always add value. As Red Adair famously said “If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur. ”They should be a strategic partner for either your career development or your talent acquisition programme, and if this isn’t being done it can cost you a lot more in the long run. 

Do you think your company needs to use a recruitment agency to hire new senior employees? The big companies don’t use them, and we don’t think you should either. Here a 5 big reasons why:

They’re expensive

Topping the charts as one of the most expensive resources for companies, recruitment agencies can burn through a company’s budget like wildfire. Not to mention the cost and risk of a wrong hire, for example, someone who leaves the company after a short time, after realizing the job is not for them. The more senior the position / employment package, the greater the cost of this failure

They’re ineffective

When it comes to recruitment agencies, speed is the name of the game. Because they are in constant competition with other recruitment agencies, they are looking for fill positions as fast as possible. This means they are not looking for quality, and they generally access the same small candidate pool over and over again. And even after all of this, they are still not the fastest way to hire new employees.

They’re old-fashioned

The world and its networks are moving faster than ever before – and it’s not going to slow down soon. No one reads newspaper ads anymore, and job boards are a snail-paced way to find candidates. What about the millennials – how do they reach them? And what about the passive candidates who are not actively searching for a new job but are still interested? Research shows that 90% of professionals are interested in hearing about new job opportunities, so reaching these people is now more important than it’s ever been.

They’re not experts on your company

A recruitment agency’s goal is to fill your positions, but how should they know who is best for the job when they don’t actually know it’s day-to-day duties? They may understand the company’s culture as it’s described on paper, but have they really experienced it? Do they feel as passionate about your business and it’s vision as your employees and business partners? We doubt it.

Picking the wrong agency is an easy one to explain, but it doesn’t stop people from making that mistake. You shouldn’t use a recruiter if they don’t specialise in your area. They might be excellent at recruiting accountants for example, but they might not have a clue about what a procurement manager or a .net Developer does. Taking a doctor analogy, it’s like asking a podiatrist to fix your head!

They can be hard to work with.

Here are three golden rules which will save you time, money and will make sure that you don’t pick the wrong agency:

1. Don’t use an agency who doesn’t want to meet you

If they refuse to give you that face time they simply don’t care enough. They should want to know who they are representing, and equally you should want to put a face to the name who will ultimately be representing yours!

2. Don’t use an agency who isn’t honest with you 

If they don’t tell you the truth about the companies or the candidates they represent, just start running! Not telling you the name of the company they represent is usually a big red flag; but if they don’t deliver on what they promise, it’s time to walk away.

3. Don’t use an agency who you aren’t prepared to work with 

That means you have to give them some of your valuable time. It means wanting to meet them. It means giving feedback and preparing properly and being honest back.

The best advice we can give anyone (employers or job seekers) is to do your homework on the agency who will be representing you and then work with them. Remember, there’s always Google to allow you to run your background check. Your brand is unique and invaluable, so be careful who you attach it to.