Recruitment Company (Forrest/Marshall Moore etc)

Hi all!

I’ve been on and off looking at indeed for jobs that interest me and have noticed a fair few come through recruitment companies such as the above. I’ve never been through one before so I’m curious as to how they work. Do they just put you in touch with the employer?, Will I be employed by them or their client? And is the advertised salary final or do they take a cut?

It’s put me off applying as I’m not entirely sure what they do. But any insight would be great, I know about Brooke Street for example and they are agency so that’s different (i think?)

Any help would be appreciated!

Don't be put off, but do be aware that agents only care about you once you get a job because that is when they get paid. They will also be competing against other agents who will be placing candidates for the same roll so whatever you do, do not be loyal to an agent.

So a company will put out a job advert to one or more agents who will then advertise and filter CVs on their behalf. If you want to get a call back, make sure your CV contains all the buzz words and skills in the job advert. Agents are not the brightest buttons in the box so it isn't hard. They may call you back and ask generic questions about you including your eligibility to work and may ask for a copy of your passport etc. If the job is real, they should tell you the name of the company and give you more details of the roll, however, be aware that some agents post fake adverts for jobs that don't exist with a view to quizzing potential candidates about possible job vacancies at their current place of work which they can then bid for. Just play the game. If they don't tell you the company, the job doesn't exist. Call them out on it. You never know, they might have a different roll they can offer you out of embarrassment.

If your chat goes well, they will ask if you can be put forward for the roll. Be careful that you don't end up applying for the same roll through two agents. This will end with a dead end and you lose out. If the company come back and ask you for an interview this is where a good agent earns their money because they should be able to brief you on questions you might get asked, things the employer is looking for and so on.

At this point it is down to you so do your research on the company and roll. Think of lots of examples where you have been awesome and then all the best.

If you get the job, your agent will get back to you straight away because this is where their payday is. However, if not, you might need to chase them and you won't necessarily get any meaningful feedback. Lick your wounds and move on. If you do get the job though, your agent can also do you a favour in negotiating a higher salary for you because they will get paid a percentage of your first years salary if you say for x number of months.

So - things to remember.
1. It is a game. Play the game. You win some you lose some but
2. The agent doesn't give a stuff about you so don't get all emotional about it

Good luck!