ifWhy do speech pathology businesses use recruitment agencies? Are they hiding something?
Speech pathology students recently asked me these two questions and were genuinely concerned. They were applying for online speech pathologist jobs. However, they became suspicious when the recruitment agency would not reveal the speech pathology business they were representing.
Recruitment agencies are not cheap
Many speech pathology students don’t realise that speech pathology businesses choose to use recruitment agencies to find the best match for their company. AND this is a significant financial investment for the company. Basically, if the company uses a recruitment agency, it must have the financial resources and interest to invest in getting the best candidate for the job.
Why do recruitment agencies withhold the details of the employer?
Some recruitment agencies want to protect the anonymity of the company until they have selected the shortlist of candidates for the company to interview. This may be because of past experiences where candidates have bypassed the recruitment agency and contacted the company directly. This is not recommended.
Similarly, some companies specifically request that the recruitment agency withholds their name until the interview stage. This doesn’t mean that they are hiding anything. They may have had a previous unpleasant experience so they want to stay anonymous until all the checks have been completed.
Recruitment process
Sharon Vandameer, CEO of On the Ball Personnel recruitment agency, sees the recruitment process in a very different light. Sharon describes recruitment as a two-way street. Both the company and the candidate need to have all the information at hand before making a career decision.
Firstly, the speech pathology business gives the recruitment agency a detailed job description. Then, the recruitment agency screens applicants to determine the eligibility for the position. Interestingly, Sharon always advises applicants to do their own research of the company. She feels it is important for the applicant to get a feel whether their values align with the company or not.
Whether you take up this advice or not is up to you. However, if you are genuinely interested in the position, researching the company should be your priority!
Once you approve, the recruiter organises an interview with the company. Meanwhile they do their reference checks in the background.
You may be the only applicant or you may be on a shortlist. The interview may be face-to-face or may be via Zoom. Whichever the case, the most important thing to do is PREPARE for the interview. Check out our blog on interview preparation here!
