What to Look for in a Scientific Recruitment Agency

There are many aspects to consider when selecting which scientific recruitment agency to enrol with, especially given the huge choice available within the recruitment industry. Of course a lot of people aren’t fussy and will register their CV with every scientific recruitment company they can find. The problem with this choice of strategy is that it can lead to your CV being submitted to the same company multiple times, which reflects badly on you and the agencies being employed by the recruiting client. This is especially likely in such a specialist industry handling such specialised job roles. An employing company will often enlist the services of more than one scientific recruitment agency to find them suitable job candidates, with the successful agency winning the commission. This is the sort of situation that can lead to problems of duplication.

It’s therefore much more advisable to work with one or two agencies who specialise in your particular branch of scientific work, rather than using the scattergun approach. I would also recommend being totally up front with the agencies you register with, making sure they know that you are also registered with other.

Independent scientific recruitment consultancy or large multi-location chain

Both have their pros and cons. You’re much more likely to get a more personal and better quality of service from a smaller independent scientific recruitment consultancy than you are from a large agency chain, but the quality of job roles handled by the smaller agency may be less high profile. This isn’t always the case but large employers generally use one recruitment agency to handle their search and selection affairs, and they tend to be bigger consultancies because it’s assumed they attract a better quality of client. In my experience smaller independent recruitment consultancies will remain in more regular contact with you, which makes you feel more like a valued customer than just another number. I suppose it really comes down to your own personal choice and the geographical location within which you’re looking.

Recruitment consultants

It’s imperative that you trust the person who represents you at the recruitment agency you choose. This is the person who could potentially help you land that dream role so you need to feel comfortable with them, like you can be honest with them and that they have your best interests at heart. Usually a recruitment agency will have one consultant who specialises in recruiting for a certain sector eg. Forensic Science, unless it’s a very big organisation in which case they may have more than one, so if you don’t feel happy dealing with the consultant who is assigned to you it may be better to go elsewhere.

Negotiating your package

Different recruitment agencies work on different payment structures but most will work on a percentage of the salary you will earn from the company they’ve placed you in. Therefore it’s in their interests to negotiate you the best package they possibly can, however if the recruitment consultant feels they may be in danger of losing the sale if they negotiate too aggressively they may be inclined to advise you to accept the offer on the table. You are well within your right to play hardball over the package on offer, and if you don’t feel that the salary and benefits on offer meet your requirements then don’t be afraid to walk away. If you accept a package you are unhappy with it’s more than likely going to lad to job dissatisfaction further down the line.