Working for different recruitment agencies

The recruitment industry in the UK is huge, with recruitment agencies in almost every industry sector you could imagine. There are many common elements to all recruitment jobs, however, within this industry lies a range of choices for the types of recruitment agency you could work for. Here are some of the main types of recruitment agencies you will find with some of their key features for you as an employee.

• Large multinational recruitment agencies. These companies will have 100s and possibly thousands of staff worldwide and benefit the ecnomies of scale that large companies can generate. They are likely to have highly established brands in their markets meaning business development requirements may be limited, and indeed they are likely to have a business development specialist for this task. The recruitment consultant role in these companies is likely to be fairly narrow, with perhaps resourcers doing initial database searches with the consultant doing the final selection for submitting to the client, ultimately managing the relationship with the recruiting manager.

Large recruitment agencies are also likely to have strong internal training processes in place

from and intial training course to ongoing training as you develop. In addition, for successful

recuritment consultants there will be development opportunities, places higher up the structure

to aim for, promoted positions in other offices or even other companies. That said, there will

be string competition from all the other consultants in the organisation

• Smaller but cross functional recruitment agencies. There are many of these in the UK. They usually stem from a niche specific agency which has exapnded into other relaed areas. For example a recruitment to recruitment agency who sets up a sales desk and a graduate desk. a catering agency that bracnhes out into hospitality. In these companies you may find you have a more autnomous and all encompassing role in charge of a desk in a particualr sector or at least part of a very much smaller team than the larger organisations. you may find the rewards for greater responsibility are higher but so are the pressures that go with this. Trianing may not be as thorough in smaller organisation and consequently they may look to employ people with direct experience who don't need as much training.

• Temporary recruitment agencies. These may be high street agencies or agencies in sectors where contract work is common, such as construction, nursing and medicine, pharmacy and more. In these roles you will have candidates employed by your agency on behalf of the client generating smaller but regualr fees. Rather than the one off big hit of permanent recruitment agencies this role has more elements of account management in constantly looking to fill your clients vacancies. In addition there is the additional need to manage candidates who ultimately have the ability to make you look good or not. A temporary worker who fails to turn out for work won't do you any favours, if they are letting you down you need to have your finger on the pulse.

• Small boutique/niche specific recruitment agencies. These are very often either born from recruitment consultants who have decided to set up their own agency or an industry manager who has been on the receivinh end of recruitment services. In these companies you will very much feel you are on the cutting edge of business with fortunes swaying month on month. Excellent performance can often bring very high rewards in businesses with relatively low overheads. However, when things are tough you are more likely to feel the bumps. Training is often very limited, perhaps shadowing an experienced consultant or Director for a few days, don't expect a formal training program. Also opportunities to develop may be limited if the agency is to remain small and limited. But, if you think oyu would enjoy being a big fish in a samll pond this may be for you.

If you are planning a career in recuritment and have ambitions to progress, it would be advisable to experiecne different types of recruitment agencies on the ground level. Agencies can vary greatly in there work environment, the types of tasks you will face in addition to varying amounts of pressures.