In recent years, it’s become increasingly common for companies to recruit through their own in-house teams. Having experience of both internal and agency recruiters as a candidate (I used to be an Assistant Merchandiser) and worked on both sides of the field, here are the main reasons why I believe it can benefit you more to go through an agency than direct to the employer:
- Time saver – Your job search can easily get out of control if you cast the net wide, so how can you best keep track of whether you need to follow up on applications? An agency recruiter will have a system to help manage job seekers and clients – and it can take a huge weight off your shoulders. They will send your CV to clients, organise the interviews and give you updates and feedback.
- Find out about new roles first – Agency recruiters often get briefed on roles that aren’t advertised, so you may not even be aware that your dream job is out there if you don’t register. There can also be exciting opportunities with start-up/smaller companies that you didn’t know existed, or a company you didn’t know was hiring, which you could miss out on.
- An ongoing relationship – Dealing with an agency recruiter doesn’t have to be a one-off affair. If you are honest with each other and a good candidate, they will be happy to help you further down the line when you’re ready to make another career move.
- Honest answers – A major advantage of going through an agency recruiter is that you can be as honest as possible and ask candid questions to gain valuable insight into your prospective employer – even before an interview. Things like salary, team structure, culture, management styles and flexibility of the role are all issues you can openly and confidentially discuss to ensure the role is right for you.
- Money, money, money – An agency recruiter will get you a better salary than you could secure yourself. They will know what the company can and cannot afford; what candidates with similar experience are looking for; and they will know what employees in other companies are getting paid to do the same job. Negotiating the best possible salary is what recruitment agencies do best.
- Unbiased advice – An internal recruiter’s job is to attract the best talent – so how could they possibly provide you with balanced and unbiased advice? Simple answer: they can’t. Internal recruiters, quite rightly, act in the interests of their employer while a great agency recruiter always acts in the interests of the candidate.
- Market insight – Internal recruiters can have a limited view of the market. Sure, they know their company better than most, but what insight do they have on what’s happening in the wider market, similar opportunities, or salaries and benefits that only recruiters dealing with several employers will have? The upshot is simple – an agency will always serve your interests better than an internal recruiter.
If you would like to have an informal discussion, please contact Andrianna Koiza here about the roles we are currently working on.
