Any advice for starting my own recruitment agency? UK based, IT industry

Seeking Advice for Launching My Recruitment Agency in the UK IT Sector

Hello everyone!

I’m gearing up to start my own recruitment agency this October, focusing on the IT industry in the UK. After spending three years working in an agency, I took a break to travel. Upon my return, I’ve made the decision to launch my own business instead of working for someone else.

During my time as a principal consultant, I successfully trained several team members and consistently brought in clients. However, I often felt like I was running my own mini-business within the agency, with minimal support. While I had access to the basic tools—training materials, phone, computer, job boards, and LinkedIn Recruiter—the lack of comprehensive backing was challenging, especially in areas like invoicing, CV formatting, umbrella companies, and CRM management.

This is where I need your insights: how can I smoothly transition into running my agency?

• What tips do you wish you had known before starting your own agency?
• Are there any mistakes you regret making that I should avoid?
• Are there grants or funding options available for first-time business owners like myself?
• Did you begin with a laptop or desktop? What recommendations do you have, and how much should I budget for this?
• Did you use an accountant to manage your finances?
• Which CRM did you choose, and what is the typical cost range?
• Do you have any negotiation strategies for job boards?
• Who is your telephone supplier?
• Did you start from home or in an office?
• How quickly did you make your first placement?
• When did you hire your first employee?

I’m fortunate to have saved some money while traveling, but I’m looking to start as lean as possible and reinvest in growth areas like hiring staff, acquiring additional job boards, or improving my CRM.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post—any advice you could share would be invaluable!

BD construction struggle

Navigating Challenges in Construction Recruitment

I recently transitioned to a new career in recruitment, focusing on business development (BD). Previously, I spent three years as a business development manager in the Fintech sector, where I quickly excelled. However, this new role feels quite different. I’m currently working in the construction industry and am in the process of qualifying candidates based on a ghost job to help build my market map, which includes backfill, references, and prior employment.

I’ve noticed that many candidates are coming from countries like China, Iran, Pakistan, and Hong Kong, particularly in roles such as Quantity Surveyors, Senior Quantity Surveyors, BIM professionals, Project Managers, and Site Engineers. Are there others in construction recruitment facing similar challenges? I’d love to hear your insights and strategies for overcoming them.

Uk LinkedIn review

LinkedIn Profile Review Request

Hello everyone!

I’m seeking someone who can take a look at my LinkedIn profile and offer some feedback and suggestions. If you’re interested, please drop a comment below, and I’ll send you a DM with the link to my profile. Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you, and have a fantastic day!

Best,
[Your Name]

Agency recruiters: how many jobs are you typically working on at once?

Attention agency recruiters: How many job openings do you usually handle simultaneously? I’m curious to understand how many positions the average agency recruiter is juggling at once, especially when the positions aren’t exclusive.

Has anyone had experience utilising remote/virtual recruiters? How did you protect the integrity of your social media and subscriptions whilst having to hand over passwords for the virtual recruiter to work for you?

Have any of you used remote or virtual recruiters? How do you safeguard your social media accounts and subscriptions when you need to share passwords with them?

Safeguarding Sensitive Data During Outsourcing

I recently outsourced some tasks that involved sharing access to my social media and passwords with a freelancer. Although it was successful, I felt quite vulnerable. Now, I’m considering hiring a full-time virtual assistant and want to take extra precautions. Any tips on how to protect sensitive information while outsourcing?

How can I measure teamwork in a high-pressure situation using a specific game or activity?

What methods can I use to assess teamwork in a high-pressure scenario? Could you recommend a specific game or activity for this purpose?

Billing the organisation being recruited for

Seeking Insights on Billing Practices for Recruitment Services

Hello everyone! As a newcomer in the recruitment field, I’m looking to gather some insights on business setup. I have a strong database of candidates ready for placement and would like to understand the billing practices for recruitment companies.

For those of you who run your own recruitment agencies, could you please share how you structure your fees when successfully placing a candidate with a client? Do you charge a percentage of the candidate’s salary, a flat fee, a retainer, or something else? Additionally, as I specialize in medical recruitment, any insights specific to that field would be especially helpful.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Interview

Interview Preparation
What types of questions should I anticipate for a legal recruitment position? I am a recent law graduate.

Whitecap Search

Whitecap Search
Has anyone had any experience with them? I’m a bit concerned about their 46% attrition rate and the negative reviews on Glassdoor. I’d appreciate any insights from those who have recruited for them or have other perspectives to share.

Is it okay for the recruiter to ask for my date of birth ? And did I lose my chances of getting interviewed as I was hesitant to give it out?

Is it acceptable for a recruiter to ask for my date of birth? Am I jeopardizing my chances of getting an interview by being hesitant to provide it?

Update: It’s been two weeks, and I haven’t heard anything—I’m feeling a mix of emotions, primarily disappointment 😂😞.

To give you some context, this is a recruiter from the EU, so they might have different rules and regulations. We had a positive initial screening call, which I really enjoyed, and the recruiter seemed very friendly. However, they later reached out to ask for my date of birth, stating it was necessary to complete my application in their system.

I was a bit wary about sharing that information and asked if they needed it to meet a specific age requirement for the position, but they assured me that wasn’t the case. While I eventually provided my date of birth, I made sure to communicate my discomfort.

Now I’m wondering if I hurt my chances of moving forward in the interview process by expressing my hesitation. Did I give the recruiter the impression that I didn’t trust them? Could my age potentially be a factor against me for this corporate role?