How not to Make a Mistake when Choosing a Recruitment Agency

The process of finding high-quality specialists in Belarus looks quite simple. However, searching on your own can take a long time. In this case, a recruitment agency can ensure high recruitment speed and stable team performance. This article examines the main criteria that should be considered when choosing a recruitment agency in order to minimise the risk of mistakes and find the perfect candidate for your company.

What are the features of finding employees through a recruitment agency

The search for employees through a recruitment agency has characteristics that make this process more convenient and efficient. Here are some of the main features of finding employees through a recruitment agency:

Professional selection of candidates: Recruitment agencies have the experience and knowledge to select candidates for the company’s specific requirements properly. They pre-select, conduct interviews, and check references to find the best candidate.
Access to a comprehensive database of candidates: recruitment agencies have access to an extensive database of candidates of various profiles and specialisations. This allows you to find the right specialist for your company quickly.
Saving time and resources: Contacting a recruitment agency allows you to save time and resources for the company when searching for and selecting candidates. The recruitment agency takes over all the work of searching and pre-selection candidates.

Now let’s look at the benefits for a company that has applied to a recruitment agency.

1. Reducing financial costs

The employer does not need to spend time on an internal recruiter and organise the placement of vacancies. Instead, he pays the recruiter for a successful result.

2. Quick results

Several specialists may be sent to complete the task, not just one recruiter, especially if the customer needs to quickly close a vacancy or search for many candidates. This approach allows the employer to get results faster: candidates begin to arrive in the first week after contacting the agency’s experts. The specific time frame depends on the complexity of the task.

3. Advanced features

A specialised recruitment agency has much broader opportunities to find personnel in the market than an internal HR specialist. Professional experts have an extensive database of candidates accumulated over the years. In successful agencies, applicants’ profiles are divided by industry and contain up-to-date data on their employment. For example, there may be specialists in the database who are already working but are ready to consider new proposals.

4. Proactive search strategy

The recruitment agency is aware that it operates in a competitive labour market. Therefore, recruiters do not limit their search capabilities only to the database and job sites with candidates’ resumes but actively contact those specialists who are not currently considering new job offers. Various social networks, messengers and other non-standard sources of information are used to find suitable candidates. Experienced professionals know how to successfully negotiate and convince a potential employee to consider the proposed offer. Thus, the employer gets access to candidates who are challenging to find in the labour market with a standard search approach.

How to choose a recruitment agency in Belarus.

Criteria for choosing a recruitment agency

1. The price must be adequate

This is a critical condition for a potential recruitment agency client company. It is better to contact the agencies directly to get reliable price information. You can call them, briefly outline the requirements for a specialist and clarify the cost of recruitment services. Or send a completed application for recruitment (you can use the application forms on the agency’s websites) and request information in a reply letter about prices and approximate dates for finding a suitable candidate. Determining the average market prices for recruitment services in the region where you plan to find a new employee is essential.

2. A reliable recruitment agency does not take prepayment for personnel search services

The beginning of cooperation with the agency involves signing an agreement in which it is necessary to specify that the company pays for recruitment services after the candidate chosen by the employer starts work. It is important to note that the contract should have no prepayment clause.

3. Professional recruitment is impossible without an individual approach

The recruitment agency manager must establish contact with the person under whose leadership the new employee will work in order to accumulate the most complete information about the company, its corporate culture, team, etc. These steps are fundamental in the work of an agency manager with a client. Of course, you can limit yourself to choosing candidates according to formal criteria. In this case, the selection of a candidate corresponds to the level of express recruitment and is paid much cheaper than classical recruiting.

The best option is cooperation, where the agency manager visits your office before signing the contract. Thus, he sees the situation through the eyes of a potential candidate and first evaluates what he pays attention to – the location of the office, its interior, style and manner of communication. A personal meeting allows you to assess the person you will be working with and understand their working methods and work efficiency. The manager can conduct interviews directly in your company’s office at your request. This collaboration is often referred to as HR outsourcing.

4. A recruitment agency should have a face – the development of its brand

At the start of cooperation, finding the specialist you will have to work with and asking questions about his experience, specialisation and recruitment methods is essential. For example, if you, as an employer, are told that posting vacancies on job sites is an active search for staff, this is incorrect. Active search includes searching for candidates in resume databases, using social media, participating in job fairs, collaborating with universities, and other methods. Posting vacancies on job sites can be considered a passive search method.

5. Work experience and positive feedback

A successful recruitment agency does not hide its work experience, openly shares customer reviews, and provides verifiable recommendations. It is recommended that you consult with the agency’s clients and find out their experience working with this company before making a decision on cooperation.

6. Provide a work plan and follow the basic steps of working with the customer

A recruitment agency that can be trusted always provides a work plan for finding a candidate and adheres to the primary stages of the work plan with the customer:

Identification of the customer’s needs.
Determination of the required qualities of the candidate.
Recruitment before the start of the selection process.
Receiving applications from potential candidates.
Pre-selection of candidates.
The final selection and hiring of staff.
Making a decision.

7. Knows the scope of business and the size of your company

The specialist of the recruitment agency who works with you must understand the needs and scope of your business and cooperate with you to achieve the goal.

8. Always in touch

Employees of the recruitment agency must answer the customer’s calls and messages, not ignore questions and suggestions, and respond to the customer’s feedback on selected candidates.

9. Follows the selection process and shows candidates within the agreed time frame

The recruitment agency strictly adheres to the established personnel selection process, which includes an analysis of the company’s needs, determining the profile of candidates, and preliminary and final selection. It takes care to present suitable candidates to the customer within the agreed time frame, ensuring an effective and professional staff search.

10. Vacancies from the agency must correspond to reality

The employer must be sure that the job description corresponds to the actual situation in the company to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments for both applicants and the employer.

11. Qualifications of recruiters

An experienced employee will be able to take into account the specifics of the business and the needs of customers and demonstrate an understanding of the problems and current market situation in their industry.

12. Guarantees

A reliable recruitment agency guarantees free replacement of selected employees during probation. A guarantee’s availability is one indicator that a recruitment agency can be trusted.