A recruitment agency connects employers with suitable job candidates by managing the entire hiring process, from sourcing and screening through to placement. For employers in specialised sectors like private households, country estates, childcare and agriculture, understanding how recruitment agencies work, particularly bespoke recruitment services, can transform your approach to finding the right staff.
#How recruitment agencies work
Recruitment agencies act as professional intermediaries between employers and job seekers. When you contact an agency with a vacancy, they begin by understanding your specific requirements including role responsibilities, necessary qualifications, company culture, and salary expectations.
The agency then sources candidates through multiple channels. Established agencies maintain extensive databases of pre-registered candidates, allowing them to quickly identify individuals with relevant experience. They also advertise vacancies across job boards, social media platforms, and industry-specific networks.
Crucially, agencies don't simply forward every application. They conduct rigorous screening including CV reviews, preliminary telephone or video interviews, skills assessments, reference checks from previous employers, and verification of right-to-work documentation. For roles requiring specific certifications—such as DBS checks for childcare positions—agencies coordinate these vetting processes before presenting candidates to you.
When strong candidates are identified, the agency presents detailed profiles including their professional assessment of suitability and insights into personality and cultural fit. They then coordinate interview schedules and, in bespoke services, prepare candidates thoroughly by briefing them about your organisation and advising on appropriate interview conduct.
#What is bespoke recruitment?
Bespoke recruitment provides fully managed, end-to-end recruitment tailored precisely to your unique requirements. Unlike standard agency services that simply present candidates, bespoke recruitment involves dedicated consultant support throughout the entire process, personal meetings to understand your specific needs, proactive candidate sourcing and headhunting, and presentation of only genuinely suitable candidates.
This approach excels when recruiting for roles requiring careful cultural fit, such as private household staff who'll integrate into family life, or senior positions like estate managers where experience, discretion and personality all matter significantly.
At Larstone Recruitment, our bespoke service includes an initial consultation where we discuss your precise requirements, professional job description creation, rigorous screening including telephone and video interviews, comprehensive vetting including DBS checks and references, and presentation of shortlisted candidates with detailed assessments. We coordinate interviews at your convenience, arrange trial periods where appropriate, and provide ongoing support through to the candidate's first day and beyond.
This personalised approach ensures you only meet candidates we're genuinely confident will meet your needs, saving time and significantly increasing the likelihood of successful long-term placements.
#What do recruitment agencies charge?
UK recruitment agencies typically charge between 15% and 20% of the candidate's first annual salary for permanent positions, with fees reaching 20% to 30% for senior roles or hard-to-fill positions requiring extensive search efforts.
Larstone Recruitment's fee structure is transparent and competitive. We charge a one-off registration fee of £80 plus VAT, followed by a fixed rate of £750 plus VAT for placements where the candidate earns below £10,000 per annum. For salaries above £10,000 per annum, we charge 10% plus VAT for private household, country estate and childcare roles, 12% plus VAT for equestrian and farm & agriculture positions, and 15% plus VAT for commercial and corporate roles.
Reputable agencies offer replacement guarantees providing reassurance if placements don't work out. At Larstone Recruitment, if a candidate leaves within 12 weeks, we offer a replacement free of charge. If they leave between 12 weeks and 6 months, we charge 50% of our usual fee to find a replacement.
For temporary or contract positions, agencies typically charge an hourly or daily rate including the worker's pay plus a markup covering services, payroll administration and insurance. This markup usually ranges from 15% to 25% above the worker's wage.
#Why use a recruitment agency?
#Time efficiency
Recruitment is extraordinarily time-consuming. Writing job descriptions, advertising across platforms, reviewing hundreds of applications, conducting screenings and interviews, performing reference checks, and coordinating schedules can consume dozens of management hours. Recruitment agencies handle all these tasks, allowing you to focus on running your household, estate, business or farm. You only invest time meeting genuinely suitable, pre-screened candidates.
#Access to specialist talent
Established recruitment agencies possess extensive candidate databases built over years of operation. Many highly qualified candidates register with specialist agencies rather than searching job boards, meaning agencies access talent you'd never reach through direct advertising alone.
For niche sectors like rural recruitment, equestrian roles or household staff, this network effect is particularly valuable. Specialist agencies like Larstone Recruitment maintain relationships with candidates across specialist sectors who trust us to find appropriate positions matching their skills and preferences.
#Expertise in candidate assessment
Professional recruiters develop sophisticated abilities to assess candidate suitability beyond checking qualifications. Experienced consultants identify soft skills like communication ability and cultural fit, spot inconsistencies in applications and references, gauge genuine motivation and commitment, and predict how candidates will perform in specific environments.
This expertise dramatically improves hiring success rates, reducing costly mistakes of unsuitable placements.
#Reduced hiring risks
Using a recruitment agency mitigates several hiring risks. Professional screening reduces the chance of problematic employees, replacement guarantees protect your financial investment, agencies handle complex employment law and compliance issues, and comprehensive referencing uncovers potential performance concerns.
For roles involving vulnerable groups—such as nannies or carers—agencies ensure all necessary checks including Enhanced DBS certificates are completed before candidates are presented, providing essential safeguarding protection.
#Market knowledge
Recruitment agencies possess current market intelligence including typical salary ranges for different roles and regions, availability of candidates with specific skills, hiring trends and competition for talent, and realistic timeframes for filling different positions. This knowledge helps you set appropriate salaries and expectations, avoiding unsuccessful searches due to unrealistic requirements.
