Frequently Asked Questions:

Why should I use an agency? If you add up the time a manager spends on hiring one person {selecting specialist media, advert design and placing, sifting through volumes of – often unsuitable – responses, contacting applicants and co-ordinating the interview process etc.}, the cost can be considerable. Quite probably a lot more than an agency fee – with no guarantee of success and ROI. We do all of this for you at no cost – AND this is our area of specialism – we do these things every day – we constantly monitor specialist and general media, we know which areas are buoyant and which are not, where the good candidates are and how to get to them and what you need to pay to entice them to work for you. Here at Prospect we are constantly reviewing our processes to alleviate the pressure on your precious time and resources.

How much will it cost me? Nothing until your new employee starts working for you. We operate on a contingency basis. If the right candidate proves elusive or turns down an offer, then no fee is payable. It is only payable upon success.

What if I offer a candidate, but my competitor does likewise? It is not our style to coerce a candidate to take a particular role. If a candidate has a choice, we would offer them balanced advice – even if one offer is via us and another is from an alternative source. It is the candidate’s decision and we would give them the facts. If we encouraged a candidate to accept a role through badgering and persuasion they may well leave after a short time realising we had “sold” the role to them – which doesn’t help anyone.

Can you help me with both permanent and contract/freelance employees? Yes, we have been offering this service for as long as we have been in business - 28 years. We can advise on permanent salary levels, interview techniques, offers and benefits etc and also on PAYE versus Limited Company and Contract Paperwork for Freelance Consultants.

What is expected of me? Once we are working with you to fill your requirement – your dedicated account manager(s) will guide you through the process and advise you every step of the way. Many hirings fall over due to the time taken for feedback, so we would emphasise the need for you to act swiftly on high calibre candidates. We can advise you on the most appropriate course of action to gain the most suitable recruits for your organisation and how best to proceed to fulfill this aim.

What should I expect? If you would like Prospect to find a particular person to join your organisation – contact us immediately – either using the ‘’Post A Job’’ form or by contacting us directly. We will need as much information as possible and we can help you articulate your needs into an attractive job specification to be circulated to potential employees. We may need to meet with you – but spending time on this part of the process often saves time later on. We will then send you a small number of carefully selected CVs and discuss these with you to confirm that we have fully understood your needs. We can then guide you through the interview, feedback and assessment stages towards the often delicate offer and, hopefully, acceptance stage.