10 Things to Ask When Choosing a Recruiting or Placement Firm

Have you ever checked out BarryStaff’s web site. The first thing you’ll see are several of our current customers having nice things to say about us. They like the job we do for them and they aren’t afraid to tell other companies about us. Referrals are a great tool to use when selecting a Recruiting or Staffing agency to work with your company. But there are some questions you should ask. Check out the article below from the Washington Business Journal. And PLEASE ask us these questions at BarryStaff.

10 things to ask before … Choosing a recruiting or placement firm
Washington Business Journal
Date: Friday, November 30, 2012, 6:00am EST

We asked several experts what new entrepreneurs should think about when selecting a recruiting firm. Next up in our biweekly manual of sorts for startup businesses: how to choose a security company and how to choose office space.

1. How long have you been in business? You want to select an experienced recruiting firm that has a good reputation and has been around long enough to have built a large network of available and qualified candidates. A newer firm might be able to offer only a limited range of qualified candidates.

2. What type of clients do you represent? Asking the recruiting firm to describe its typical client will help you better understand the firm’s focus. Does it align with your own company’s plan of action? Always ask a potential firm for client references who can speak about the quality of the firm’s service.

3. How do you check the qualifications of prospective candidates? Determine how a firm customizes its candidate search process beyond reading resumes. Find out if it conducts reference checks and employment background checks or skills testing when screening candidates for their level of qualification.

4. Do you have available candidates? Get the firm’s the success rate in placing candidates with companies that are similar to your own. Be transparent about your budget so you can get qualified candidates within your salary range.

5. Will you come meet my staff? Recruiting firms are often removed from the immediate decision-making and hiring, so it may be helpful to get some face-to-face interaction with the recruiter to help that person understand your staffing needs. Have the firm meet you on-site and check out the workplace dynamics of your office.

6. How collaborative are your recruiters? Some firms give recruiters specific company assignments, which means you may get job candidates from an individual recruiter’s candidate list rather than from a companywide list. Once you know how collaborative and integrated a firm is, you will be able to better assess how its relationships with clients and job candidates are managed and assigned.

7. What’s your time period for placements? Ask the recruiting firm for time estimates. How long will it take before you see qualified resumes and get a candidate you can hire? Does the firm provide a guaranteed period forjob placement? Is that time frame reasonable and binding?

8. What is your placement success rate? The length of time a new hire stays in a filled position often reflects the placement success of a firm. Ascertain whether the firm has filled more temporary job positions or more permanent positions. The more permanent positions, the better that firm’s success rate.

9. What is your exclusivity policy? Some recruiting firms require that you do not use other agencies for your staffing needs. That may be fine if the firm offers a strong network of available candidates, but if you are under a time constraint to fill the position, using more firms may widen your pool. Consider your time demands and other needs before agreeing to an exclusivity agreement or contract with a firm.

10. What is your billing process? Recruiting firm fees usually vary by the type of position you want to fill.

For mid- to lower-level positions, the recruiting firm will usually bill you once a placement is made and charge you a small percentage of the hire’s first-year compensation. When filling senior or high-level positions, a recruiting firm will charge you a larger percentage of the hire’s first-year compensation.

Ask the firm about the timing for paying fees.