#How bespoke recruitment differs from standard services
Whilst all recruitment agencies provide basic placement services, bespoke recruitment represents a qualitatively different approach focused on deeply personalised service and long-term partnership.
#Personal understanding
Bespoke recruitment begins with developing genuine understanding of your specific context. Rather than simply taking a job specification, bespoke consultants invest time learning about your household, estate or business culture and values, your working environment and expectations, your management style, and the specific dynamics that make candidates either thrive or struggle in your setting.
This depth of understanding enables bespoke consultants to assess candidates not just on qualifications but on how well they'll genuinely fit your unique circumstances.
#Proactive sourcing
Rather than waiting for suitable candidates to apply to advertised vacancies, bespoke services actively seek out talent through headhunting individuals currently employed elsewhere but potentially open to excellent opportunities, directly approaching candidates in the agency's specialist network, and conducting targeted searches in specific geographic areas or industry sectors.
For hard-to-fill positions—perhaps a nanny with specific language skills and experience with twins, or an estate manager with both forestry qualifications and commercial property management experience—this proactive approach dramatically increases success rates.
#Quality over quantity
Standard recruitment services often present numerous candidates, leaving employers to determine suitability. Bespoke services take the opposite approach: you receive a small number of carefully selected, genuinely suitable candidates.
At Larstone Recruitment, we only present candidates we're fully confident meet your requirements in terms of both skills and personality. This quality-focused approach means you spend less time in unsuitable interviews and more time with candidates likely to succeed.
#Post-placement support
The bespoke relationship doesn't end when a candidate accepts your offer. Bespoke consultants remain involved through the transition period, checking in with both employer and employee during the first weeks, addressing any concerns that arise, facilitating communication if any issues need discussing, and ensuring the placement is genuinely working successfully.
This ongoing support significantly improves long-term placement success and provides reassurance during the critical settling-in period.
#Choosing the right recruitment agency
With thousands of recruitment agencies operating across the UK, selecting the right partner requires careful consideration of several factors.
#Specialist sector knowledge
General recruitment agencies may struggle to understand niche sectors like rural employment, private households or equestrian roles. Specialist agencies possess invaluable sector knowledge including understanding of role-specific requirements and qualifications, awareness of industry salary norms, established networks of sector-specific candidates, and ability to assess technical skills relevant to specialist roles.
Larstone Recruitment specialises exclusively in corporate and rural recruitment across private households, commercial and corporate, country estates, farming and agriculture, childcare and nannies, and equestrian sectors. This specialisation means we understand your specific requirements intimately and maintain extensive networks of candidates with relevant experience.
#Reputation and track record
Research potential agencies thoroughly by reviewing testimonials and client feedback, checking membership of professional bodies like the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, and assessing how long they've operated in their specialist sector.
Larstone Recruitment has built a strong reputation since 2010, holding a 5-star rating on Google Reviews and working with clients across East Anglia and beyond. Our testimonials reflect our commitment to genuinely understanding client needs and finding candidates who'll thrive in specific roles and environments.
#Clear communication
The best recruitment partnerships involve clear, responsive communication. When evaluating agencies, consider how quickly and professionally they respond to initial enquiries, whether they take time to understand your specific needs rather than rushing to present candidates, and their willingness to provide regular updates throughout the search.
At Larstone Recruitment, we pride ourselves on being approachable, friendly and professional, maintaining open communication throughout your recruitment journey.
#Transparent fees
Understand exactly what you're paying for and when. Reputable agencies provide clear fee structures with no hidden charges, explain what services are included, offer written terms and conditions, and are willing to discuss fees openly. Avoid agencies with complex, unclear pricing or those reluctant to provide written fee agreements upfront.
#When to use a recruitment agency
Use a recruitment agency when you need specialist candidates difficult to source through general advertising, lack time or resources to manage recruitment internally, want to reduce hiring risks through professional screening, need confidential searches, are filling roles requiring extensive compliance checks, or want access to passive candidates not actively job-seeking.
Manage recruitment internally when you have clear visibility of suitable candidates, possess strong internal HR resources and time, are recruiting for entry-level positions with many applicants, or are filling very simple roles with minimal requirements.
For most specialised rural, household and estate positions, professional recruitment services deliver significantly better outcomes than direct hiring, justifying the investment through reduced risk, faster placements and higher long-term success rates.
#Why choose Larstone Recruitment
At Larstone Recruitment, we've specialised in corporate and rural recruitment since 2010, building deep expertise across private households, commercial and corporate sectors, country estates, farming and agriculture, childcare and nannies, and equestrian roles.
Our bespoke recruitment service provides genuinely personalised support, taking time to understand your specific requirements, searching proactively for suitable candidates, presenting only genuinely suitable individuals, coordinating all vetting including DBS checks and references, and supporting you through placement and beyond.
Based in Norfolk and serving East Anglia and beyond, we've built strong local networks whilst accessing national talent where appropriate. Our 5-star Google Reviews reflect our commitment to exceptional service for both clients and candidates.
Whether you're recruiting a nanny for your family, an estate manager for your property, farm workers for your agricultural business, or commercial staff for your organisation, we bring sector knowledge, professional processes and genuine commitment to finding the right person for your specific needs.
Ready to discuss your recruitment needs? Contact Larstone Recruitment today to discover how our bespoke service can help you find exceptional staff for your household, estate, farm or business.