Employers looking to recruit staff may be interested to learn that job seekers are often put off from signing up to recruitment agencies.

HR Magazine quoted research from Unity Personnel, which revealed that some 60 per cent of individuals would not use an agency to find work, while 26 per cent are negative about them.

Concerns were raised over impersonal service and agencies that sent out CVs to employers when they had not properly read the job specification.

Commenting on the results of the survey and the action needed to counteract those views, Nick Tomkinson, commercial director at Unity Personnel, said: “As an industry, we need to combat the negative impressions many people have and provide a superior service by working closely with both clients and candidates in order to determine their requirements.”

It seems that companies themselves are often dissatisfied by the service offered by agencies as just 16 per cent of employers and employees reported positive experiences.

Medical technology company, Smith & Nephew recently enhanced its permanent and temporary recruitment systems to cut costs, HR Magazine reported.