WORKING WITH YOUR PRIVATE RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT

Guidance for candidates - Keep it real

JP Smith is a private-sector business and we are recruitment consultants who source, place, assign and manage candidates, employees and contractors for clients in business and government every day, and are proud of what we do. We do what we do because we love helping people but we also do it to make a living and a profit. We are not government funded – rather, the employer (the business) commissions us to do their HR and Recruitment work.

We are members of the RCSA (Recruitment and Consulting Services Assoc) because we have a deep commitment to delivering professional services and because we know that candidates rely upon us and are impacted by their experiences with us. A great experience with a recruitment or staffing firm can create amazing new opportunities and self-worth, whilst a bad experience can leave a candidate frustrated and disheartened. It is important to note that our business is commissioned by the employer to find the candidate of their choosing. We are given clearly defined criteria that we must fulfil and as such, not everyone will fit that criteria.

Whilst we would love to be able to give every candidate the great news that they have been the successful candidate for a job or an assignment this is, of course, unrealistic. We exist because there are not enough candidates for jobs in some areas and not enough jobs for candidates in other areas and this means we have to give the bad news to candidates every day.

With the above in mind, we sometimes fail to meet people's expectations in regards to "finding them a job". We are not a “government funded employment agency”, rather, we are a private “recruitment agency”. That means we are here to find the most suitable person for the role and bring employers and employees together. If we don't have the jobs that suit, we are unable to bring both parties together. We can't create something from nothing. So if the thought occurs, “ Why haven't they found me a job?", it is worthwhile remembering that if we don't have the right jobs on at the moment, we simply can't bring the two of you together. It's not for lack of trying.

Whilst we strive to be the best we can, by having great business systems and great consultants with enough time to quickly respond to a call or email, this also is not always possible. Just as is the case with any business or service offering, the volume of orders change, consultants have sick leave, customer orders change and candidates change their minds. That’s just the world we live in.

So, when you next have a different experience with a recruitment or staffing firm please understand that the firm you are dealing with is an RCSA member and are committed to high standards but, importantly, we can’t make everyone the successful candidate and we are dealing with a lot of variables that makes delivering consistently amazing experiences challenging at times.

Work constructively with your recruitment consultant because we are run by people with emotions and human limitations just like you. Communicate constructively to ensure effective feedback but understand they work within limits.

Thanks for your understanding and we look forward to a professional working relationship with you.