Role of Placement Consultants in Recruitment

Placement consultants act as middlemen that match a job vacancy with the right candidate. Their services are availed by both companies having job openings and candidates looking for employment.

Companies do not simply rely on newspaper or job portal advertisements to post a vacancy. Job seekers are also contacted by a third party, namely a placement agency, on behalf of the company in order to screen suitable candidates. Job seekers, on their part, too hire the services of placement consultants to help them find the right job. But how exactly do these consultants function? Read on to learn more Placement Consultants.

Placement Consultants

Consultant’s role from employer’s perspective

Companies seek the help of placement consultants as and when there is a job opening. Consultants maintain a database of candidates looking for employment and scan through it to search for the right candidate; online job portals are another source for headhunting resumes that match with the job profile in question. Placement consultants conduct the initial screening of candidate profiles and even schedule interview with the company.

Consultant’s role from job seeker’s perspective

The interaction between consultant and job seeker may initiate in two ways: either by the placement consultant as mentioned above or by the job seeker who registers himself/herself with the placement firm. Placement agencies can increase the chances of a candidate of coming in contact with the right companies (that hold vacancies in the desired sector and candidate’s level of experience).

Consultant’s role from job seeker’s perspective

The interaction between consultant and candidates may initiate in two ways: either by the placement consultant as mentioned above or by the job seeker who registers himself/herself with the placement firm. Placement agencies can increase the chances of a candidate of coming in contact with the right companies (that hold vacancies in the desired sector and candidate’s level of experience).

Qualities of a good consultant

As a job seeker, you will be interacting with the recruitment consultant at least in the initial stages of the hiring process and more if you have taken the services on hire for finding a suitable job. It is, therefore, important to know the competency of the placement consultant in whose hands you have entrusted your job search.

How to identify a good consultant?

• Good communication and inter-personal skills.
• Gauges potential candidate’s suitability for particular job role.
• Puts forth the requirements and job responsibilities along with terms of employment clearly at the initial stages itself.
• Follows up with the candidate subsequently regarding the progress of hiring process at interview rounds with the company and once placed too.

Placement consultants play a bridging role between the employer and the job seeker by matching the company’s requirements for a particular vacancy with the candidate’s profile - job role, qualification, salary compensation etc. How well a placement agency can match the two sides determines their success rate at talent acquisition and enables a job seeker find the right job.