Best Recruitment/Temp Agency

sparx_90

Hi, i graduated with a 2.1 last summer with a Business Information Systems (hons) degree, and now after my gap year it is time to get into full time employment.

I have applied for a few jobs on reed.co.uk but very rarely get any response from my applications. The 2 that i have been contacted about was by a recruitment consulant that simply gets me into their office and to sign me up to their books, and not to talk about the job that i have applied for!.

Does anyone know which of these big recruitment agencies (Hays, Select, Manpower etc..) is good, and will actually try and get me either temp or full time work, without the hassle of "recruitment fairs or assessment days".

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

dmg24

Hi Sparx,

Where do you live?

I have used Select before, and they were pretty good. I would also recommend Office Angels.

If you are around Nottingham, I can tell you which firms to avoid!? x

sparx_90

Thanks for your fast response!

I live in Essex, and ideally want to work around the Brentwood area, as i do not feel ready to make the big move to London yet!. I know that this dramatically decreases the amount of jobs available to me, but there most be some jobs which i could do!

dmg24

Have you tried applying to Reed directly?

The problem with their website is that anyone can post on their, but if you look for jobs with a little R on the listing, they are actually Reed's own vacancies.

I know what you mean about not working in London. I got offered a job down there after uni, but the hustle and bustle just doesn't appeal to me.

Have you researched local companies that may have work going? Do you have a good local paper?

Best of luck! x

BrunoM

There's not really much reason not to register with multiple agencies.

Personally I've been employed through Reed (actual office, not "just the website"), Crone Corkill and Adecco; my OH has been through TFPL (specialist in library and publisher work) - but we've both been registered with many other agencies at the same time.

Go to an agency job-site, if they're advertising jobs you think you might want to do and be qualified for, register with that agency. Repeat til out of patience

LittleVoice

For temp work I would not recommend Select - because getting your holiday pay is like getting blood out of a stone (well, almost).

Tori_Bellatrix

Try signing up with an online job search agency. You've probably heard of www.monster.co.uk but I'd recommend www.jobsite.co.uk

You can upload your CV so that it is searchable by employers and also it will send you a daily list of all new jobs within a set critera (that you set based on your skills).

Compound_2

What’s the economic theory behind these agencies? From a MoneySaving point of view, it seems they’re unnecessary middle men taking a heavy commission. They take a fee from the employers and effectively employees too – they pass on only a proportion of the money the employer pays for their labour. It would seem much more efficient for companies and staff to deal with each other directly, but often agencies pay more hourly than permanent employers. Are agencies just a trick to escape employment rights and pensions?

Ebany

I work for an agency, and basically, agencies are useful for temp workers as it saves employers from either having to force staff into doing shifts they dont want to/be understaffed/maintain their own bank of casual staff to cover for sickness and holidays - we do all the appropriate checks and can provide cover at the last minute which can, in my sector, be vitally important (we provide care staff, so its a lot worse than a phone going unanswered if the staff aren't there).

For the recruitment of permanent staff, we take away all the trouble of advertising and filtering through CV's, in theory just providing a selected few who actually fit the criteria specified (I am aware that there are a lot of agencies who aren't so careful with the screening). Then, at least with my agency, in with the fee is a promise that if the candidate doesn't work out we will provide a free replacement within 3 months.

At my office we will never put somone forward for a job unless we feel they are suitable, but as I said, the sector we are in makes it a lot more important to have the right people. Admittedly, other agencies in our area don't seem so concerned, but that explains why we have a very good reputation and still get work in spite of being more expensive. I will also admit to people if they come in looking for work in areas we don't have (but that does still come under our area) that we won't be able to help and reccommend to them other agencies that could.

Agencies pay more due to the lack of security, and yes, temps can get less additional benefits, though this depends on the agency. I know we do have a pension scheme for our temps if they want to sign up to it, but no-one has in the time I have been there so I don't know much about it.

lynzpower

as a temp you are still entitled to your legal right of 20 days holiday per year. my OH temped for a while through various agencies - and when he left each one if he had untaken holiday they paid it in cash, nice little bonus you dont get if you work full time usually ( they usually make you take your hols whenther you want to or not )

Ive found that agencies do vary.
select in nottingham might be better than select in Brentwood, so recommendations are seldom any cop unless you are talking about the ones in your own town.

Central london pays wildly better, than outside.

Isigned up to a few agencies both in Central london and stratford E15. FOr a bog standard admin role in central I was looking at 12ph wheras in stratford it was more like 7.50- big difference.