Employment agent

Employment agents work for employment services and agencies. They match job seekers with advertised job vacancies and provide advice on job search activities.

Employment agents typically do the following:

• Conduct intake meetings with clients to agree on qualification criteria for candidates
• Publish job ads on careers pages, job boards and social media
• Source and contact passive candidates online (e.g. via LinkedIn)Network with candidates offline during job fairs
• Screen resumes and job applications
• Interview candidates and provide shortlists of qualified potential hires
• Update clients on hiring status (e.g. number of screened candidates)
• Prepare candidates before interviews with clients
• Create talent pipelines with high-potential candidates for future job opportunities
• Keep detailed records of past applicants’ information, including resumes, assignments and interview evaluations
• Manage a portfolio of clients and maintain good relationships with them

The following job titles also refer to employment agent:

job placement officer

An associate’s degree or higher in human resources or a related field is generally required to work as an employment agent.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Employment agent is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to employment agent.

life coach
relocation officer
legal administrative assistant
social security inspector
health and safety inspector

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of employment agent. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of employment agent with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

recruitment consultant
employment and vocational integration consultant
human resources officer
public employment service manager
fact checker

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of employment agent.

• Labour legislation: Legislation, on a national or international level, that governs labour conditions in various fields between labour parties such as the government, employees, employers, and trade unions.
• Job market offers: Job opportunities available on the labour market, depending on the economic field concerned.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

These skills are necessary for the role of employment agent.

• Promote gender equality in business contexts: Raise awareness and campaign for the equalisation between the sexes by the assessment of their participation in the position and the activities carried out by companies and businesses at large.
• Interview people: Interview people in a range of different circumstances.
• Maintain privacy of service users: Respect and maintain the dignity and privacy of the client, protecting his or her confidential information and clearly explaining policies about confidentiality to the client and other parties involved.
• Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
• Apply knowledge of human behaviour: Practice principles related to group behaviour, trends in society, and influence of societal dynamics.
• Listen actively: Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.
• Develop professional network: Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
• Communicate by telephone: Liaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.
• Document interviews: Record, write, and capture answers and information collected during interviews for processing and analysis using shorthand or technical equipment.
• Profile people: Create a profile of someone, by outlining this person’s characteristics, personality, skills and motives, often by the use of information obtained from an interview or questionnaire.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of employment agent. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of employment agent. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Analyse unemployment rates: Analyse data and perform research concerning unemployment in a region or nation in order to identify causes for unemployment and possible solutions.
• Promote inclusion in organisations: Promote diversity and equal treatment of genders, ethnicities and minority groups in organisations in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusion and a positive environment.
• Liaise with local authorities: Maintain the liaison and exchange of information with regional or local authorities.
• Provide information on study programmes: Provide information on the different lessons and fields of study offered by educational institutions such as universities and secondary schools, as well as the study requirements and employment prospects.
• Facilitate job market access: Improve the chances of individuals to find a job, by teaching the required qualifications and interpersonal skills, through training and development programs, workshops or employment projects.
• Assess character: Assess how a certain person will react, verbally or physically, in a specific situation or to a specific happening.
• Advise on career: Provide personalised help, guidance and information to people in order to make them grow in their careers.
• Promote employment policy: Promote the development and implementation of policies which aim to improve employment standards, and reduce unemployment rates, in order to acquire governmental and public support.
• Fix meetings: Fix and schedule professional appointments or meetings for clients or superiors.
• Organise training: Make the necessary preparations to conduct a training session. Provide equipment, supplies and exercise materials. Ensure the training runs smoothly.
• Prepare for job interview: Make someone ready to deal with job interviews, by advising on communication, body language and appearance, going through frequently asked questions, and identifying personal and professional strengths and weaknesses.
• Assist clients with personal development: Help clients determine what they want to do with their lives and assist in setting personal and professional goals, by prioritising and planning the steps necessary to reach these goals.
• Search databases: Search for information or people using databases.
• Mentor individuals: Mentor individuals by providing emotional support, sharing experiences and giving advice to the individual to help them in their personal development, as well as adapting the support to the specific needs of the individual and heeding their requests and expectations.

3333 – Employment agents and contractors

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References

1. Employment agent – ESCO
2. Staffing Agency Recruiter job description template | Workable
3. Featured image: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels