Recruitment agency

A recruitment agency is an intermediary in the labor market, an organization that provides services to employers in the search and selection of personnel and/or provides job search and employment services to job seekers, as well as other related services.

Types of agencies

If an organization, as a labour market intermediary, is only engaged in the search and selection of personnel on the orders of employers, such an organization is a recruitment agency, if the labour market mediator searches for a job on the orders of job seekers, it is an employment agency. The term "recruitment agency" can be used to refer to both employment agencies and recruitment agencies.

Recruiting agencies can select both unqualified personnel and top management of companies. It all depends on the specialization in the services provided. There are agencies that select personnel based on professional, qualification, or industry affiliation.

There are so-called "mixed-type recruitment agencies" that provide both job search services to job seekers and recruitment services to employers. Such agencies charge fees to both job seekers and employers.

Main activities

The activities of a recruiting agency consist of three main components: search, assessment and selection of personnel for certain vacancies available to employers. Particular attention is paid to the compliance of the candidate's professional and personal competencies with the client's requirements.

The recruiting agency finds out the candidate's professional level and psychological characteristics — motivation, flexibility, and ability to adapt to the team. The agency also undertakes the task of checking recommendations. Of particular difficulty is the selection of specialists, in particular, accountants. In the vast majority of cases, the head of the company does not have the opportunity to independently assess the professionalism of the chief accountant, but this can be done by a recruiting agency.

Related services

Employment agencies, recruitment agencies, and mixed recruitment agencies can provide so-called related services to employees and employers. As a rule, employment agencies are completely aimed at job seekers, and offer related services only to them. Related services offered by these organizations to employers include HR consulting, HR audit, coaching, training, training and development of personnel, personnel assessment, personnel motivation, outstaffing and leasing of personnel, outsourcing of HR activities, including HR accounting and HR records management, outplacement and others. Related services provided to job seekers may include resume writing and translation services, trainings, consulting services, etc.