7 Benefits of Using a Recruitment Agency in Your Job Search

It’s often said that hunting for a job is a full time job in itself. Whether you are currently employed and want to change employers, or whether you are between jobs or reentering the labour market, finding a new job can be challenging. While it can be time consuming, it needn’t require eight hours a day for weeks on end. If you’re looking for a new role, and scouring job sites is proving to be too tedious, you might want to consider working with a professional recruiter. Using a recruitment agency may increase your chances of not only finding a job more quickly, but a job that suits your skillset, personal values, and working style.

Recruitment agencies offer job seekers several benefits. Here are a few:

1. They do a lot of the time-consuming work for you (for free)

Popular job sites LinkedIn and Indeed are usually the first places candidates search for their next role. Identifying interesting opportunities, applying, tracking applications, and following up will take an enormous amount of time. Unless you’ve worked in professional recruiting yourself, you are not necessarily an expert at the labour market, and a handful of these job sites are your best options for landing a job. Recruiters, however, are experts, and have access to many more resources than you do. Remember, these professionals have been doing this as a full time job for years, and they work closely with a vast network of employers that don’t necessarily post opportunities on LinkedIn. Depending on the recruiter, they will quickly be able to present you with opportunities that come their way—saving you time and effort.

2. They have the inside scoop on employers

Whether or not an employer is truly right for you isn’t always obvious. You might be able to get a general idea of the company culture from their marketing and from an initial interview, but real insight into the work environment and the team dynamic are often unavailable to applicants. A recruiter familiar with the employer will better be able to assess a potential fit due to their relationship with the company, and from their conversations with you. Recruiters can provide you with an honest rundown of a company’s situation before you even apply, and they can also help the company know what you bring to the table (in addition to the experience listed on your resume).

3. They can help to ensure that your application is seen

Once you apply to your dream job online and click ‘send’, what happens next? Unless you have the hiring manager’s contact information, it’s nearly impossible to follow up. It is also unlikely you will ever get confirmation that a human has even reviewed your resume. If you choose to partner with a recruiter, however, they can almost guarantee that the employer has taken your application into consideration, because you are being personally referred. Hiring managers might get dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of applications that get screened using a software program before they even give them a glance, but they will often look at the candidates presented by recruiters from reputable agencies as a priority.

4. They can present you in an ideal light

You might have an excellent resume, but how do you communicate your outgoing personality and strong ability to articulate strategies, for example? You probably already know that an in-depth conversation is essential for demonstrating your all-star personality and abilities, and working with a recruiter means they’ve taken the time to get to know you. It is in a recruiters best interest to solve their client’s problems by finding them strong candidates, which means they will advocate for you and provide employers with a convincing pitch in addition to your resume.

5. They can help you discover your work style, and various strengths

Often, the search for a new role can prompt an exploration of your own values, personality, and work style. Many job seekers find themselves at a crossroads, and ask themselves important questions about the kind of career they’d ideally like to have. These questions can be explored and even answered by working with a recruitment firm that offers coaching and psychometric evaluations. For job seekers looking for a position that might offer them more purpose, meaning, and satisfaction, reaching out to a recruitment firm that offers these evaluations is an excellent first step.

6. They can give you feedback

Most people apply for several jobs before they land an interview, and often, candidates will interview with multiple potential employers before getting hired. This can be a discouraging experience, because it’s nearly impossible to know why your resume wasn’t chosen for an interview, or worse, why your first interview didn’t lead to a second. A good recruiter will not only help prepare you for your application and interview, they can provide helpful feedback from the employer. This feedback can be very constructive, as it will likely help you perform better the next time. It can also assuage negative feelings if the feedback relates to a non-personal issue (for instance, a conflict due to travel).

7. They keep you in their database

Even after you get hired (be it due to your own search, or placement by an agency) the recruiter will likely keep you in their talent database. This means that they may reach out to you in the future should an even more interesting role come their way.

Because your career greatly impacts your everyday life, relationships, and even on physical and mental wellbeing, finding the right role by working with a recruitment firm might be the best decision you ever make. It’s important to note that many people find the right job by searching on their own, and that working with a recruiter doesn’t actually guarantee that you’ll be hired for your dream job. Whether you choose to work with a recruiter or job hunt completely on your own, just remember that recruiters will always be an excellent resource to help you on your path to career success.