How to Choose a UK Recruitment Agency: The Practical Guide
Direct advice from a specialist agency that has seen what good and bad recruitment actually looks like from both sides.
Start with Sector Specialism
The single most important question to ask any recruitment agency is: what is your specialism? If the answer is “we cover everything” or lists ten different sectors, walk away. A recruiter who works across all sectors works deeply in none of them.
The best candidates — the ones who are currently employed and not on job boards — only respond to recruiters they trust. Trust in this context means sector knowledge. A recruiter who doesn't understand the role cannot represent it credibly, and the best candidates will ignore them.
Questions to Ask Before Appointing an Agency
“How many placements have you made in our sector in the last 12 months?”
Why: Recent activity means a live network. Historical placements five years ago mean nothing today.
“Who specifically will be working on this role?”
Why: Many agencies pitch senior consultants and deliver juniors. Know who is actually doing the work.
“What is your typical candidate sourcing method for this type of role?”
Why: If the answer is "post to job boards", that is what you can do yourself for free.
“What guarantee do you offer and what are the exact terms?”
Why: A 12-week staggered guarantee is the market standard for a confident specialist. A 4-week flat guarantee signals low confidence in the placement.
“Can you name three employers you have placed this type of candidate with recently?”
Why: Not expecting names — expecting a confident, specific answer. Vagueness is a red flag.
“What is your current candidate availability in this area?”
Why: A specialist should be able to give you a directional answer immediately. A generalist will say "we'll search our database".
Red Flags to Watch For
- ✕Promising to send CVs within 24 hours — good candidates take qualification time
- ✕Asking to work on multiple vacancies simultaneously with no retained commitment
- ✕Inability to name specific candidate types or salary benchmarks in your sector
- ✕No guarantee offered, or a guarantee with excessive caveats
- ✕A fee structure that only works if they send volume, not quality
- ✕Consultants who cannot answer basic sector-specific questions in the briefing call
Retained vs Contingency: Which Is Right?
Contingency recruitment means the agency is only paid on success. It works well for broadly available roles where speed matters and the candidate pool is reasonably large. For mid-level specialist roles, contingency with a strong guarantee and a committed consultant is the right model.
Retained recruitment means paying an upfront fee to secure exclusive, dedicated effort. It is the right model for senior, director-level, or critically scarce roles where the candidate pool is small and the cost of a failed hire significantly outweighs the upfront fee. A specialist retained search gives you market mapping, candidate intelligence, and a guaranteed delivery timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a typical recruitment agency fee in the UK?
Contingency fees typically range from 12–20% of the candidate's first-year basic salary, depending on the sector and seniority. Retained search commands 25–30% with an upfront element. ARG fees are competitive within these ranges.
How long should a recruitment process take?
For most specialist roles, a good agency should deliver a shortlist within 2 weeks. If it's taking longer than 4 weeks to see candidates, something is wrong with either the brief, the salary, or the process.
Should I use multiple agencies at once?
For contingency roles, multiple agencies can work but often dilutes quality — agencies compete on speed rather than quality. For retained roles, exclusivity always produces a better outcome.
What is a reasonable guarantee period?
The market standard for a specialist agency is 12 weeks, staggered. ARG offers full credit in weeks 1–4, 50% in weeks 5–8, and 25% in weeks 9–12 if a placed candidate exits.
Ready to Find the Right Agency?
ARG operates exclusively in four specialist sectors. Talk to a consultant who actually knows your market.