Over the years we have come to notice that there are so many prevalent misconceptions and myths about recruitment agencies. We have even realised that some of our clients and candidates used to believe these myths. We are not sure where these misconceptions originate from but we are here today to try and dispel some of the myths about recruitment agencies.
How Recruitment Agencies Work?
Recruitment agencies work on behalf of employers and job seekers to find them the best fit. Recruitment agencies are hired by employers to find them new employees. In return recruitment agencies work with the employer to find out exactly what they are looking for, they then spend time sourcing the best applicants, screen the applicants, coordinate interviews, provide their expertise and support with onboarding.
Recruitment agencies are only paid after the applicant is hired.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies
Here are some of the myths about recruitment agencies that we have heard.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #1: You Should use Lots of Recruitment Agencies to Find the Perfect Candidate – False
Reputable recruitment agencies, like us, are all about quality over quantity. Your recruiter is more likely to work harder for you if they are the only, or only few, recruiters working on your behalf. Recruitment agencies are only paid when the employer hires a candidate that the recruiter has sent in. If you have lots of recruitment agencies looking to fill the same job, it becomes a race to the bottom for the recruiters.
Good recruiters are interested in partnering with employers. This means that they know exactly which applicants would be perfect for the employer as they have had the opportunity to learn this. This will save the employer time and money because they will not have to waste their senior managements time interviewing applicants that are not suitable for them.
If you are worried about not being able to fill a position by using fewer recruitment agencies, have an honest conversation with your recruiter. Ask them can they fill the position? A trustworthy recruiter will sometimes say no to recruiting for a job as they know they are only wasting your time. These are the kind of recruiters you want to work with- ones that you can trust to be honest with and save you time.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #2:
Recruitment Agencies Take a Percentage of my Salary- False
This myth about recruitment agencies is completely false. Recruitment agencies are paid by the employer only when they hire a job seeker. We do not take any payment from the candidate. In fact, your salary will be better when you use a recruitment agency as recruiters will advice employers on what the industry salary standard is for your post.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #3:
Recruitment Agencies only Fill Low Salary, Entry level, Temporary jobs- False
Recruitment agencies work with lots of different clients, both big and small, with various hiring needs. So while it is true that sometimes they use recruitment agencies to find entry level jobs, they also use recruitment agencies for specialised roles, executive positions etc. for example here are the jobs we have available today.
Recruitment agency like to work with employers who respect their staff and are nice to work for! The reason for this is that staff won’t stay in a position if it is not a nice place to work and reputable recruiters, like us, want to place staff who stay with their employer.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #4:
Recruitment Agencies Don’t Care – False
At Allpro Recruitment one of our key values is that “we care”, we care about the jobseekers we work with, the employers we work with, we care about the level of service and the results we provide them!
Any good recruiter does care. They want to find job seekers a great job in a great company and they want to find an employer a great new member of staff.
A recruitment agency, like us, will offer our expertise and our support to both the employer and the job seeker throughout the recruitment process and beyond.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #5:
All Recruitment Agencies do is Send Out CVs- False
There is a myth that recruitment agencies just send out CVs. If you look at where this myth stems from, it is the idea that recruitment agencies are not experts in their sphere and they are just the middle men, who add no value. This could not be further from the truth. Recruitment agencies are experts in the area of the recruitment process. This includes job descriptions, sourcing candidates, screening candidates, interviewing candidates, onboarding candidates etc. As well as experts in their industry, this will include roles, candidates in the market, their wants, needs, salary expectations etc. In fact the entire reason for being for a recruitment agency is to save employers time and money. With that in mind we partner with the employer to ensure that they make a great hire and we offer any support, guidance and advice we can along the way.
From a job seekers point of view we also offer value as good recruitment agencies, like Allpro Recruitment, will offer CV writing advice, interview preparation, salary guidance and onboarding support. This means the job seeker will find the best possible job for them.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #6:
Recruitment Agencies are Expensive and Not Cost Effective – False
A common misconception suggests that partnering with a recruitment agency is a costly endeavor that lacks cost-effectiveness. However, in reality, recruitment agencies offer a cost-effective solution for employers. By outsourcing the hiring process to experts, employers save valuable time and resources. Instead of spending countless hours sifting through CVs and conducting initial screenings, employers can rely on recruitment agencies to streamline the process. This enables employers to focus on vital core business activities while efficiently connecting with qualified candidates.
