• Name and nature of your organisation.
• Date of work commencement and duration.
• Position and type of work.
• Location, and terms and conditions of the job.
• Risks to health and safety known to you and preventative measures.
• Experience, training, qualifications and any authorisation needed or required by law or any professional body.
• Expenses payable by or to the worker.
• Length of notice the worker would give or receive.
  Selection criteria.
• Whether your company name should be used in advertisements in the early phases of recruitment.

Advantages of using employment agencies

• It saves time.
• You can try out temporary workers before employing them permanently.
• There is no temporary to permanent transfer fee if you employ the worker on a permanent basis eight weeks after the temporary contract has ended or 14 weeks from the start of that contract, whichever is later.
• The agency will pay the temporary workers and take care of tax issues.
• Often you can get a rebate for unsuitable candidates or be provided with another candidate.
• It preserves anonymity when recruiting for sensitive jobs.

Disadvantages of using employment agencies

• Lost time if they are not able to find a suitable candidate.
• Expensive - you may have to pay an agency up to 30 per cent of the employee's annual salary (or equivalent for temps).
• Temporary workers who work on an obvious ongoing basis may be regarded as your employees. This may be important in tribunal cases.

How to complain about an agency

You can complain about the conduct of an employment agency at the Employment Agency Standards area of the DTI website.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Writing a person specification and job description
• Where and how to find staff - advertising
• Where and how to find staff - employment agencies
• Where and how to find staff - Jobcentre Plus and government schemes
• The application process
• Drawing up a shortlist and inviting candidates to interview
• Preparing for the interview
• Carrying out the interview
• Using other selection methods

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