WELCOME TO A FOR APPOINTMENTS ONE OF THE LEADING EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES IN SHEFFIELD - WE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
From candidates
1. How can you help me?
2. What makes A for Appointments different?
3. Why do I need to register/complete a registration form?
4. How much does it cost me to use an agency?
5. How do agencies work?
6. Why do I have to do tests?
7. Why do I have to come in again for an interview prep?
8. How long will it be before I hear from you?
9. Will I only be considered for the position I have applied for, or can I be considered for more than one job?
10. Can I register with other agencies?
From clients:
1. What makes A for Appointments different to other agencies I have used before?
2. Why do you want to visit me?
3. What is the vetting process for potential candidates, have you met them or are they sent randomly from the internet?
4. Which industries do you specialise in
We have fully trained and experienced consultants who can help you to find a new permanent position. Our aim is to place you in a position where you will stay and develop a career – we build a future with your help. In addition, we can also offer temporary assignments for the periods in your life where permanent work is not required. We assess your CV, prepare you for interviews and offer as much advice as you need to help with your future career.
2. What makes A for Appointments different?
We insist upon meeting all our candidates and all our clients. In this way we can ensure that the requirements of both parties match. We can also offer an informed opinion regarding the company while assessing whether it would be the right choice for the candidate’s future. We freely offer CV and interview advice while at the same time provide full information for each interview you attend. The huge amount of testimonials, thank you cards and phone calls we receive, prove that our candidates are happy with our service.
3. Why do I need to register/complete a registration form?
Even though we have your CV it is important to complete a registration document. From a legal point of view we have to check your right to work in the UK, however, from a company point of view the registration process helps us to provide the candidate with the right job and the client with the candidate most suited to their vacancy. Some jobs require clarity and accuracy in handwriting, therefore completing a registration form offers an opportunity to observe that. A for Appointments also prides itself on the relationships built with candidates and clients alike, these would never materialise if registration was not carried out.
4. How much does it cost me to use an agency?
The cost to a candidate is your time only. We need you to come to our office for registration and preparation for the interview. We give all we can to you in order to provide a service resulting in a successful placement of work, be it permanent or temporary.
Not all agencies work in the same way, our aim is to place candidates in a job where they will stay and build the career they desire. A for Appointments registers all candidates, arranges a testing procedure and prepares them for interview. This service is free. If a candidate is placed on a temporary contract, A for Appointments pays the temporary on a weekly basis. All clients are visited and researched to enable us to fully understand their needs. In this way we can meet our ultimate aim to provide a successful service both to the candidate and the client.
Some jobs require a level of skill that needs testing before the candidate is sent for an interview. We have a range of almost 900 tests which cover subjects from I.T. skills, languages and call centre skills to engineering and industrial work. Most of the tests can be carried out at home on your own computer; some will be done at our offices. As the client pays a fee for our service it is vital that we find a candidate who we know is capable of carrying out the job he/she would be employed to do. Testing is an excellent way of proving this and less stressful when carried out in the candidate’s own home.
7. Why do I have to come in again for an interview prep?
When A for Appointments have established that you are suitable for a vacancy and have arranged the interview with our client, it is important to meet again to focus on the forthcoming interview. After all, this could be the start of your new career and any interview should not be taken lightly. The better the impression the more chance you have of being offered the job. Who better to speak to than the consultant who visited the company and knows the people who will be conducting the interview? This is a confidence building, information gathering exercise not to be missed; however, ultimately the interview prep is for the benefit of the candidate.
8. How long will it be before I hear from you?
The responsibility for contact is with the candidate. After an interview it is important that all candidates contact the consultant who arranged the interview. Feedback is vital. The consultant will speak to the client after all the interviews are completed and obtain full feedback on each person which will be fed back to each candidate and utilised in future interviews. This process could take a day, or it could take a week, it will depend upon the client making his/her final decision.
9. Will I only be considered for the position I have applied for, or can I be considered for more than one job?
If there is more than one job for which a candidate is suitable they can be put forward for all of them. This depends upon the candidate’s wishes and we always discuss what you require before speaking to a client about you.
10. Can I register with other agencies?
We encourage you to register with other agencies; it offers a good comparison for you in terms of the service you receive. We always insist that we meet you beforehand and build a good understanding of your requirements. To monitor our service we encourage candidates to complete service evaluations so we can continue to improve our service. Examples of comments from the evaluations include:
‘you are the most efficient, you are the only agency who listened to my needs/wants and delivered precisely what I wanted’ (Anna T, June 2008)
‘thank you for helping me to feel at ease in interviews, having not done one for 25 years’ (Terry G, 2007)
1. What makes A for Appointments different to all the other agencies I have used before?
A for Appointment’s position in the market place is as a direct response to clients needing a more flexible, innovative, honest and tailor-made service. Working in partnership with clients, creating relationships and listening to their true needs, is the core strength of A for Appointments. Our consultants are unique in that they work with their own database of clients across the full range of services. Therefore, whether the client’s needs are permanent staff, temporary, industrial or office they will only speak with one consultant. When they subsequently recruit for a vacancy they are then able to select candidates on the basis of their knowledge about the client and company. This benefits the client as A for Appointments will be more likely to create a perfect match between candidate and client.
2. Why do you want to visit me?
We feel it is important to develop a good relationship between ourselves and our clients. In order to do that we visit the company who have asked us to provide a permanent member of staff. When we visit we are able to gather information to help us identify the candidates best suited to the vacancy and the working practices of the company. The consultant can also speak from experience when explaining the working environment, as well as how to get there and the attitude of the staff. In this way we can offer a superior service to all our clients.
3. What is the vetting process for the potential candidates, have you met them or are they sent randomly from the internet?
When we send candidates for interview, or to complete a temporary booking, they have all been registered and fully interviewed – a process which can last up to an hour. We advertise extensively on the internet, when we have identified impressive CVs, we invite all prospective candidates to meet us before considering them for an interview. We then test the candidates pre-interview, and reference all temporaries before sending them out on an assignment.
4. Which industries do you specialise in?
A for Appointments cover various industries including office, sales, management, executive, I.T., industrial and hospitality. Within those industries we include legal, accounting, and other specialist industries. Our consultants work in the areas where they have previous knowledge and are able to contribute to the understanding of the client’s business.
