How Recruitment Agencies Work in Kenya

Know how you can use recruitment agencies in Kenya

A common misconception that exists among job seekers in Kenya is that you have to pay recruitment agencies if you want to get hired. Most people also do not seem to understand the kind of service to expect from recruitment firms, with others getting frustrated for not getting what they want. As a recruitment agency, we encounter different types of candidates, clients and all kinds of positions.

So, if you have tried applying to positions through our firm or other recruitment agencies in Kenya without any success, please pay attention.

How Recruitment Agencies work

To understand how recruitment agencies work in Kenya, you will need to first take note of the services offered at a recruitment agency. These include the core service recruitment and job placement, Psychometric testing, CV writing and Interview advice among others. Before you approach a recruitment agency to seek their services, make sure you know and understand the offing first.

That said, below is how recruitment agencies in Kenya work.

1. Getting hired through a recruitment agency is free

In our daily activities, we encounter candidates asking how much they will be required to pay in order to be placed in an open position. If you approach a recruitment agency and they ask you for a fee to get you hired, run as fast as you can. Recruitment agencies do not -and should not- ask candidates to pay any fee during the hiring process. The service is paid by the employers hiring for that specific role.

Also, if you are hired through a recruitment agency and the employer does not pay you for the first month saying they need to pay the agency, this is unlawful. The same applies when your employer makes deductions in pretense of paying back.

2. The application process is simple and fast

Ever encountered a complex company recruitment portal? I bet the experience is not one you would want to go through for each application. While recruitment agencies in Kenya may have different approaches in their recruitment process, you can expect it to be fast, easy to use and efficient.

Most recruitment agencies will advertise their positions on their websites or other career sites and provide an email address through which to send in your CV. Others will direct you to a recruitment portal where you can fill in your details and upload your CV. Once that is done, selection is done based on the information in your CV and this is why you need a professional CV.

3. Recruitment agencies will take you through the first interview

If you applied to a position that met your qualifications, then the next step is for recruiters to invite you for the first interview. This is where they get to know you face to face, gather more information about your qualifications and decide if you should meet the employer. An advantage of having your first interview with recruitment agencies is recruiters can help you identify where you have failed before.

For example, if you mess up during the interview, some recruiters will be kind enough to give you pointers. Also if you do not make the cut for the second interview with an employer, you can always ask the recruiter to tell you where you went wrong and avoid it in your next one.

4. Recruitment agencies keep contact with you even after being hired

Once you have gone through the first interview with a recruitment firm, you are one step closer to your next better job. Not because you are a definite hire, but because even if an employer picks someone else for the position, recruiters will contact you when a similar role comes up.

And whenever you get hired, recruiters keep in touch with you and the employer to make sure everything is going well and you are being accorded what was promised. This is so they can address any concern that comes up along the way.

Working with recruitment agencies is beneficial to employers and job seekers alike. Employers get access to a large pool of talented candidates, and job seekers are given the chance to find positions they couldn’t otherwise find. So if you are a candidate on the lookout for open positions with a particular firm but are not as lucky, chances are the company is partnering a recruitment agency for their hiring. Learn to use recruitment agencies to your advantage and you will be hired in no time.

Got a question about recruitment agencies? Query us below.

9 Comments

  1. It has been proven that some of the hiring firms re-advertise the jobs/vacancies that were long ago filled. why do this firms keep job seekers busy for nothing?

  2. Hello to you Rael,

    Recruitment agencies receive a lot of applicants and in so being cannot meet all of them face to face. Only those who qualify get to go to the interview stage. But if you have a career matter you wish to discuss with a career adviser, then as a recruitment agency you are welcome to come to our offices.

  3. Hi Duncan,

    No, at the moment we do not have this provision. Alternatively, you can register for our job alerts so you can be notified whenever we have new positions.

  4. Hello, just a concern I need to understand from recruitment agency apart from qualifications as a area of concern do you find time to see all your applicants

  5. I am working overseas, but would like to get job in Kenya through agency as fast as possible because I need to relocate. How soon is it possible to get a job offer?

  6. Hello Kevin, they also do have internship positions every now and then. All you have to do is keep tabs to be notified of any, then apply.

  7. How does it help people from school because most job posts requires a certain year experience

Comments are closed.