How do you choose the best recruitment agency for you?

How do you choose the best recruitment agency for you

Hint: Don't just cross your fingers and hope for the best!

By Peter Foy

The job market is a fiercely competitive one. Your best friend in finding the right career opportunity and ensuring that you secure it could be a Recruitment Agency. But not all Agencies are the same.

...you shouldn't place your trust in just any old agency...  

According to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), there are nearly 24,000 Recruitment agencies in the UK! They range in size from one person operating out of a back bedroom to publicly quoted multi-national enterprises. Given the number of agencies available, it is no surprise that the service they offer varies.

This means that you shouldn't place your trust in just any old agency, cross your fingers and hope for the best outcome.

When choosing an agency, you should ask these questions

Are they approachable and enthusiastic?

Do the consultants sound genuinely interested in learning about your strengths, needs and goals? Consultants should have a high level of emotional intelligence; meaning they are able to build relationships with job seekers, to determine their true career goals. Bridie James, Business Manager of Just Recruitment’s Witham branch explains how Just Recruitment goes the extra mile for its candidates.

How long has the agency been operating?

Are they established in the local area? Do they have long-lasting relationships with their clients? This could be the difference between you getting an interview with a company, or being snubbed for candidates from a more established agency which the client trusts more.

How do you choose the best recruitment agency for youDo they understand you and your aspirations? 

It would be naïve to expect a Recruitment Consultant to be an expert in every field. You will have far more domain knowledge of professional roles than they do. What you should expect is that the consultant takes time to listen to your story to date and your goals for the future.

The Consultant’s expertise lies in understanding you and in matching you to the most appropriate employers. If they suggest that your CV is put forward to a specific company they should be able to give you chapter and verse on that company because they should have invested the time to understand exactly what that company is looking for.

Do they act as mentors?

Does your consultant give you advice on how to improve your CV, discuss what your Social Media presence says about you and do they coach you when you are preparing for an interview? Additionally, a good consultant should act as your mentor, and should be willing to help as you settle into a new role.

I’m very proud that Just ticks all these boxes. We have been operating for 40 years, and many of our clients have been with us throughout our entire journey. This means that we know the roles we are hiring for inside-out, and we have a great level of trust amongst our clients and candidates alike.

Our mission has always been to place people first. This means we endeavour to create an experience for each candidate we place; considering their needs, motivations and desires. We never treat a candidate as a number.

Our consultants are passionate about people - it's a minimum requirement for all employees. This means you always know that Just has your best interests at heart.

 

If you are actively looking for a new role and would like one of our consultants to get in touch with you just follow the link:
Register your interest with Just Recruitment

 

Published: 16 June 2025
© Copyright Just Recruitment Group Ltd 2025

Jobs currently available

New job
Accounts Administrator
Sector: Accountancy, Banking and Finance
Salary: £32,000 - £35,000 per annum
Location: Colchester
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: JC27
About the role

Just Recruitment is working with a well-regarded and long-standing family business based on the outskirts of Colchester — looking to add an Accounts Administrator to their team.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Please note that due to the company’s location, you will need to drive.

You will need to have a minimum of 3 years’ experience working with Sage 50 accounts and Sage payroll, with the ability to work on your own initiative.

The role is focused within the remit of bookkeeping up to trial balance using Sage software.

Duties include:

  • Ensuring timely and accurate recording of financial transactions.
  • Daily financial operations, including posting of supplier invoices, reconciliation of supplier accounts, accounts payable management, creation of customer invoices, accounts receivable management, etc.
  • Performing bank/credit-card reconciliations, including a factoring banking account and petty cash accounts.
  • Quarterly VAT returns and analysis. (including RTI submission to HMRC).
  • Preparing weekly aged creditors reports and processing the weekly supplier payment run accordingly.
  • Preparing monthly aged debtors reports and providing credit control where required.
  • Maintaining the cashflow forecast for the Finance director to review.
  • Processing monthly payroll, payments, journal entries, and year-end procedures (including RTI submission to HMRC).
  • Managing auto-enrolment pension contributions, submissions, and legal returns to the pensions regulator.

