K.A.G. have always been an agency that care about long term relationships. 

Some of our clients have been so for over a decade and the new ones being brought on have often commented that our style is very different to what they are used to. 

We provide a free 3 and 6 month review for every candidate placed. 

This is ideally done face to face so that we can continue to build relationships within the business and will then also conduct a 6 month review of how the business is getting on and any areas that are working/need improvement.

There are so many agencies out there who are just after a quick win. 

They are so under pressure with targets that any win is a win and then it’s on to the next one without securing the trust and relationship needed to gain further business.

On the candidate side, the ‘win em and fill em’ mentalities mean they don’t give the candidate the advice, guidance and reassurance they need when making a career change.

With AI changing the face of recruitment; the human side of recruitment is our strength.  We pride ourselves on Candidate Experience for which we have won 2 consecutive British Recruitment Awards for our unique service. 

Our long-term outlook means that candidates often turn into clients for us in the long term and remember the recruiter who went the extra mile for them – not the one who ghosted them when they wanted feedback!

When was the last time you checked your invoices?

We are seeing a rising number of clients that are being over-charged for their recruitment. And you can see when this has probably happened previously to a new client when they are scrutinising every part of your TOB!

In this current climate when recruiters are finding it more difficult than ever to gain vacancies; are they over-charging to compensate for their lack of other jobs?

We are completely transparent with our charges, rebates and free replacement terms. Having worked at high-street recruiters before, I am confident that our rates are extremely competitive for the level of service and attention you receive on your vacancy.

Have you ever discovered you are being over-charged by an agency?

After a dynamic Recruitment Training session in Northern Ireland with our Meat Business Women prize-draw winners, Laura Robinson and her Technical team at Finnebrogue, we are excited to continue to share the secret to hiring successfully…

• Our expert Recruitment Training is designed to challenge and upskill even the most experienced hiring managers about how they currently recruit and represent the business.
• It significantly benefits new managers by building confidence in how they score candidates and removing common biases from the process.
• Tailored to your team with over 35 years of recruitment experience to tap into, we can help you to refine the quality of your hires as well as improving brand perception through the critical eyes of top talent.
• Can be conducted in person or via Teams.
• One-to-one follow ups for each individual team member.

We had such glowing feedback from the team at Finnebrogue so don’t just take my word for it; Ask them!

So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch today to book up your bespoke team recruitment training

I’m on a bit of a habit tackling mission at the moment and one of the barriers I’m finding is that I habitually beat myself up about everything!

Does anyone else have this problem?

It’s coming to the surface at the moment because I am learning about mindfulness, loving kindness practice and self-compassion and it is amazing how negatively I talk to myself to get something done.

In a target driven environment it has always served me to be this way but what I’m trying to do now is rewire my brain that this ‘stick’ approach has a cost.

On a recent call I was asked – do you speak to your friends and family like this?

The answer is of course no!

The renowned psychologist Kristen Neff said that the ‘behaviour of beating yourself up may never change’ which in a strange way brings comfort because I’m not trying to force change, just to be aware of the inner critic.

The mantra ‘I’m doing the best I can right now’ is comforting and also true as we all are….

But it doesn’t stop the inner critic chiming in with ‘that sounds like loser talk to me!!’

It still surprises me that there are still people who aren’t on LinkedIn.

I joined in 2009 after I realised the potential of recruiting via social media instead of always having to rely on job boards.  It has proven to be a great way of attracting passive candidates who aren’t actively searching but are open to opportunities.

Nowadays, LinkedIn is saturated with Recruiters all doing the same thing and I often hear form clients that they are bombarded by dozens of Recruiter requests every day.

I probably get 40+ spam emails a week from people trying to sell AI, CM systems and business utilities.

Yet, I still advise that people keep their LinkedIn profile up to date.  The reason for this is that LinkedIn IS your CV and keeping it updated as a working document saves the hassle of having to start a CV from scratch and remember all your achievements and projects.  It also keeps you open to new opportunities, even if you aren’t actively seeking change.

What do you think to Linkedin?

So many of the issues we encounter in relationships are due to false assumptions!

Often it is the tone that we add to the email someone has sent or the day that we’re having that projects how we interpret the txt that is driving us crazy!  When someone asks if you’ve had your hair cut, they could simply be taking an interest but if you aren’t sure about your new style, you could take that remark the wrong way.

