What Candidates looks for in an Agency
By Damon Ankers. December 20, 2018
We have seen what consultants look for in candidates, but this is a two way street. Candidates expect many things from the agencies that they interact with. Here, candidates who have used agencies share what they look for in an agency. Certes have asked people who have dealt with agencies to find out thier views and what they look for.
“The most important thing that I look for in an agency is the ability to provide me with regular work that suits my needs i.e. workplaces within reasonable commuting distance, that treat employees and agency workers well. The agency should provide access to both long and short term roles and provide career professional development opportunities so that I am able to continue to enhance my skills while working for them. Agency recruitment staff should be friendly and have good interpersonal skills that make it clear that they are focused on finding you the right job opportunities. Agencies should contact you regularly with job opportunities that may be of interest to you based on their knowledge of your needs and requirements”.
Anonymous, Science Teacher
“As a job seeker and speaking with numerous agencies, the agencies that I return to are the ones that actually make an effort to contact me personally with new opportunities that match my skills. Multiple time agencies have notified me about openings that are not what I am looking for and that makes me feel that they are not interested in my needs and are only trying to fill jobs. An agency that takes time to find out what my ideal job is and informs me of any jobs available that fit what I want is what I look for in an agency”.Andrew Robinson
“An agencies main job is to place people in jobs. I feel that this help should extend further, such as advice. Problems that I and other people may have come across are CV’s that are not up to scratch. Agencies should recommend changes to CV’s that would help improve chances of being selected for vacancies I have applied for. I know Agencies go through hundreds of CV’s a week, they are the best person to go for advice and tips to improve a job seekers CV”.Kalvin Higgins, Alloy Refurb Specialist
“I work within IT and as such I possess many technical skills. The agencies that I go to need to have knowledge of these skills, if they don’t I have no faith that they will find jobs catered to me. As well as industry knowledge, agencies should keep me up-to-date on the progress of my application. There’s nothing more frustrating to me when dealing with agencies than being informed of a job that they think I would be perfect for and that I have applied to, to not hear anything back. A phone call or an email to let me know if I have been considered by the employer with feedback would help. This would give me information on what employers are looking for and would also give me a chance to see the areas that I may need to improve on in both my skills and CV”.Imran Ebrahim, IT Manager
“Having the option to do an interview over the phone is something that I look for in an agency. Some agencies that I have used have asked me to come into their offices for an interview. I do not have a problem with making the journey but when the agencies are located in different regions of the UK it can be difficult to make the journey, for instance, travelling to Manchester from the West Midlands. Agencies should be aware of my location to where there office is so we can either arrange a mutual meeting location or we can arrange a time where we can discuss my background and what I am looking for over the phone.”Anonymous, Marketing Executive
