The advances in the internet and how this has evolved the jobseeker process is nothing short of impressive. Jobseekers can now unearth their dream job with the click of a button. Two main job seeker services, which have grown throughout the years, are Recruitment agencies and Job Boards. However, what may seem like two very similar entities, encompass diverse differences.
“An agency advertises your roles on our site. They are sourcing your candidates direct. By using us, you are essentially cutting out the middle man”. This was a former sales pitch used by Avril Burke, Recruitment Operations Manager with Allen Recruitment, when she previously worked for an Irish Job Board.
Avril believed that this statement was as black and white as it seemed, until she began working for Allen Recruitment.
“Job boards within Ireland, although great simply cannot provide the same level of service or turnaround time that an agency can. Recruitment consultants deal with the candidates and the companies as opposed to dealing with just the companies. It is not as much about a sale as it is about placing the right candidate within the role. Agencies give a guarantee.”
Coming from someone who has seen both sides of the fence, Avril would never doubt just how challenging a job board sales professionals’ role can be, nonetheless, the two are distinct in many ways.
In Allen Recruitment, training is provided by senior members of staff, which results in recruiters being better equipped to find the right candidate for the job. “It all comes with experience, knowing candidates within their fields and knowing the client very well. That’s why agencies maintain business and build relationships with both business and candidates.”
A misconception of recruiters is they are only here to make money, placing you in any job they can, all for a sale. Even Avril believed it was all about the sale before working with Allen Recruitment, “I had a perception that all agency staff were sales people trying to make money from me and would put me working anywhere to make a quick sale.”
Since moving into an agency role Avril said, “I don’t have that opinion anymore and I think Agencies are the more efficient way for a job seeker to find work as they provide a stepping stone and introduction to companies they may never have heard of or applied for, whereas your CV can be lost in the crowd when you apply through a job board.”
“In Allen Recruitment, each CV is carefully considered and if you are being sent on behalf of an agency you already stand out with the seal of approval from us, who are happy for your CV to be sent in their name,” Avril added.
Of course, with 100’s of applications being made each day, naturally recruiters will try contact the ones that look like the best fit. Nonetheless, communication is a two-way street and here in Allen Recruitment we recommend ringing our recruiters, perhaps you left something out of your CV or just want to chat further about a role. Someone will always answer, and help you on your job hunt!
Considering the multinational clients, who Allen Recruitment work with on a daily basis, Avril said, if she had a choice she would now apply for a job through a Recruitment Agency. She believes recruiters “really know what the client wants and understand this. They can share this with the candidate so they can tailor their CV’s and be interview ready as opposed to applying direct.”
Getting your CV into an agencies database is of more value than you might think, as many of our applicants in Allen Recruitment who may not get hired for the job they applied for (remember only one candidate gets hired for each job), turn out to be the perfect fit for another similar role we have.
Although there are some vast diversities between the two, one could not be without the other. As Avril points out, “I definitely think that this town is big enough for the two of us, as Agencies need job boards to attract current and new candidates, meanwhile job boards need agencies as they make up a large share of their market in terms of revenue.”
Posted in: Career Resources
