I am the Office Mgr, Exec. Assist., Receptionist, etc. for a small satellite office in Central New Jersey. My co-worker and I are in need of recommendations on which "Placement Agencies" are better, if any, or are they all basically the same? I've used agencies in the past and I've never been satisfied with them. I feel that most are just filling a slot and the requirements that I need aren't that important. Please let me know if anyone has had better experiences then me. Thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to your comments.
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I have met with Kate Hastings Garrison of Innovative Group in my job search. I found her to be thorough, professional and had good follow through. Unlike other agencies, where I was just a "body" to send. I believe that Kate was trying to find the right spot for me.
Her number is: 732-961-0771, she also has an office in NYC. You can tell her that Bernadette Jones passed on her name because I do believe that she is good. I don't know how big or small of a job she handles. She could give you more info on her company.
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Bernadette Jones on
8/8/2008 5:12:00 PM
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I'm not familiar with placement agencies in New Jersey, as I am in Indiana. I will tell you that we have had good luck with Kelly Services. If you choose to go this route, I would recommend interviewing the temporary employee first. Find out if that person has the skill sets / experience to meet the needs and expectations of your organization. If so, then bring that person in on assignment for ninety days. If that person is working out well and you would like to make a job offer, work with the recruiter from that agency. We have hired to Kelly temps within the past year and a half, both times Kelly Services waived fees. Both of those employees are still here and doing an excellent job.
Our office has is presently working with a couple of recruiters to fill some director positions here. Unfortunately, those recruiters have been sending anyone and everyone to us, regardless if the candidate was qualified or not. They seem to be more interested in their commission instead of our companies needs. If you are running into this issue, you may need to be very direct with the recruiter. Tell him / her that you will not accept resumes for or interview any candidates that do not meet the minimum requirements and skill sets outlined in the job description. If they continue to send unqualified people, go with another placement agency.
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Anonymous on
8/6/2008 12:01:30 PM
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Locally here in northern Ohio, I have had success with Adecco for office placements. I have both been placed by them and I have seen my employers in the past use them for other positions. I believe they are a national/worldwide company and information on them may be found at www.adecco.com. They can be used for both temporary or permanent placements. I hope this is helpful to you. It may be a matter of finding a knowlegeable, caring placement representative who will listen and understand your needs. Good luck!
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Anonymous on
8/6/2008 11:57:52 AM
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Office Team would be your best option.
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Miss Marilyn on
8/5/2008 1:35:04 PM
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I'm not sure if Office Team (part of Robert Half) is in New Jersey but I use them all the time and I am never dissapointed with the temps or placements I have gotten. One thing I like about Office Team and Robert Half is that they test their applicants on software applications along with interviewing them before they send them on any job.
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Lori E on
7/29/2008 7:22:16 AM
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I live in Northern CA and it's been my experience that using agencies is the ONLY way to go!! When I needed to hire a new front desk assistant, I thought I'd try to save money so instead of using an agency, I placed ads on local websites. The impact? I was overwhelmed with emails and realized that I now had to screen each candidate. This added weeks onto my time line -- Sure agencies typically charge 18-20% of the salary as their fee, but when you consider the time they save you in doing the various testing of skills and competency, back ground checks, references, etc. personally I feel its worth the fee. I have two agencies for admin and another for IT needs. I use these two agencies as they have in the past placed me in a few of my positions, but if you need some sort of reference I would suggest calling each to do your own comparison, check with local colleges to see if any of these agencies work with them in placing their grads, ask colleagues if they were ever placed through agencies, etc. I'm confident if you took these steps you too will come to realize that using agencies is your best bet. Good luck!
Maureen Pero
Office Administrator &
Assistant to the CEO and President
Larkspur, CA
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Maureen Pero on
7/28/2008 10:00:24 AM
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Jamie - If you can, find other admins in your area requiring similar things and ask what agency(ies) they use. Word of mouth is great for things like this.
Also, you can always check your local BBB to be sure there is not something hinky about the agency. And as always if you get the gut feeling something is wrong, it probably is. Instinct counts for a lot.
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Kelly Olsakovsky on
7/28/2008 9:10:27 AM
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Key to a successful placement is a good job order. Describe not only what the person will be doing, but the office environment. A good agency makes a cohesive match that includes personality. A huge factor in making a successful hire, is not so much skills, as it is desire. A person may obtain the necessary skills if they have the desire to learn and a certain amount of skill to build on. So, it is important to include expectations and a hint of the environment and the people this person will work with and for. Honesty and forthrightness helps an agency make a targeted referral. Stay away from agencies that are involved in numbers - for example, ten referrals = one placement. These agencies are not considerate of your time.
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Linda Palmer on
7/28/2008 9:03:18 AM
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