Five things to look for in a good recruitment agency

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Three people at a table during a meeting, with a laptop and documents.

The Belgian job market is booming. Companies in all sectors are in competition for talented candidates. In times like this, with online job openings close to one million, employers rely more than ever on professional recruitment agencies.

Recruiters who know the local market, and have an extensive network of potential candidates, can make all the difference to a recruitment process. The same goes for professionals who are looking for the next step in their career.

So, what should job seekers and companies look for in good recruitment agency? Here are five signs that you are working with a trusted recruitment partner.

1. The best recruitment agencies are RSS certified

The RSS quality label is a guideline for companies and candidates who are looking for a top recruitment partner. The label, provided by the Federation for HR service providers Federgon, entails specific quality standards that the recruitment agency has to meet. It looks at the organisations management, recruitment processes, and corporate social responsibility.

“As leader in the recruitment industry it´s important to us to have been awarded this quality label,” says Thibaud Adès, Managing Director of PageGroup Belgium. “In fact, we focus more on quality than on quantity. We´ve improved our processes so that we deliver on time, and offer the best service on the market. This label shows our clients and candidates that we are a trusted choice in recruitment.”

2. They put client and candidates at the centre of their approach

“We strongly believe in building long term relationships with both our candidates and our clients,” says Thibaud Adès. “That means that our relationship with client and candidates doesn´t stop after the placement. We follow up to see how things are working out for both parties.”

“It also means, for example, that our consultants keep in touch with candidates throughout their careers. The result is that our consultants can find talent on the market that is not actively looking for a job”

3. They know what their strengths are

“Even for a big recruitment agency like PageGroup it´s impossible to be a leader in every sector,” says Thibaud Adès. “Until recently we were not specialised in IT candidates, for example. Only now that we´ve established our key divisions, Finance and Engineering, can we start building our IT division.”

4. They are transparent

“We explain to candidates and clients alike what be the next steps will be after they have contacted us, and what they can expect from our side,” explains Thibaud Adès. “To ensure we have met their expectations, we send out quality surveys. Based on the feedback we get from companies and candidates we continuously try to improve our approach.”

5. They give clients and candidates direct and honest advice

“It´s not always in the interest of a job candidate to change jobs,” says Thibaud Adès. “For example, I would advise not to take on a new job when you are facing difficulties in your current job, because that means you are still learning something.”

“The same can happen to employers: sometimes they might think that they need to hire someone for a position, when in reality it´s better to train employees that are already working for you to do that job.”