Greasy pole

The popularity of recruitment agencies lies in their claim to be able to provide the right person at the right time. They are not without pitfalls, though, and the potential for mismanagement is high. An agency worker can be up to 20% more expensive than a full-time member of staff and, given the nature of their employment, there is always the question of commitment levels.

Choice
Once you have established that agency staff will be more cost-effective than using internal resources, monitor and assess an individual agency's performance in order to ensure that they really are the best choice.

Relationship
A formal, long-term relationship with your preferred agencies is likely to generate benefits in terms of discounts and constructive feedback.

Performance
An organisation needs to ensure mechanisms are in place to check its agency's systems cover work visa requirements and police clearances. It's all too easy to assume these are in place when under pressure to fill a vacancy, but take the time to check.

Agencies should give the time and attention to understanding their client's requirements. Watch out for those that are unreceptive to feedback on performance and give priority to sales targets rather than customers' needs.

  Beware agencies that send a temp who does not meet the basic specification, or that substitute quantity for quality in terms of potential recruits sent for interview.

Whose deadline is it anyway?
Never forget the deadline is yours. Don't put up with an agency that delays in supplying staff, can't meet agreed deadlines and is not flexible and responsive where urgent staffing needs arise. Similarly, watch out for inaccurate billing and overcharging.

Evaluation
In short, it is essential that organisations consider in advance how they intend to assess their chosen agency's performance. These should then be communicated to the agency in writing. Formal performance monitoring may require benchmarking data against which the agency can be prepared. It also needs to be decided whether equal opportunities monitoring will be used and, if it is, the extent to which the agency will be involved.