Consultancies bring business benefits

Recruitment consultancies

Consultancies bring business benefits

Companies can save time and money by using recruitment agencies

Recruitment consultancies are less popular than local and specialist papers for recruiting staff, research by Travel Weekly has shown.

But the survey indicated that agencies have the potential to take more of the market if they can improve services.

Nearly half of the 106 travel firms canvassed for the study use trade press advertising and more than 40% use local newspapers.

The proportion using consultancies is just over a third.

Consultancies take up 16% of recruitment spend, behind local papers at 20% andspecialist magazinesat 23%.

Companies are pragmatic about whether to use a consultancy and high fees many not be the deterrent that many assume.

Ability to fill a vacancy is the most important attribute, rated by two-thirds of respondents, against value for money, cited by just over a third.

Two-thirds of respondents complained about fees, but a quarter said the main drawback in a consultancy is being sent inappropriate candidates.

This indicates that high fees can be worth paying if the right people are being sent.

There are tremendous business benefits to getting the best person quickly, both in terms of helping the service and saving senior management time.

Harp Wallen was the most highly rated agency in the survey.

Account manager Alex Woods said: “We send fewer people, so it should be equivalent to a shortlist; we have done the screening. If you are thinking about managing directors and senior executives being involved in recruitment, their time is costly.”

Experienced agencies also take into account the culture of a company and only send people for interview who they believe would fit in.

Industry experience provides this, said Nicki Cook, temporaries manager at Henry Bath, which also scored highly in the survey.

“Having been in the game for that long, we know what our clients want,” she said.

Specialist help: firms useconsultancies to find staff withspecific skills

Suits you: agencies will only send applicants who will fit into a company’s culture

Quotes

why use agencies?

“It depends on the job you are looking to fill. If it is a specialist role, for example in accountancy, we would use one on a searchand selection basis. The fee is also something you have to look at.You should only use a recruitment agency if you feel that it would beworthwhile and you would not have found the right person for the job without one.” First Choice spokesman

“I would use recruitment consultants when I’m looking for specific skills; and that may be in eitherinformation technology, finance or commercialtravel skills. Recruitmentconsultants usually know who might belooking for a specificrole. You have to use them; you have to use all the media and if youhave to pay a fee for it so be it.” Gerry McKune, human resources director, Cosmos