Looking for a new job is exciting - but trying to find the best recruitment agency to help you find the right role can be overwhelming and exhausting!

There are dozens of Basingstoke recruitment agencies, so it can be hard to choose which ones to register with and invest your time in. 

We understand. 

We’ve been helping great people find great jobs in and around Basingstoke for over two decades, so we know we can help you too!

By choosing the right, independent Basingstoke recruitment agency, you’ll make the best use of your time and maximise your chances of finding just the right role for you. 

1.   Go for Local Basingstoke Knowledge

When you sign up with a recruitment agency, it’s worth choosing one where the team has good knowledge of the local area and the local job market. 

At Priority Appointments, we’ve been working with some of our clients for decades, so we understand what sort of skills they’re looking for and don’t waste your time or theirs by only putting forward people who we know will be a mutually good fit.

We’ve visited the premises of our clients, so can tell you all about the working environment, as well as what the job you’re applying for entails.

2.   Pick a Recruitment Agency with Sector Expertise

If you’ve built up expertise and contacts within the manufacturing, engineering or distribution sectors, you need a recruitment team that ‘gets’ the industry as well as you do.

As we talk to employers every day, we often hear about new roles earlier than generalist agencies. And by knowing the market inside out, we have a wealth of knowledge about local pay and benefits packages, so won’t try and fob you off with a job that isn’t offering the market rate.

3.   Choose an Independent Recruitment Agency

Many of the big name recruitment agencies have a set way of doing things that means they may not have the insight to understand the ins and outs of a particular role.

Our commitment to finding jobs for ‘hidden gems’ means that we’ll be able to tell whether your skills are transferable into roles you might not have considered.

Larger agencies may have teams that work across more than one office, so you’re less likely to build up a relationship with one person. When your time is precious, having to tell your story over and over again to different people within the same job agency is annoying, to say the least!

We’ll never over-sell you as that just puts you in an awkward position when you get to interview. 

Instead, we’ll review your CV to make sure it’s a fair representation of what you have to offer, and if we think you’re right for a role, it’s our job to let our client know why you’re the right person and to encourage them to offer you an interview.

4.   Don’t Waste Time on Grumpy Recruitment Agencies!

It’s shocking how often we hear stories about people who have been treated in an offhand or even rude manner when they’ve spoken to or visited recruitment agencies local to us in Basingstoke or the nearby towns.

We are constantly busy, but - as you’ll see from our amazing reviews - we always treat everyone with courtesy and do all we can to help them find the right role for them quickly and efficiently. 

As Priority’s Business Manager Tracy Welch puts it, “We never forget that above all, we’re representing you as a human. We can’t guarantee to find you your ideal job first time (although we very often do!) but we do absolutely guarantee that we’ll put our heart and soul into trying to find it for you.”

5.   Make Sure They’re Professional

It’s worth asking a recruitment agency which professional bodies they belong to and the values they abide by in doing business. 

We belong to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which tells you that we abide by its professional standards and regularly take compliance tests to remain as members.

Making the Most of Your Recruitment Agency

As with any important relationship in life, you will get the best support from a recruitment agency if you work with them, so they can help you find exactly the right job for you. We ask candidates who sign up with us to:

Give us as much detail as you can 

We’ll ask you questions such as what type of organisation you’d like to work for, what you’re looking for in terms of salary and how far you’re willing to travel. 

Make sure your CV is up-to-date and any gaps can be explained

We work with people, not CVs, so we know there’s far more to your story than what we can read on your resume, but prospective employers will always want to see it first, as well as listen to us telling them about you. We offer help with improving your CV as part of our service.

Keep in touch

If you get a call from your consultant, do try and ring them back as quickly as you can - they may be calling with an amazing opportunity which could disappear if they can’t reach you! 

Whatever you do, don’t ghost your recruitment consultant! If you do find a job elsewhere, take a few minutes to let us know. We’ll wish you every good fortune and take you off our list of available candidates. 



To take the first step towards finding your ideal next job in Hampshire, Surrey or Berkshire, give us a call today on 01256 334575.