Here at Allpro Recruitment, we offer permanent and temporary recruitment. Our temporary recruitment service is very cost effective if you need to expand and retract the size of your workforce to meet seasonal or other demands. Temporary recruitment means that the employers temporary staff are actually Allpro Recruitment staff and we process their timesheets, pay their wages, PRSI and manage their holidays. This also saves employees time and money as staff payroll is a significantly time consuming expense on a business.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #7:
Recruitment Agencies are Only for Big Companies -False
Here at Allpro Recruitment we service multinationals, large companies, medium sized companies and small companies. We have recently worked with a company whose only staff member was the owner and now they have a team of three people!!
The reason that businesses of all sizes benefit from using a recruitment agency is because recruitment is a time consuming task that takes significant energy and focus away from a business’s core tasks.
Recruitment is a recruitment companies core task so recruiters have access to the best in class sourcing methods, they have a database of active job seekers and they have thousands of hours of screening experience so they are in a perfect position to find companies of all sizes the best staff.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #8:
All Recruitment Agencies are the Same- False
We have a strong suspicion that if all recruitment agencies were the same we would not need to write a blog debunking myths about recruitment agencies!! All recruitment agencies are NOT the same. There are, unfortunately, recruitment agencies who only care about money, who will send candidates who are not qualified out for interviews so they can tick their KPI numbers, who will hoodwink candidates into taking jobs that they did not want and who will not respond when clients or candidates try to contact them. At Allpro Recruitment, we hate these type of recruitment companies because they give good recruitment companies a bad name and tarnish our industry.
A good recruitment company, like Allpro, will always work to streamline the recruitment process for both the client and the candidate, making sure to only send out three to five applicants that match the clients brief for interview, all the while ensuring that the client and the candidate experience is top notch. We will be available to support and advice both the client and the candidate all through the recruitment process and beyond.
Our advice is to choose your recruitment agency wisely and watch out for any red flags.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #9:
Big Recruitment Agencies are Better than Smaller Recruitment Agencies
We have also heard the myth that big recruitment agencies are more trustworthy than smaller recruitment agency too. While bigger recruitment agencies have bigger databases and more recruiters working for them, they are also big organisations. Their recruiters will more than likely be working to KPIs and that means they will get a phone call every day to make sure they are hitting their numbers- they may have to make a certain number of phone calls, they may have to send a certain number of people for interview etc. While there are lots of great big recruitment agencies. Those bigger agencies that are managed by reports with recruiters having to hit those numbers on a daily basis puts extreme pressure on recruiters and there is a bigger temptation to cut corners. It is harder for them to spend time getting to know their clients and candidates as they have to potentially have a quota of phones calls to achieve during the day. Equally there is no incentive for them to spend time matching applicants to employers as they may have a quota of interviews to be booked in.
At Allpro Recruitment we are efficient but never at the expense of our client or candidate experience. Our recruiters will take the time to get to know you, your needs and wants and then we will strive to fulfill those. Also, always remember, when a small recruitment agency fills a job there is a small team of people who are absolutely chuffed with themselves. We want to do a good job for you.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #10:
Recruiters are Lazy- False
The myth that recruiters are lazy is a funny one as recruiters are probably the most hard working people you will meet. They have to be good at a lot of things- they have to understand people and their motivations, wants and desires, they have to be excellent administrators in order to coordinate interviews, sourcing and screening and they have to be excellent marketers in order to post job advertisements that gets people excited enough to take a leap of faith and apply for a new job.