That is why face to face is always better than email or even phone.  To understand context, body language, tone and perspective.

You can put context to the assumption that you are making about someone and even ask what they meant when they said something.

We assume so much about people based on our own life experience, prejudice and the lens through which we view the world.

At K.A.G. we know that in the recruitment process we must never assume anything;

• We don’t assume that the candidate has arrived at site for an interview without checking
• We don’t assume the CV is telling us everything about a candidate
• We don’t assume hiring managers know how to interview without bias
• We don’t assume that there aren’t other candidates in the process that aren’t ours
• We don’t assume that the candidate doesn’t have other interviews or offers
• We don’t assume the candidate has turned up for their first day

What assumptions are you making about your recruitment?  What assumptions are you making about fellow colleagues?  What assumptions are you making about recruitment agencies?!

Contact us today to see how we work differently!

I live in a village where there is a low station bridge…

You would not believe how many times a month there is a call out because a lorry or van has got stuck underneath!  This image is from our local village Facebook group and shows yet another roadblock where the signs are being ignored.

This got me thinking about the potential roadblocks of recruitment that get made time and time again…

If a hiring manager is taking a week to review CVs, another couple of weeks to organise interviews, then a second stage, then a third stage, involving more and more people in the decision making process… well, the candidates get snapped up along the way and when it comes to an offer, the chosen candidate has probably found something else.

If your recruitment process is too slow, the chances of finding a candidate that will wait around are slim.

Don’t make the same repetitive recruitment mistakes… time is of the essence!

What do the words wedding, anti-aging and organic all have in common?

Well, you’ll notice if you put any of these words ahead of a product… they tend to treble the price!!

So, what would you think to the word Exclusive?

More expensive right?

Actually, in K.A.G’s case, no!

K.A.G. offer 2 exclusive services and both are cheaper than the contingent recruitment option. This is because Exclusive to us means streamlined, it means dedicated team and it means pain free process.

To find out more about our exclusive services:
https://www.kagrecruitmentconsultancy.co.uk/exclusive/

Did you know that only 18% of GCSE girls consider Engineering courses?

AND

Did you know that over 56% of women leave engineering within 10 years?

Why?

I think there are a number of reasons to explain these stats.  Schools have been saying for years that they are pushing STEM careers, yet, the engineering career routes that are used as examples are narrowed to aerospace and automotive industries.

What is being missed is that there are engineering jobs in a huge a variety of sectors that aren’t being promoted. 

The food industry, logistics, manufacturing… the list of industries who are crying out for engineers just isn’t being talked about enough in education.  The perception that these roles involve heavy lifting and physical fitness is unfounded for most roles yet the lack of women in these sectors to provide case studies is narrowing.

The glass ceiling of engineering for females falls into two categories; lack of flexibility and a lack of career opportunities.

It is common knowledge that diverse teams have been proven to out-perform homogenous teams.  Yet, the investment that is pouring into STEM at grass roots level isn’t equating to more females being recruited as engineers.

What do you think can be done to improve the uptake and retention of female engineers?

You’re trained in every aspect of your job except one… Recruitment.

Whether you have been given the authority to hire without prior training or have been learning as you go at interviewing, you are risking a key decision-making process.

If you have ever watched The Apprentice interview stage with the five dragon interviewers, one thing you will notice is that everyone has their own style at unpicking each candidate’s business plan and CV. 

Whether it is following up on patent licences and references or simply doing the maths on the often-outrageous figure projections; each interviewer is different in how they question/interrogate the candidates.

However, this is a risky strategy and often one that you see backfiring when candidates are reduced to tears after their credentials are torn apart in front of them.  It makes great TV, but it simply doesn’t work in the real world.

In the real world, in 2025, candidates are interviewing you.

They are better informed than ever before on the company and its employees (just 10 minutes on Linkedin/Glassdoor reveals a lot about a business) and as the hiring manager, you are the face of that business. 

Gone are the days when the interviewer turns up late, has a 5 second skim of the CV and as David Brent once famously said ‘shoot’!  The pendulum of power has shifted over to the candidate and the experience that they have of both application, interviewing, pre-boarding, on-boarding and retention.  A bad review from an applicant to their family, friends and colleagues is a bad review of the business.

For further information on improving your interview process, DM me today.