Working With Engineering Recruitment Agencies

When looking for a new career opportunity many professional engineers will first of all contact a specialist recruitment agency. But with so many agencies about it can be difficult to choose the right agency or agencies to work with. Some agencies will offer contract and permanent recruitment services, others such as RJN Selection will specialise in permanent recruitment.

To decide with agencies to work with job seekers should consider a number of factors such as:

Vacancies: Although agencies do not always advertise all their vacancies, looking at their advertised positions can give an idea of the areas they specialise in e.g. the job role, level of seniority, geographical locations, salaries, types of companies.

Website: What information do their websites contain? Do they outline the services they can offer, how they work, the sectors they work in, positions they recruit for etc. Does their website look professional? Many people will form an impression of a company from the website

Consultants: In many instances a candidate will work with one consultant so the relationship will be very important. Is the consultant REC qualified? How much experience do they have? Are they trustworthy, honest, do they show an interest in their candidates and try to find out their needs?

Company: As in any industry there will be good and bad companies, the recruitment industry is no different. Many agencies are members of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) or a similar reputable trade organsisation. These companies will have to comply with set standards and guidelines, other factors to consider include; how long have they been trading, testimonials or reviews from candidates and clients, how long have their consultants worked there?