Questions to Ask a Recruitment Agency

Whether you’re a company looking to fill an open position or a job seeker, using a recruitment agency can be an efficient and successful way to find what you’re looking for.

However, when you begin looking for a recruitment agency to work with, you’ll find that there are a lot on the market. It’s, therefore, necessary to firstly do in-depth research of your own on the best agencies for your needs.

Once you have a shortlist, you’re then going to need to ask some specific questions to understand the value each agency will provide and ultimately which is the best for you.

If unsure of what exactly to ask, try some of the following questions, for both employers and candidates, that will ensure you find the best recruitment agency for your job search. 

Questions for Employers to Ask a Recruitment Agency 

The following are some of the top questions you need to be asking all recruitment agencies you consider working with in order to choose the best one for your needs.

1. What Differentiates Your Agency? What Will You Do to Go the Extra Mile Above Other Agencies?

When comparing recruitment agencies and deciding which is best for your needs, you must first understand what each agency’s specialties are and how they value their clients.

You’ll want to find out the specific niches they hire for and what industries they have the most experience hiring in (discussed more next.)

Also, find out what they do to set them apart from other agencies. What will they do throughout the search process to go the extra mile and make finding top talent for you a priority that ends in the hiring of a perfect candidate?

2. What’s Your Track Record in Our Industry? What’s Your Experience Hiring for This Type of Position?

Larger recruitment agencies cover many industries and positions so you’ll need to find out if they’ve hired for a position like yours before.

You should ask what the last two to three positions they filled in your industry were. If they have good experience in this industry, they’ll be able to easily answer this question and may provide you with case studies and testimonials.

This is where boutique agencies stand out. As they recruit for just a few industries, it's more likely they’ve recruited for your industry and for a position similar to the one you’re looking to fill. The recruiter may even have previously worked in a very similar position.

These are important things to consider as the recruiter really understands the position and industry to know what kind of candidate you’re looking for.

Ask each agency what the last positions they filled in your industry were to understand their experience.

You may also want to know how much time they have spent recruiting for your industry and similar positions. The needs of a job position can vary from industry to industry even if on paper it looks the same. Therefore, even if they’ve recruited for a similar role in another industry, that may not be enough to find the best talent for you.

One of the most important assets of a well-established recruitment agency is the fact that they can function as an experienced partner and share their in-depth industry knowledge and offer advice.

Additionally, they not only need to understand the industry and position to find good candidates but to present your company well to candidates. If the recruiter doesn't really understand the industry then it can be hard to convince candidates that the position is appealing.

Industry Contacts

The agency will be more likely to have long-standing and respected contacts based on the fact they recruit for your industry frequently, as a boutique agency will.

3. What Does Your Recruitment Process Look Like? Do You Have A Recruitment Proposal?

It’s important to understand how the agency conducts the search process. Many agencies will provide a recruitment proposal that is similar to a pitch in some ways. It will explain what they’ll do to help you find the perfect candidate and outline a timeline of the search process.

They should be able to tell you their process including providing answers to the five following questions.

4. How Do You Find Candidates?

You will want to get a bit more background on how candidates will be sourced.

It’s important to understand how they’ll promote your position. Ideally, you want to work with an agency that will have many additional resources on top of advertising the position on job search platforms.

You should be looking for an agency that has a respected reputation for connecting qualified candidates from within your industry with open roles while at the same time offering their expertise as a knowledgeable partner/consultant for your search. It’s also helpful that recruiters have a large network of contacts in your industry to refer candidates and consistently undertake candidate referrals.

5. How Do You Pre-Screen and Shortlist Candidates?

Agencies will not only choose a selection of qualified candidates but will often do a preliminary interview to choose which to send to you for a second interview.

Therefore, you need to understand how they’ll select, interview, and shortlist candidates. Ask them about the questions they’ll ask candidates and if they meet face-to-face with candidates.

Additionally, ask what will make them decide to decline candidates or move them onto the next step and how many candidates you can expect to be sent at one time.

This information is also important to understand because the recruitment agency is representing your company. So, you need to make sure that they ask questions and decline applicants in a way you approve of. 

Look for an agency that has a respected reputation for finding qualified candidates and offering their expertise.

6. How Many People Will Be Working on Our Search? Will We Have One Consistent Main Contact/Account Manager?

You’ll want to know how many recruiters will be working on your search and if you’ll have a consistent point of contact. You’ll ideally want one main point of contact who is primarily working on filling your position.

Additionally, consider that the best agencies to work with are usually those that have long term consultants. This is not only because they’ll have a lot of proven experience and contacts but because it makes it much more likely that they’ll be there to work with again for future hiring.

It can be frustrating to work with a new person every time you come back to fill a position. Having the same contact means that the recruiter will already understand your basic needs, company mission, and culture, etc. so time will be saved, and finding the right fit is much more likely.

An important benefit in working with a senior/experienced recruiter right from the start is the fact that he/she will be able to utilize their professional resources right from the beginning and following through to the end of the search.

7. Who Handles Reference Checks?

Reference checks can be time-consuming and you may want the agency to help with these. You, therefore, need to know if the agency will help with this.

