Sometimes, it’s better to enlist the help of a recruitment agency to resolve your organization’s hiring woes. It’s one way to free up a small HR team or an overwhelmed hiring manager – allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities.

Unfortunately, not all recruitment firms in Malaysia are equipped with the capacity and knowledge to hire for all organizations. In this article, we explore how organizations and hiring managers can find the best job agency for their needs. 

Why Use a Recruiter?

The talent brain drain makes it hard to source for reputable candidates. It’s no secret that finding the right job candidate takes up a lot of time and effort.

Imagine spending days away from other pressing responsibilities sorting through CV’s and resumes to find the right hire. Then there’s the preliminary interview round to elminate unsuitable candidates, before proceeding onto the actual interview. Alll this to find a few candidates who fit the job bill.

In addition to time saving and efficiency, other benefits that come with a recruitment agency include:

• Recruit better talents 

• Save current employee bandwidth 

• Finding skilled and unique hires immediately 

• Security 

• Retaining current hires 

• Access to better hiring resources at a lower price 

Companies should also look into employing the help of recruitment agencies if internal hiring efforts fall short. 

Looking to solve your hiring woes with the help of a job agency? Here’s what you need to know about finding the right recruitment firm for your organization! 

1. Define your hiring needs 

Before you begin the process of finding the right recruiter. You need to first understand the type of job candidate your organization needs. Questions that should be addressed at this stage include:

• Is this an entry level position?  

• What skills does our ideal candidate need to have? 

• What type of experience should the ideal candidate possess? 

• The ideal recruiter to help source for the role (e.g. do we need a tech recruiter?) 

Different recruitment firms cater to different hiring needs. For instance, hiring for positions that require specialized skills (i.e. cybersecurity, tech, fintech) will require recruiters with some technical insight and knowledge themselves. Having a breakdown of your hiring needs allows you to narrow down your options quickly. 

2. Find agencies with different expertise  

Now that you’ve identified the traits, skills, and expertise your ideal candidate needs. It’s time to source for the different agencies that will attend to your needs. Here’s what most companies are not aware of: most recruiters are pattern matchers. Not all recruiters have the insight and expertise needed to hire.

Instead, they pair candidates to jobs based on the keywords. Which is a disadvantage as they might pass on a more knowledgable candidate for someone who looks good on paper.

Here are some ways to help you find specialized recruitment agencies:

• Use Linkedin: Linkedin is a good way to find candidates, and recruitment agencies.

• Google: Of course a simple Google search for “IT recruitment agencies” might be sufficient. But, you can also look out for articles and content written by niche recruiters. This is a good way to determine the firm’s expertise.

• Ask for referrals: Tap into your professional network and ask around for some options. This way, you can also ask your network for comments and reviews regarding the different agencies available to help you make your decision.

• Check out reviews: Google reviews and Glassdoor are just some review websites that gives you an insight into the agency’s working system. Or look out for testimonials from other clients, 

3. Look out for creative recruiters  

Finding the right talent is not an easy task. It takes a tactful and creative recruiter to cut through all the noise present on job boards to get their attention. The best way to determine how creative an agency’s hiring efforts are is by reviewing their job advertisements on job boards. Additionally, look out for agencies that create online content (e.g. YouTube videos, podcasts, articles) directed at candidates. 

Online content is one way for firms to gain the attention of potential candidates without the use of job boards. Remember, good recruiters tap into their marketing skills to find talents through different channels. 

4. Talk to recruiters

It takes a good hirer to source great talents. When speaking to an agency, try to figure out the type of recruiters working there. Ideally, you’d want an agency that is equipped with:

• Empathetic recruiters: Being a hirer is a role steeped in emotion. How a recruiter treats job applicants is a reflection of the organization.

  At BGC Group, we give both our candidates and clients a glimpse of our friendly recruiters in our YouTube series ⁠— BGC Huddles. Click here to watch!

• Risk tolerant: You need to stand out in order to find and hire exceptional talent. Recruiters who are willing to take the risk see opportunities where others don’t.

Engaging in conversation with recruiters is a good way to get a glimpse into the agency’s working culture. Which could prove to be useful. It’s important to remember that the best recruiter is one that thinks like your organization. 

5. Compare prices 

From any company’s standpoint, the cheaper and less expensive method is one that wins. Even the best agency out there is useless if you cannot afford the services it offers. Pricing is one way to help you narrow down the options for you.

As recruitment agencies rarely advertise their prices online, the best way to find out the different price tags is by dropping an enquiry or making an appointment. Additionally, some agencies also provide different services (e.g. payroll processing). Don’t forget to ask about the type of service and the terms during the inquiry process.

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