Search Services Being Brought In-House

Many of BD Recruitment’s “none agency” clients are joining a growing trend of bringing seo and ppc services in-house. Is this loss of significant SEM business heavily effecting the smaller agencies whose life blood is the small-business market?

BD Recruitment Incredibly Helpful

Recruitment is a tough, competitive market, particularly within the technical IT and search marketing industries, so when one agency stands out I feel it essential to praise it, stand forward BD Recruitment.

Instead of one person's praise I am in the fortunate position to have gleaned three likewise happy customers of BD Recruitment, a simple job of looking through their candidate testimonials:

"In a time where job opportunities are waning and the competition for roles gets more intense, it's encouraging that agencies such as BD Recruitment still take the time to treat candidates like human beings, rather than another name to tick off a list. I can honestly say that instead of feeling pressured or mislead for the benefit of others, both Alastair and Harriet took the time to really listen to my goals and requirements for my next role and I would recommend them to anyone."

Stephen Fairbanks, Web Designer, Manchester.

"When looking to leave my last role I was placed in contact with Michelle, and she very quickly set up meetings with some of the top agencies within my sector. Her industry knowledge sets her aside for previous recruiters I have used, as she was able to talk through and recommend various roles. The whole process took around 2 weeks, it was a pleasure to use BD recruitment, and I would not hesitate to recommend Michelle to anyone looking change role - Many thanks Michelle"

Caroline Reynolds – Placed at Avenue A Razorfish December 2008.

"I found BD recruitment to be an incredibly helpfull asset in my search for employment. I was not passed from consultant to consultant as I have found with other agencies and dealt with one man, Alastair Taylor, the whole time. This provided a very personal service and Alastair was always completely aware of my circumstances and needs. He provided me with an extremely professional and enthusiastic service and helped me secure my current position. I can thoroughly reccomend BD Recruitment to anyone searching for that perfect job."

Alex Kewin, Senior 3D Digital Artist.

Recruiters Are Not The Only Ones Judged On Price Alone!!

It’s interesting to hear grumbles from our creative clients about the way the bidding process is going when pitching for contracts. It would appear that many creative agencies are so desperate for work, they are entering into pitches with almost none-profit bids. The “quality” end of the market is starting to lose out as people shop for a designer on price alone rather than creative ability. If this continues, the whole integrity of the industry is undermined as talented designers can be bought at a ridiculously low price.

This makes me think of how recruitment agencies are picked, when these same creative agencies who are grumbling want to know our fees before anything else. We too are hard working, talented people (well, at least our company is) but we are expected to drop of fees to a pointless level regardless of how good a job we are able to deliver. Maybe those creative agencies dropping out of pitches because they feel they are worth more, may now see the point of the quality recruiter who stands by his fees !

Any Decent Recruiters Out There ??

I’ve been talking to Search Engine Marketing professionals about their experiences of the recruitment industry and how effective recruiters are in finding them work. The general feedback has been negative. It would appear that we still have an industry that generally lacks significant understanding of the people it’s trying to place. Ultimately the last thing these guys want is to have their CV in the hands of someone who doesn’t know the first thing about SEO, PPC, etc…how on earth can these recruiters find them their perfect jobs if they don’t even understand them…and they have a point. There are one or two agencies out there who know their market and their roles/ responsibilities within it. So if you find a recruiter offering outstanding recruitment services and a thorough knowledge and passion for recruiting for the best SEO, PPC, Affiliates out there, grab hold of them for they appear to be a very rare breed indeed !

Avoid The Recruiter Baring Low Fees !!

What is it with the current trend for “lesser” recruitment agencies to drop their rates the minute a client company asks?! – I heard of a national agency today that is willing to work on a flat £1500 for a £30k salary job. These so called recruitment companies must be desperate for business if they are dropping from 25% to anything under 10% just because things get a little tighter.

The clients must think they are getting a bargain initially until they realise these agencies can’t deliver. As with most industries, the cheapest isn’t always the best. If a design agency told us they would create an amazing website for £1500 and another quoted £10,000, I may think that 10k was steep, but I certainly wouldn’t touch the £1.5k company. I wouldn’t want to run the risk of it looking a shambles.

So, the client companies eventually realise its false economy and get in touch with someone who can deliver excellent recruitment services at a price that reflects what asp.net developers or seo executives cost to find. Ultimately, the client’s waste dozens of man hours sifting through dross so probably end up spending an awful lot more than the initial 20% fee they turned down in favour of the one-man band recruiter happy to work on a £1k fee, but never delivers.

Why PSL’s Ensure The Best Recruiters Don’t Work on Your Roles

Recruiters essentially work for free until a placed candidate starts. Therefore, anyone good at the job will clearly want to work in circumstances that minimise the risk of filling a job, therefore gaining financial reward for their efforts. So, if you know you are working alongside 5 other agencies to fill a single role, the chances are slim let’s be honest. So, you will probably focus your efforts on those companies have given you firm commitment or exclusivity. So those companies hedging their bets on using multiple agencies will usually end up having their vacancy worked on by the recruiters who can’t find business anywhere else.