Employers FAQs

Is there a cost?

Yes, but I am confident that it offers excellent value in relation to how productive the students and graduates can be, and the value they can bring to a business. There is a huge amount of work that goes into sourcing and screening candidates. I have quite a high profile, so there are generally dozens to hundreds of applications for each job, but they aren’t always the right ones for you. So I also invest time in proactively finding others. It is not always easy to find the right candidates, but it’s what I do, and there is nothing to pay unless one of my candidates joined you.

What if it doesn’t work out?

I take pride in my work, and throughout my recruitment career I have had an outstanding record in finding the right candidates for my clients. Very seldom has it not worked out, and most candidates I have placed have gone on to have successful careers with their employers. My job is to send you candidates who are the best available and most interested. You can then interview them and see who is the best match for you, and support them when they start. If we get this right between us then then there shouldn’t be any issues. But, when working with people it will not work out 100% of the time, so for your peace of mind there is a rebate period included in my terms: if they did leave within the first 12 weeks you would get a full or partial refund, or a replacement (depending on when they left).

There are a lot of graduates who apply directly to us:

Is the quality there, and are you 100% certain that there is not someone even stronger who is not aware of your opportunity? I don’t charge a fee unless one of my candidates joins you, so it won’t cost you anything to find out.

We only want people who apply to us directly, it shows they want to work with us:

Graduates aren’t always aware of the benefits and opportunities that are offered from a career with an SME, nor where to find them. These graduates are skilled in their own area, their skill is not generally in uncovering work opportunities; and apart from very niche areas it may be a bit unrealistic to expect that a graduate will have heard of an SME by name. 99% have not, and this does not affect their suitability.  In terms of proactivity in a candidate, I do my bit to measure this as part of the process.

We don’t have time to train graduates:

You might be surprised by how much they already know. All of the graduates I work with already have work experience of some kind, and I regularly receive feedback from employers that they have picked things up very quickly. While they do need some kind of training and coaching, most of the employers I work with don’t have a training department. Nor do they have a formal graduate scheme- and this is ok. Having said that, you do need to invest some time in your new hires, and this will be richly rewarded.

What industry sectors and job types do you cover:

Too many to list. My area of specialism is students and graduates, and this covers most sectors and job types including technical roles. I am adaptable, and know enough to find the right people- then you can question them further on the technical aspects at interview stage.

Do you have any charity partners?

Yes, and I make a donation to all 3 each time a placement is made.

We don’t pay fees for graduates:

Why not? It’s equally important to get the right person when hiring a graduate as when making an experienced hire. If you get the right one they could be with you for years.

Which universities do you work with?

I can access students or graduates from any of the UK universities, and have placed graduates from all in jobs at some point.  Around 6% from direct university links, but over 90% of the time using a variety of other methods that are tried and tested.

We have links with a university:

These links can be great and I know of many employers who have had positive experiences. But also many others who haven’t. I myself have found the service can vary significantly depending on the university. Some are very switched on and helpful. Others are not.

Either way, there are some things you need to be aware of. And even if you are receiving an excellent service, you could use me alongside your chosen university to make sure you are not missing out.

There are over 140 universities in the UK, and many students will travel to another city to study then return home to work after graduating. If only concentrating on local universities you risk missing out on these.

Also, you will only have a set number of graduates in the pool, and the skills and overall employability and work-ethic can vary significantly between them: a particular issue once the strongest ones have been snapped up. A common complaint I hear from businesses is that they have not received any suitable applications (but lots of unsuitable ones). A university’s priority is to get all of their graduates jobs, while my priority is to get you the best graduate out there.

Many universities have long-standing issues with student and graduate engagement; particularly once they have finished their courses and left the university.

This is a historical issue that most, if not all, universities have to varying extents. And something I have seen myself during my time working with a university.

I know of some cases where less than 10% of students had even logged on to certain university job portals. Meaning that they would not see any job adverts.

I have often spoken with businesses who have relationships with specific universities, but not had any suitable applicants for a vacancy. Through using various other methods I found them graduates, including ones from that university who were unaware of the opportunity.

In many cases there can also be delays in getting applications. Again, the service can vary greatly, but I have seen it take up to a month for a job advert to be approved, after I have taken the time to upload it to certain university portals (by then the role is often filled).  Whereas I will start work on a role as soon as I get it, and take a proactive approach in finding suitable candidates, not wait for them to come to me.

Can you send me CVs now from your database?

I don’t work like that; it doesn’t offer you or my candidates the best service. And I would never sent a CV without speaking with the candidate first.

Firstly, I need to know more about your business and the ideal profile you are looking for, so I don’t send you unsuitable CVs. I also need to know why the opportunity is attractive. The best graduates will have various offers, so it’s important to show them why they should join you. It’s a two way process, and I want to find a mutual match, not least because I want them to be with you for the long-term.

Each role is unique, and although I am already in contact with many graduates, it doesn’t mean they are the best for you. So I conduct a proactive search from scratch to see who the best candidates are who are available now. This may be ones I am already in contact with, but I use various other methods; one being searching specialist job-boards for which I pay an expensive premium.