A good recruiter will do all of that and more. Think of your recruiter like a swan- perfectly serene on the surface and kicking away under the water! For more information about what recruitment agencies do, read this article.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #11:
All Recruitment Agencies do is Advertise my Job Opening, Anybody Can Do That
The best way to dispel this myth is with a little story;
The other day in the Allpro office a potential client rang in and said they had advertised their job opening and nobody had applied. When we told them that we would go through our databases and advertise the role externally also, they said, “but we have already done that, why would we hire you if we have done it and it didn’t work.” Our recruiter then explained to them that as all we do is recruit, the recruiters have access to state of the art jobs boards with large advertising budgets, the best recruitment tools and they are trained to write job descriptions that convert and are SEO friendly and that they know all the candidates in the market that are actively and passively searching. The client decided to sign up with us. With the result that by the next day our recruiters had three excellent candidates for our client and had already organised their interviews. Our client had been searching for over two months for someone to fill that role before they came to us!
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #12:
Recruiters Won’t Understand my Role or the Role I am Hiring For – False (ish)
Most recruitment agencies will divide recruitment by sector and the recruiters will only work in their sector. This means that most recruiters in your sector will understand your role or the role you are hiring for and will have come across it before. The reason we have put false (ish) is that obviously there may be so roles that they will not have come across before. In that case, a good recruiter will ask you lots of questions about the role and will take on board all of the feedback that you give so that they will find you the perfect match.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #13:
My HR Person or HR Department can Find the Same People a Recruitment Agency Would Find – False
We work with a lot of HR people and HR departments and here is what they say- they are already really busy doing the day to day HR and compliance. Their day is already completely full so every time your company has a hiring need they don’t have ample time to fill that role. It is a myth that HR person or department can find the same people as a recruitment agency would find for a number of reasons;
- HR departments or people are usually generalists whereas recruiters are specialists.
- They may not have the time or budgets to dedicate to filling the role to the standard that a recruitment agency would.
- They won’t have access to the candidate pool that a recruitment agency will have.
- They won’t have access to the recruitment tools and training that a recruitment agency will have.
- They may not be specialist in the area of the role and so may not understand your criteria and needs like a specialist recruiter will.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #14:
Staff that a Recruitment Agency Find Don’t Stay – False
The myth that staff that a recruitment agency find don’t stay is false. A reputable recruitment agency will want nothing more than for the staff they place to stay. In fact the recruiter will spend time speaking to the candidate about their career goals, their deal breakers and their career expectations. They will also spend time with their clients finding out about the role, the team, the culture, the type of personality that will work in the organisation etc. The recruiter will then use this information to match applicants with employers. Out of the hundreds of applications a recruiter will get and the many screening interviews they will do, they will only send the top three to five applicants that are suited to the role.
Moreover, a good recruiter who has staff member who leaves a role in the first few months will contact the manager for their feedback on what worked and what didn’t work. They will also contact the staff member to find out what worked, what didn’t work and why they left. They will then use this feedback to provide a better match for the next position.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #15:
Recruitment Agencies Send Just Any Candidates to Interview – False
There may be some disreputable recruitment agencies that send any candidate to interview, we hope that these are few and far between. Recruitment agencies only get paid if their candidate is successful and gets hired by the employer. Therefore recruiters only send candidates that are likely to be successful for the role. Recruiters will create a tailored plan to source applicants and hold multiple screening interviews to meticulously weed out any applicants that are not suitable for the role or the company. They will only send the employers the best match for the role and their company.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #16:
Recruiters Don’t Care about Candidates
Our recruiters care about their candidates very much. They will go above and beyond for their candidates. Our recruiters will help improve your CV, help you with interview preparation and will be there to support and advice you throughout the entire process. In fact, many of our candidates return to us to help guide them on the job seeking journey when their contract ends or they decide to move on from a role.
Good recruiters have three equally important objectives:
- To find job seekers great roles with great companies.
- To find employers great staff that will add value to their business.
- To streamline the hiring process, saving employers time, effort, and resources.
