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Poor performing recruitment agencies run the risk of being named and shamed following the launch of a website that allows employers and job candidates to rate their service.
Hirescores.com allows prospective employees and companies to log on and score recruitment agencies on a number of set criteria, including overall customer service. From this, league tables are formed, enabling visitors to see which agencies are performing well.
So far, more than 6,000 people have visited the site, with many leaving feedback on some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Adecco, Manpower and Michael Page.
The site is the brainchild of former HR director Lisette Howlett, who has worked for global companies including AstraZeneca and ICI. She said in her experience of agencies, she had been struck by how good some were, but how "awful" others were.
"Organisations spend big money on agencies, but research shows there is a lack of evaluation carried out as to how they perform," she told Personnel Today. "The site empowers employers and candidates to find the best agencies for them, and to avoid the underachievers."
But the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents thousands of agencies, said the site would struggle to be an accurate barometer of how well companies were performing.
Anne Fairweather, external relations manager, said: "People are likely to only record negative experiences. Candidates should be discerning when using agencies, but we would encourage them to complain to the REC rather than go to this site."
