Employment Agencies & Consultants in the UK

Finding a good recruitment agency in the UK

A recruitment agency matches people to jobs and is paid by the employer: for temporary work it employs or engages the worker and charges the client an hourly rate on top of the pay; for permanent roles it finds, screens and presents candidates for a fee of 15 to 25 per cent of the first year's salary. For candidates the service is free by law, and a good agency knows which local employers are hiring, coaches you for the interview, negotiates the pay and rings with the next role. For employers it is the shortlist without the advertising, the sifting and the risk.

Agencies divide by sector — industrial and warehouse, construction and trades, driving, care and nursing, hospitality, education, office and finance, IT and engineering, executive search — and by kind: high street generalists with a temp desk, specialists who know one industry, and the national chains. Temps are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as permanent staff after twelve weeks, holiday pay from day one and a written statement of terms; agencies may not charge candidates, and umbrella companies, used by many for contractors, must be transparent about deductions.

The listings here show each agency's reviews, sectors, temp and permanent services and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who recruits for your trade, and whose candidates and clients in your town keep coming back.

What recruitment agencies do

For candidates: registration and a CV review, temp work paid weekly, permanent roles with interview coaching and pay negotiation, and the calls when the next job comes in.

For employers: temporary staff at short notice, permanent recruitment with sourcing, screening, referencing and a guarantee period, and managed contracts for larger workforces.

Sectors: industrial and warehouse, construction and trades, driving, care and nursing, hospitality and catering, education, office and finance, sales, IT and engineering, and executive search.

Compliance: right-to-work checks, DBS and referencing, PAYE or umbrella payroll, holiday pay and pensions for temps, and the paperwork employers would otherwise do.

Extras: training and certification for warehouse and care roles, temp-to-perm arrangements, and outplacement and career advice.

Before you use a recruitment agency

• Candidates: register with two or three agencies in your sector, keep them updated, and never pay a fee.
• Ask a temp agency how pay works — PAYE or umbrella — and what is deducted; get the terms in writing.
• Employers: agree the fee, the guarantee or rebate period and exclusivity before the agency starts.
• Check membership of the REC or APSCo and, for care and driving, the regulatory checks the agency runs.
• Read reviews from both candidates and employers; a good agency treats both well.
• Be clear about pay, hours, location and what you will not do; it saves everyone's time.

How recruitment agency fees work

Agencies charge employers, never candidates. For temps, the client pays an hourly charge rate of the worker's pay plus 20 to 45 per cent for employer costs and margin; for permanent placements a fee of 15 to 25 per cent of the first year's salary, so £4,500 to £7,500 on a £30,000 role, with a rebate if the person leaves within the guarantee period of 8 to 12 weeks; retained executive search charges a third of the fee up front. Temp-to-perm transfers carry a fee that reduces over the months worked. Umbrella companies deduct a weekly margin of £15 to £30 plus employer costs from the contractor's rate, which must be shown on the payslip.

For an employer, a permanent fee is paid once for a person who stays; the agency that reads the role well is cheaper than the advert that does not.