How to identify a great secretarial agency

Finding a competent, let alone great, secretarial agency in London can be a challenge. Let’s face it: there are plenty to choose from! How do you know their ethics are aligned with yours? How can you be sure they’ve properly screened their candidates? And most importantly, how can you make sure you end up with the best talent?

While all valid questions, sadly we can’t give you all the answers outright. But we can give you a couple of pointers on what to look for and how to decide which secretarial agency to entrust your hiring with:

Invite a few agencies to meet with you

The best way of identifying who’s the best fit for you is to meet a couple of office support recruitment agencies so you can compare their services and how their business aligns with yours. There’s a lot to be said for cultural fit. After all, if you recruit regularly, you’re likely to be communicating with us often. Not only that, but you’ll need to trust that we understanding your business and can deliver what you’re looking for.

Brief us in properly

Regardless of time pressures, if you don’t brief us in thoroughly and accurately, we will struggle to fulfill your brief! Permanent or temporary, as your recruiter we want to hear about your business values, culture and a description of the personalities of the team. If it’s a permanent role, it really helps us to understand the main challenges the candidate would be facing, the learning opportunities, the prospects for progression and of course, your ideal wish list. All of this information will ensure we can work efficiently and competently with you to find the right candidate.

Recruitment strategy and metrics

A strong recruitment agency will be able to clearly define their recruitment strategy beyond ‘searching the database’ and ‘putting an ad up’. A recruiter who knows the industry well and is experienced in the office support market will have a clear strategy in place for sourcing excellent candidates. Equally, they will understand the market trends and use these to give you accurate and up-to-date recommendations for attracting fantastic employees.

Referrals are key

Like your hairdresser, mechanic or builder, the best recruiters are the ones referred to you. If you’re contemplating engaging a secretarial agency but don’t have a referral, ask for one! A good recruiter will have strong enough relationships in place with their clients to be comfortable asking them for a reference. As such, you’ll be able to have a candid conversation with an objective third party.

A trusted advisor in all things talent

A recruiter should be a right hand to an HR manager or hiring manager. While sourcing candidates to fill roles is the name of the game, we will equally be able to provide valuable information and advice relating to market trends, future predictions and general guidance around talent such as employee engagement and retention.

Are you looking for a secretarial recruitment agency to assist with your support staff recruitment? Give us a call today.

Author David Morel Tiger Recruitment Team