The Problem: Lack of Understanding

The first bullet point on our list (and possibly the most consistent trait of recruitment agencies around the country) is their utter (and flagrant) lack of understanding. Have you ever seen an engineering vacancy after it has been advertised by a large or even 'specialist' agency? You know the ones… they say things like "Fanuck" and "Hiedenhine" on them. If you think we're exaggerating even slightly here, I would encourage you to contact us and ask to see the special 'adverts by idiots' file we keep at Albion HQ. It's a daily reminder of what we're fighting against!

Why is this an issue?
…because this lack of understanding directly influences your chances of seeing the best candidates. Ask yourself whether you, as an experienced setter/operator for example, would even look twice at an advert with the job title "CNB Machin Settler" ? The agency you choose to represent you in the candidate marketplace becomes an extension of your company. If they think that Yamazaki Mazak is the prime minister of Japan, the chances of them turning up with the Integrex programmer you've been looking for are fairly slim, wouldn't you say?

How is Albion different?
Before any of our Sourcing Specialists (the people who find and interview our candidates) can be promoted to the management position of Senior Sourcing Specialist, they must complete a minimum BTEC (or equivalent) in General Engineering. They use a combination of this knowledge and site visits to local manufacturers to further educate both themselves and their junior team members. How many other 'specialists' can say that?

The Problem: Quantity over quality

Once an agency has secured the business of a client, they set about sending across CVs for roles. For any number of reasons including a lack of sector knowledge from consultants or, worst of all, simply not listening to hiring managers during the consultation process; they proceed to ‘avalanche’ dozens of poorly matched or simply irrelevant CVs via email.

Why is this an issue?
Almost invariably this process leads to very few (if any) suitable candidates being submitted for the role and results in a massively diminished experience for both the client, who gains no benefit from an agent brought in to save them time in the first place, and the candidate who has been shoehorned into an inappropriate role.

How is Albion different?
Part of our commitment to our client companies is to gather all of the information we need in a timely manner, in order that we may consistently meet and exceed expectations through our own understanding of your requirements. Part of this process of information-gathering involves establishing a maximum number of CVs under review by a hiring manager at any given time. This allows our consultants to both ensure that they focus on quality and suitability of candidates, and to provide a unique and tailored service to our candidates and client companies.
We provide an exclusive and specialist service to the engineering market, using the combined 30+ years' experience of the consultants in our Coventry Head Office to understand your requirements and to provide a sourcing and selection service which is second to none. No-one understands engineering like engineers!

The Problem: Cold Calling

A necessary evil in the recruitment industry but one which is approached with varying degrees of professionalism by different recruitment consultants. Unfortunately for the few that approach telesales with vigour, manners and understanding; there are the many who do not. Some call with the same robotic ‘elevator pitch’ to 100 companies every day, some use deception and outright lies to surreptitiously reach hiring managers who have no interest in their services.

Why is this an issue?
Similarly to our Fees/Terms of Business section, actions such as these perpetuate a stereotype of recruitment consultants as akin to clichéd used car or doorstep sellers. Cold calls can be anything from a welcome surprise (when correctly targeted) to a minor irritation (if not correctly researched) or a major disruption (if overused or poorly executed.)

How is Albion different?
Whilst we do cold call for business, our consultants are trained thoroughly in targeted selling before ever being let loose on a telephone. We pride ourselves on the attentive and empathic nature of our team and ensure that this is integrated into their sales on every call. We respect and adhere to any preferences that you may have regarding agency usage such as a PSL, or no-agency policy and will only ever call back companies who wish to be contacted and have specified a preferred time period after which to do so.