How to Find a Cost-Effective Employment Agency in Dublin

Looking for a top-class candidate to fill your job opportunity? You could cross your fingers and hope that the perfect employee waltzes through your door. But why leave things to chance when you can employ the services of a professional employment agency? In Dublin, Ireland, there are many different types to choose from. This ultimate guide for choosing a cost-effective employment agency in Dublin will help you find the one that best fits your hiring needs and your budget.

What Can an Employment Agency Do for You?

In Ireland it’s a candidate’s market at the moment, the rate of unemployment is low, salaries have increased and there’s a skill shortage across many industries. Finding high-calibre candidates might not be as easy as you anticipated! An employment agency can:

• Help you put together the job specification for the role on offer and helping you decide on the profile the ideal candidate for the role.
• Advise of market rate salary and benefits packages in Ireland that you need to offer in order to be competitive.
• Publish and market your job (usually via their website and multiple other job posting sites that an agency would have subscriptions to).
• Use their connections and talent network to reach out to passive candidates they have built up relationships with through the years.
• Sift through the applications in accordance with the defined specification and selection process.
• Sell to the candidate the job opportunity and company on offer explaining the nuances and unique aspects of both.
• Do first round screens to ensure the shortlisted candidates truly fit the profile of the job on offer.
• Conduct psychometric testing or other personality tests on your behalf.
• Pinpoint suitable candidates and present the best to the you the client.
• Give honest opinions and feedback on the suitability of each candidate.

What Type of Employment Agency Should I Use?

From a small business run by a couple of consultants to larger employment agencies with global reach, Dublin has them all. As a general rule, agencies fall into three groups:

• General recruitment agency – recruit entry/mid-level employees for a particular industry e.g. finance or technology.
• Temporary recruitment agency – recruit temporary employees e.g. to cover maternity leave, sickness or a short-term project requirments.
• Executive recruitment agency – recruit professional / C-level senior level employees e.g. CFO’s, CTO’s, CIO’s.

What Does the Average Employment Agency in Dublin Charge?

When you engage the services of a reputable employment agency in Dublin or anywhere else for that matter, you are securing valuable time and expertise. Expect to pay for the privilege, and keep in mind employment agency fees vary.

Fees often worked out as a percentage of the salary offered (often around 15% to 25%). This percentage could be higher if the role is for a senior employee or deemed difficult to fill.  Temporary contracts often call for a higher percentage, as they are considered riskier for the agency and require more administration.  There are a few contributing factors that also might impact on agency fees:

• Number of people you want to employ
• Industry
• Salary
• Type of vacancy and contract e.g. full-time, fixed term, temporary etc.

The Benefits of Using an Employment Agency

Still not sure if you need to employ the services of an employment agency in Dublin? Let’s explore the benefits:

Save Time

“We aren’t very busy and have plenty of time to waste,” said no company ever! From wading through endless applications to contacting applicants and conducting interviews – hiring a new employee takes up a lot of time.  A professional employment agency can  step in and take over this whole process for you leaving you free to do your day to day job. Chances are they already have one or two candidates on their books who possess the skills and experience you are seeking. This will notably shorten the whole recruitment process, saving you time.

Find the Best Candidates

You want the best man or woman for the job, and employment agencies will scrutinise each candidate to ensure they possess the attributes to match your specified criteria. What’s more there are agencies who are considered specialists in their field – e.g. engineering, sales, finance etc, which means they specifically recruit in one field and will have already built up a bank of talented candidates just waiting for the right job to come along.

Access Experience and Knowledge

Not all companies are fortunate enough to have a person or team dedicated to recruiting new employees, and they therefore lack the know how on how to initiate the process of finding the right person to fill your open job. Employment agencies in Dublin and beyond have been there, they possess the experience and knowledge to find the best candidates for you as they do it daily for companies with a similar situation, size, industry and expertise as yours.

Get a Guarantee

The employment agency in Dublin found the perfect person for the job, and he’s been working for the company for two months. It was all going so well, but he’s just announced he’s decided to move to Australia and to explore the coral reefs. You are understandably crestfallen. Luckily you hired the candidate through a reputable employment agency, which means you have a guarantee period. This is a guarantee that your new employee will work for you for a set period (usually 3-6 months). If the employee leaves, or you end their employment during this period, then you receive compensation. Compensation usually takes the form of a refund or the agency finding a new candidate for the role (at no extra cost).

How to Choose the Right Employment Agency

Ready to go and find the best employment agency in Dublin? Here’s a quick recap of what you need to do:

• Identify hiring needs – position, contract type and salary etc.
• Define budget and compare agency fees (check the guarantee period)
• Check out agency credentials
• Check out testimonials and reviews

Additional tips for choosing the best recruitment agency in Dublin

Here are some useful additional resources that may help you choose the right recruitment agency in Dublin for your needs:

• Browse the top list of the best recruitment agencies by Clutch
  Browse the list of the best recruitment agencies, check out their reviews and compare them. You can also filter the results by different criteria.
• Check out the view from the market and see if your recruitment agency has won any industry awards for their services. Some examples are the Inbusiness Awards, NRF recruitment Awards among others.
• Search for and study their client list and companies they work with. Look for their clients and placed candidate’s testimonials and reviews.

Can We Help You?

Here at Lincoln Recruitment Specialists we make it our business to connect our clients with exceptional talent. We understand that it’s not about finding the right candidates for today, or even tomorrow – it’s about finding skilled team members who can build and sustain businesses into the future. Our consultants are industry specialists, and are committed to mutual success. Let us help you find the professional you need.