Trust us when we say that there are lots of recruiters who really care about their candidates. Everyone on the Allpro Recruitment team cares deeply about our candidates and we show it in a hundred ways everyday.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #17:
It is Better to Look for a Job Myself and Not go Via a Recruitment Agency
When you are looking for a job a combination of applying to jobs directly and applying to jobs via recruitment agencies would be wise. It would not be wise to completely avoid using recruitment agencies as recruiters have access to roles that never get advertised as they are filled from their database. If you are looking for a job move today, start by registering with us.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #18:
AI will Replace Recruitment Agencies – False
We don’t have a crystal ball but at this moment it doesn’t look like AI will replace recruitment agencies. The reason being is that recruitment is all about people- knowing people and at this moment AI has not mastered that. When they do, we won’t just be worried about the recruitment industry, we will be worried about mankind aka every sci-fi movie ever!!
While the recruitment industry is embracing AI to streamline recruitment processes in terms of administration etc. to save our clients time and money, we don’t think that AI can replace conversations and interviews.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #19:
Recruitment is Easy
The myth that recruitment is easy is a strange one because if recruitment was easy, recruitment agencies would not exist. In the same way as we go to the hairdresser to get our hair done but we could cut our hair at home….remember your pandemic haircuts??? You could try to recruit staff yourself. The reason recruitment agencies exist is despite the possibility of being able to DIY your recruitment, recruitment agencies save companies time and money.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #20:
Anyone Can be a Recruiter
It is true that most people could apply to be a recruiter but the truth, take it from a recruitment agency, is that most people cannot do a recruiters job. Recruiters have to be tenacious, resilient, be able to have tough conversations, work to extremely tight deadlines, be able to take constructive feedback from their clients, candidates and managers. Recruiting is not for the faint hearted. A good recruiter must be, among other things,;
- a good listener
- good at reading people
- good at working to deadlines
- good at administration
- organised and efficient
- able to achieve the impossible
- work well under pressure
If you can do all of those things and more then you contact us today, we are always looking for good recruiters!
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #21:
Recruitment Agencies Only Care about Money – False
As we discussed previously recruitment agencies do all of the work of recruiting staff on a no win no fee basis. That means if the candidates that they send don’t get hired or don’t take the job the recruitment agency does not get paid. That means all the work that the recruiter has put in, their time, their advertising budget, their access to top of the range technology is only paid for if they are successful. This is not the kind of business model you get into to become a multi millionaire. Most other services are paid for up front, can you imagine saying to your hairdresser, “I will only pay for this if I like the haircut!!”
While money is important for recruitment agencies as we have outgoings such as staff, building, technology, advertising costs, there are lots of things that we care more about such as, our service, the people we deal with, our staff and contributing to the communities we operate in.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #22:
Recruitment Agencies Take Control Away from Employers
It is often misunderstood that partnering with a recruitment agency diminishes employers control over the hiring process. However, reputable recruitment agencies view themselves as collaborative partners, valuing employers input and involvement throughout the journey. These agencies actively seek employers guidance and ensure that candidates presented align with their criteria. Acting as facilitators, recruitment agencies provide guidance, expertise, and market insights while empowering employers to make informed decisions. Employers retain full control over the final hiring choices, fostering a seamless collaboration with the recruitment agency. Recruitment agencies, like Allpro Recruitment, key goal is to maximise and empower employers’ recruitment success.
Myths about Recruitment Agencies #23:
Recruitment Agencies Offer a Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Another myth that deserves debunking is the notion that recruitment agencies offer a generic, one-size-fits-all approach. On the contrary, reputable recruitment agencies understand the unique needs and culture of each employer. They tailor their services to align with employers’ specific requirements, ensuring a customised approach to candidate sourcing, screening, and selection. This personalised approach guarantees that employers receive candidates who not only possess the necessary qualifications but also fit seamlessly into the organisational culture.
Good Recruitment Agencies, Like Allpro Recruitment can be a Dream to Deal With!
We think that from reading all of the myths that we busted about recruitment agencies, you will probably guess why those myths don’t sit well with us.
Our clients and candidates tell us that they find us a pleasure to deal with and most importantly we achieve the results they are looking for while saving them time, money and energy.
Would you like to deal with a recruitment agency that cares?
Get in touch and we can chat about your recruitment needs and establish a tailored plan.
If you are looking for a job we would love for you to register with us and we will share our hot jobs with you before anyone else sees them!
