Looking For A Secretary? Recruiters Are Your Best Bet

 Getting the right candidate to assume the role of a secretary or an administrative assistant within your company can prove nothing short of a minefield. Finding someone who is the right fit for your company – in terms of their attitude and skillset and your own culture – can be challenging. This is where using a recruitment agency to take on the task can prove fruitful for a number of reasons. Our experienced recruiter, Jackie MacGregor, has successfully been assisting companies in their search for the perfect secretary for over a decade. “It’s so important to get staffing right when it comes to support roles,” she said, “Often it can be these roles that really make the difference in the day-to-day running of a business.” Some businesses assume that it is easy to fill secretarial and admin posts themselves, without realising the sheer volume of candidates that these types of positions attract. “One of the key skills of being a recruiter is being able to sort through CVs,” Jackie continued, “I’ll try and get a feel for a business, in terms of how they function and what they expect from their support staff so that I can present candidates who I believe will be the best fit for them.” So, the first advantage of using a recruitment agency is that it saves a massive amount of effort in terms of narrowing down prospective candidates – a task that could take your staff away from their actual workload. Secretarial and admin roles, as we previously said, attract a high volume of response from candidates eager to find work. By going through a recruiter, who is able to call or meet potential employees, you will save yourself time. “Just because a role attracts a lot of candidates, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are all going to be right for the job. Why would you interview 150 people, and feel like you were getting nowhere, when a recruiter could present you with a handful of strong, reliable candidates? “Recruiters can often tell, from a phone call or a meeting for a coffee, whether or not a person would make a good fit at your business.” Another issue is perhaps a business feels they cannot justify the cost of recruiting for these types of roles. Jackie said: “If you don’t get your support staff right, you can end up going through two or three candidates in a very short space of time. By letting candidates know your exact needs and expectations, I can prepare them for working in a style that suits your business.” Therefore, one initial outlay in cost could save you money in the long term as you won’t have to continually replace unsuitable staff. “There is a misconception that because these roles tend to be junior or entry level that they are not worth spending money on. That couldn’t be more wrong. “Support staff are often the very heart of a business. You absolutely notice when things aren’t running the way they should be. That’s why it’s worth spending on a solid, personable and dependable member of staff.” Any candidate that Jackie puts forward for a role is well prepared. She ensures that they have thoroughly done their research about a company and know exactly what is motivating them to pursue a role. Acting like something of a Cupid, she knows how to create a perfect match between a business and a candidate. If you would like to speak to Jackie about recruiting experienced and friendly secretarial or administrative staff, click here to see her details.