Skills required include:

  • Significant experience in finance or accounting.
  • Proficiency with accounting software Sage 50 and payroll.
  • Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet software such as Excel.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Experience in data entry.
  • Effective decision-making and problem-solving techniques within a finance environment.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set.
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
General Workshop Engineer
Sector: Engineering and Manufacturing
Salary: £27,000 per annum
Location: Colchester, Essex
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: TB18
About the role

Just Recruitment is seeking a General Workshop Engineer for a Colchester-based company. Ideally, you will have general engineering workshop experience and be looking for opportunities for professional growth and development within a specialist field.

If you are a skilled individual with a passion for precision and a desire to create exceptional tooling, we want to hear from you!

Please note that you need to have your own transport due to the company’s rural location.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm (40 hour week).

Key responsibilities include:

  • Operating Specialised Machinery, which may include:
    • CNC engraving machines.
    • Chemical etching equipment.
    • Grinding and polishing equipment.
    • Operating a Band Saw.
  • Precision Finishing: Perform detailed manual finishing, deburring, and hand-tooling to achieve the highest standards of accuracy and sharpness.
  • Some physical lifting will be involved.
  • Quality Control: Conduct stringent quality checks at every stage of the production process, ensuring dies meet exact specifications and the company’s high-quality benchmarks.
  • Maintenance: Assist with routine maintenance and calibration of machinery to ensure optimal performance.
  • Collaboration: Work closely with the design and production team to ensure seamless workflow and project delivery.
  • Problem Solving: Identify and resolve any issues arising during the die-making process to maintain production schedules and quality.

Company benefits include:

  • A supportive, collaborative, and friendly team environment.
  • The chance to work with cutting-edge technology and contribute to exciting projects.
  • 28 days paid annual leave, including bank holidays, plus a day off on your birthday.
  • Uniform provided after successful probation.
  • Employee assistance programme.
  • Health cash plan.
  • DIS insurance after 2 years.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. 
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Design Technician
Sector: Engineering & Technical
Location: Ipswich
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: JC26
About the role

Just Recruitment seeks a Design Technician to produce, check and process technical drawings for a company based in Ipswich, Suffolk, as part of its wider technical department.

Ideally, you will have a construction or architectural background, strong CAD skills, and excellent overall computer literacy.

Duties include:

  • Produce, check and process incoming design drawing requests, technical documentation and technical calculations.
  • Liaise with clients and Area Technical Managers.
  • Deal with telephone and email enquiries.
  • Keep up to date with Part L and Thermal Calculations.
  • Keep up to date with industry Codes of Practice and Building Regulations.

Essential key experience & skills required are:

  • Basic level CAD experience.
  • Ability to read and understand architectural drawings.
  • Advanced level of grammar and spelling.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Includes an end-of-year bonus and an excellent benefits package.
Hybrid working is available after successful completion of the probationary period, with a minimum of three days in the office and up to two days working from home.

 

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more
Warehouse Operative
Sector: Warehouse
Location: Sudbury
Role: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Job ref: 913735
About the role

Just Recruitment is partnering with an expanding manufacturing company on the outskirts of Sudbury to recruit a dedicated and reliable Warehouse Operative on a permanent basis.

The key purpose of this role is to support the business with the movement of raw materials and finished products as required.

In order to be considered for this role, you must possess a valid counterbalance forklift licence.

Key duties include:

  • Carrying out warehousing tasks, including order picking, storage allocation and record keeping.
  • Carrying out dispatch duties, including consolidating finished goods for daily loads.
  • Taking responsibility for ensuring goods are checked in and out using the stock management system.
  • Replenishing stock throughout the day and assisting with stock checks.

Role requirements include:

  • Counterbalance forklift driving licence and experience in driving forklift trucks.
  • The ability to follow written instructions, quality and safety standards.
  • The ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels and the confidence to escalate any issues to ensure quality and safety.
  • Computer literate - able to input data into the systems and maintain accurate records.
  • Conscientious with strong attention to detail.

This role operates on a three-week rotating shift pattern, Monday to Friday:

  • Weeks 1 & 2: 8:00am – 5:00pm
  • Week 3: 4:30pm – 1:30am

This role offers a competitive basic salary, shift allowance, and benefits package — an excellent opportunity to join a growing business.

Free parking is available on-site, and due to the company’s location, you must have access to your own transport.

Just Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent roles.
We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

 

Read more