Industry Tips
Employment Agencies
The following comments provide general information for consumers, and do not necessarily reflect the practices or record of any particular company.
Employment agencies are a major part of the personnel placement field. Employment agencies can provide numerous valuable services. Most agencies are reliable, reputable and serve a vital function. It is important to understand there are several types of firms, offering a range of services. They include private personnel placement services, temporary help services, retained search firms, executive counseling services, job listing and advisory services and public employment services.
When consumer problems arise in the employment service field, it is often because the job seeker did not understand what services were offered by the firm, what obligations they were under and what the financial arrangements were to be.
To begin your search, ask friends and business acquaintances for recommendations on employment agencies. Watch classified ads in the newspaper. See which agencies are associated with the jobs that appeal to you. Contact the personnel departments in your chosen career field and ask which employment agencies they rely on.
Placement fees are the main source of income for private employment agencies and there are numerous methods of payment, such as employer paid fee, applicant paid fees, partial paid fees, fee reimbursed and partial fee reimbursed. Make sure that you understand fully the method of payment and that it is in writing on the contract. If the employment agency representative makes oral promises to you that are contrary to or in addition to the statements in the contract, have those promises added in writing and signed by the agency's owner or manager.