The Truth about Employment Agencies?

Do Employment or job Agencies work? My experience with these so called agencies has been absolutely negative. I have gone to many a job placement agencies and they all have worked 0 % to find me a job. Here's the run down on these establishments: First, they tell you to come in and take an assessment test to see what your skills are. So you go and take the test which will last about an hour & half to 2 hours depending how quick you are. Second, you'll then meet with a staff member who will ask you about what your looking for and what you will accept. Then they'll ask you about your job history. Then they'll say something to fact that they have a company that's looking for someone with your qualifications and that they'll be in touch. Most of the times you'll never hear from them again. So why r they around? Now, it's not to say all employment agencies are like this. You may find a few that will actually do the footwork and genuinely try to get you a job, but the mass majority won't.

I hate them! I have the same experience you have with them, bad experiences. The job places I have been sent to treat you like trash and are rude, make you work a lot harder than regular employees, etc. It sucks. I got hired onto a job full time after working through the temp agency for 4 months. But I have had countless other pathetic jobs through the agency before this one. Occasionally you may find a good employer using them, and it's getting harder and harder to find any work without them. It's because there are too many people looking for jobs so they can take their pic of who to hire and how much to pay them.
I also think that employment agencies violate right to work laws and also allow employers to discriminate for whatever reason they want, since you don't work for the employer and you work for the agency, they can send you home for not looking at them the right way or not hitting on the right person, etc, whatever reason they want, and you have no recourse.

The Reason being, is if a company they work with does need a person then they will get in touch with you. They also get as many people as possible with the same skills as you so they can send many resumes to the company telling them that they have several persons that meet what they are looking for.
If they send out say 4 people and one of them is hired then the agency will make money. All they care about is placing someone so they can make a profit.

Hope that answers your question

Yes, we hire a lot of people through our local job source program. Remember, those they are recommending are a reflection of them. If you are not receiving any offers you may want to take a look inward.


You may try doing the foot work yourself.
Design a good and simple resume - 1 page!
Make sure you meet the requirements of where you are submitting them: Diploma, work experience, driver lic...etc...

Simply flood the market and then wait for the offers to come in. When you go to submit these resumes, make sure that you are dressed appropriately - No t-shirts or jeans. Take out any piercings. Make sure that you are clean shaved. Make sure your hair is of natural color and cut. Also use proper manors, "yes sir/ma'am, no sir/ma'am" and proper speech. Ties never hurt either.

When you go for your interview...BE 15MIN. EARLY. I cannot express the importance of punctuality. Do NOT be late!

Remember, employers are trying to project an image of their establishment and they do 90% of that through there employees...are you a good reflection of where you work? How do you dress, speak, conduct yourself, etc...


Word to the wise. Take a job that you will like getting up and going to, NOT the one that pays the most! You will regret this choice!

Best of Luck!