If so, ask them about how they go about conducting reference checks. Are they done by call or email? Do they have a set list of questions that they ask references? What are these?

Additionally, ask if you can provide questions to be asked.

8. Do You Conduct First Interviews?

Some agencies will just find and shortlist candidates based on their application package and maybe a quick chat. They’ll then send those selected for an interview straight to you.

Other agencies may conduct an interview upfront to qualify candidates and shortlist them even more before sending on to you for an interview.

In most cases, it will be up to you which course of action they take. It's Important to clarify, however, if both these options are available. Also, ask if you can send questions to be asked before candidates are chosen to come to you for an interview and to see the kinds of questions the agency will ask candidates. 

It’s always a good idea to meet the best candidates in person but agencies can do most of the work leaving you with just a handful of the most qualified candidates to meet with.

9. What Are Your Terms of Business?

An agency’s terms of business are like a contract that outlines things such as payment terms (discussed below), dispute resolution, or what happens if the candidate you hire leaves the position quickly.

You need to make sure that you request this document and read it in detail a few times. Every agency should have a standard terms of business agreement/document that they can give you before you commit to working with them. Once you decide to work with them, you may have some personalized terms added to this document if you request them.

You’ll ideally want one main point of contact who is primarily working on filling your position.

10. What Are Your Payment Terms?

A question you’ll definitely want to be answered relates to how you’ll pay for the recruitment agency’s service. Recruitment agencies generally use two payment models: a percentage fee/contingency-based payment or a retainer.

Contingency payment is based on the starting salary of the hired employee. You’ll pay the agency a pre-agreed percentage of this salary if a candidate is hired. This means that if the agency doesn’t deliver a suitable candidate, no fees are due.

A retainer-based model means that you’ll decide a set fee and pay a percentage up front and the rest when someone is hired. You may also split this payment into three with a third due upfront, a third when candidates are selected and sent for an interview, and a third when someone is hired.

11. What’s Your Communication Style with Clients? Are You Honest and Upfront About if Requirements are Achievable?

It’s important to understand an agency’s communication style. You’ll want to know how much they’ll be in touch with you and how often you can touch base with them. You also want to understand how they'll learn more about your company and the position(s) you’re hiring for.

However, you also need to know if they’re open to providing constructive feedback to you. Recruiters have a good understanding of what type of hire you’ll be able to find for certain positions and salaries. You need to be open to them giving this type of feedback, for example, if you’re asking for too much experience for the salary you’re suggesting.

Questions for Job Searchers to Ask a Recruitment Agency

 
Job searchers may also want some questions answered before deciding to work with a particular agency. Some questions to consider covering include:

1. What Data Protection Assurances Do You Provide? How Can I Be Sure You Won’t Misuse Confidential Information?

You’ll be providing the agency with confidential information on your work history and the type of job and salary you’re searching for. You want to make sure that this is protected and not misused.

Be sure to ask about their confidentiality agreements and how you’re notified about your information being sent to their clients.

2. Do You Help with Resume and Cover Letter Writing?

Help in fine-tuning your resume and cover letter can be very useful. Many agencies offer this service for free when you sign up to work with them.

Ask if this service is offered and what it entails. This service being offered can be a big deciding factor if choosing between a few similar agencies.

You’ll be providing confidential information, so you want to make sure this is protected and not misused.

3. Do You Offer Interview Prep?

Another service some agencies offer is interview prep. This may be general tips on succeeding in an interview. Many recruiters will also help you prepare for specific interviews they’ve set up for you.

This is a very useful service and can give you an edge over other candidates if the company is not only interviewing candidates found by your recruitment agency.

Ask about this service and for some extra details on exactly what will be provided.

4. How Often Can I Expect You to Be in Touch?

You may also want to know how often you can expect to hear from the recruiter or how quickly you can expect a position for you to be found.

Each candidate is different and the number of appropriate open positions for your skillset will vary so you won’t be able to get a definitive answer to this.

However, they should be able to give you an estimate of how long it will take to find you a new position and how often they’ll touch base with you. This is especially important to know if you're urgently looking for a new job.

5. What Experience Do You Have Working with Candidates Similar to Myself?

Another important thing to find out is how much experience the recruitment agency has hiring for the type of position you're looking for. Ask them what industries and types of positions they hire for most as well as how many candidates they’ve successfully placed with skills and criteria similar to yours.

If looking for a niche position, it may be a good idea to search for boutique agencies. These agencies focus on hiring within just a few industries and may even focus specifically on certain position types such as high-level executive positions. 
 

In Conclusion

Working with a recruitment agency can be a great way to easily find amazing new hires or your next career move. However, you need to be sure that the agency you work with is the best fit for your needs by asking them in-depth questions on their services. As a company looking to hire the best candidate to fill an open position, it’s important that the recruitment agency you select is one that you believe to be the best partner/consultant for a successful search.

If you’re looking to work with a recruiter to fill or find a position in the publishing, media, or medical communications industries, then consider working with Lynne Palmer. We have over 50 years of experience hiring for all types of positions in these industries, including high-level executive positions, and possess a wealth of contacts and qualified candidates.

Get in touch today to learn more about how Lynne Palmer can help you with your job search.