When you are looking for work, the last thing you need to do is waste your time with the wrong job agency. A job recruiter is nearly essential if you want to land the dream job in a relatively short period of time. There are 7 key questions to ask before hiring an agency to help you find work.
1. What is your specialized area?
This question is extremely important. The best employers work with recruitment agents who are specialists in the same area. The job agency must specialize in your field, as well as the agent themselves. You can look them up on LinkedIn to see how experienced they are in their specialization.
2. How many placements have they made in the last 6 months and what titles do the applicants hold?
Agents should be keeping track of how many applicants they have placed. Be sure to ask about the last 6 months. They should be able to provide you with specific details of applicants similar to jobs you would be good for. They will be reserved about giving you the names of the companies.
3. What is their plan for marketing you to employers?
You need to ascertain whether or not they will be searching for roles you would fit well in or will they simply call you when something that fits your resume comes in? If they will be active in finding you a good fit, you may want to consider going with them alone, especially if they have had a large number of placements in the last six months.
4. How many people do they generally put out for a role?
The best agents focus on the quality of the fit, rather than the number of applicants. After all, companies are looking for the best fit for them.
5. How do I rank against my competition?
This question relates to question 4. If you stand out from the crowd, it will likely put you on their shortlist. If you appear to be just one of many, you may want to look for another agency to help you.
6. Do they have exclusivity agreements with their clients?
This is a very important question. If they have exclusivity with a client, your resume will not be competing with the resumes of other agencies. This means you have a better shot at an interview.
7. Based on their experience with applicants, how long do they estimate it to take you to be employed, based on your skills and experience?
If they cannot, or will not, give you an estimate, they may not be confident in their ability to get you hired. If this is the case, you may want to look elsewhere for an agent and agency that will work hard for you.
A Final Thought.
The MSM group of professional employment agents is standing by to help you find that dream job. No one will work harder for you. When you’re ready to work with the best in the business, contact us!