Recruitment Companies

How Do They Work?

Typical recruitment companies that deal with graduates are rarely internal recruiters, that is, they are not an individual from within an organisation. They are what’s known as outsourced recruiters. Outsourced recruiters typically work for multiple clients at once, on a third-party broker basis, and are variously called headhunters, search firms/agents, agency recruiters, or recruitment consultants. From an organisational perspective this is often the only viable option to recruit, as they many not be able to employ an in-house recruiter due to the cost.

There are several issues with outsourced recruiters that as a graduate you need to be fully aware of. Primarily, they are not always qualified to deal with candidates, that is they do not grasp the importance of relationship building. We have heard of candidates on a number of occasions attending interviews, that an outsourced recruiter has arranges, never to be told whether they have got the job or not post-interview. So, if you have been to an interview and it has been several weeks since you last heard, the chances are you have not got the job.

Secondly, and potentially more importantly, the recruiters are not experts within the specific field which you are applying into. This creates a number of problems, not only for graduates, but also for the organisation that is attempting to fill a vacancy. As they have minimal expertise in the field you are applying for, they do not understand the organisations needs, and they do not understand your capabilities as an individual.

iGradu8.com believe the most intelligent and forward thinking organisations would either register with the job sites themselves, or they would recruit locally independently. The reason being, due to the erratic behaviour of some outsourced recruitment companies, and their failure to establish long-term relationships with its members, candidates can be left puzzled and often as the name of the recruitment company they are dealing with is irrelevant, they can begin to develop a dislike for the organisation they were interviewed at, when realistically the recruitment company should not have sent the candidate over for interview. If the recruitment company industry used celebrity endorsements to promote its services then they would probably have Sweeney Todd. It is certainly a cut-throat business,

Below is a compilation of frequently asked questions and answers in regards to graduate recruitment companies:

Questions & Answers

How do recruitment companies make their money? Recruitment companies generate their income on a performance basis. They have an arrangement made between themselves and the organisation that is hiring. Typically, the recruitment company will receive a percentage of your salary if they find the candidate that gets the job. The percentage is typically between 7%-10%.
Why do recruitment companies always ask what your expected salary is? Recruitment companies will always persist on asking you what your expected salary will be. As a graduate with minimal experience your reply is not going to be a substantial figure. For example you may say around £17,000. They will often reply, “well we should be able to get you more than that”. This technique, increases your enthusiasm, and provides the recruiter with enhanced leverage when discussing their personal terms with the organisation (the more you are paid, the more they will receive for their service).
I went for an interview a couple of weeks ago and have not heard anything yet, why? If you have been for interview and it has been several weeks since you have heard anything, it is extremely likely that you have not got the job. The reason being, as mentioned, the recruitment business is a cut-throat, performance based monster, and they will not hesitate to move on to their next role. If you fail to get the job, you are worthless to them so don’t expect any loyalties! (as nice as they are on the phone).
Why are random recruitment companies contacting me? If you are registered with a job site online, and you have uploaded your CV and created a profile, this personal information is then accessible to almost anyone with the money to access it.
How can I stop random recruitment companies ringing me up? The answer to this depends on whether you have found suitable employment or not. If you are in a job that you are satisfied with, then simply delete your account with the job sites you are registered with online (this does not mean that your information hasn’t already been kept by third-party agencies (outsourced recruiters). If you are still looking for work, or are about to begin your job search, try and keep note of which job sites you are registered with. This will allow you to have an idea about where your information may have been accessed from.

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