How to choose the best recruitment agency for executive assistants and administration staff

Whether you’re a business manager looking to hire a new employee who has the right skills and attitude for your company, or a new employee looking for a business manager who will give you a chance to prove your worth in their company, a recruitment agency is the obvious place to go.

But how do you know which recruitment agency is the best, especially when there are so many to choose from?

Well, here are 5 things you need to check up on to find the best recruitment agency for you.

The day of the one size fits all recruitment agency is gone. These days, most agencies will choose one or two particular industry sectors to specialise in, e.g., administration staff and executive assistant recruitment, or maybe finance and IT.

It makes sense, if you’re looking for a person with specialist skills or work experience within a particular industry, find a recruitment company that specialises in that sector.

Using a recruiter with specialised knowledge will prove more efficient in the long run as they will understand the needs of your industry and be able to recognise a great candidate when one comes along.

And, if you’re searching for a job, a recruiter who specialises in your area of expertise will know exactly the type of role that will suit you.

Whether you are an employer or a prospective employee, the recruitment company is offering you a service. As with any other service you engage, you want to ensure it is of the highest quality.

Before you engage a recruitment company, ask to view references from their existing customers. It’s also good to check out how many clients they currently have. Like any other business, if they are good, they will have a good list of long-term clients who trust them based on their past performance.

You can usually tell a person’s underlying priorities and values by the way they treat you. Sometimes it becomes obvious that you are just another client and the recruiter’s main concern is the commission they can earn off you – it’s sad, but that’s how it is sometimes.

You want an agency that treats your relationship with seriousness and sincerity. You’ll know when this is happening because, as a business owner, the candidates sent to meet you will be a good fit for the role and for your company.

Alternatively, if you are searching for a job, the roles recommended to you will be suited to your skill-set and level of experience.

This can only happen when the recruiter has taken the time to listen to your needs and understand the type of person or job you are looking for.

We all know what it’s like to deal with a salesperson or a tradesperson who stretches the truth to the point where you don’t really know what is true and what is exaggerated. The best recruitment agencies will communicate with you truthfully and transparently. They will provide you with honest information on the current job market, salary ranges, and current job conditions and perks.

Prospective employees need honesty from their recruitment agency also. The frustration of applying for a job and never hearing back is one that most people have experienced. For a recruitment agency to act in this way is entirely unprofessional.

A good recruiter will be in constant contact with both the companies they represent and the applicants who come to them. If a role is taking longer to fill than expected, or if it has been filled and the applicant missed out, a good recruiter will let their clients know immediately.

The reason you choose to use a recruitment agency is that it will save you time (and money). This is because the agency has procedures in place to handle the recruitment process quickly and efficiently.

For business owners, the process will include an accurate assessment of the type of person you are searching for, the creation of catchy advertising, sifting through all the responses, initial interviews and reference checks, through to recommending the right candidates for you to meet with.

For job candidates, it will involve a careful examination of your CV, experience and attitudes so that you can be recommended only for the roles that suit you best.

An important thing to do when choosing the best recruitment agency is to think about each of the steps in the recruitment process and quiz your prospective agency on how they handle each of those steps. If it becomes obvious that an agency is a little loose or slap-happy in how they handle their interviews and recommendations, move on to an agency that takes things more seriously.

Choosing the best recruitment agency for executive assistants and administration staff is the same as selecting an agency for any other type of role. Keep in mind your objectives… it’s to have someone who will make life easier for you. Someone who will save you and your company time and money because they do their job right.

If you have any questions about how to find the best recruitment agency for business administration or office roles, give the team at Cavanagh Recruitment a call. Contact Us.