Many business owners in Surat have used a recruitment agency once, been unsure what they were paying for, and gone back to hiring through referrals and WhatsApp groups. Others have never used one because they assume it is expensive or only for large companies. This guide explains, in plain terms, what a recruitment agency actually does day to day, how a typical engagement runs from first call to joining, and how fees and guarantees usually work, so you can decide whether an agency is right for your next hire.
- An agency finds, screens and presents candidates; you still choose and employ them.
- Ask when the fee is billed and what the replacement terms are, in writing.
- Job Vista bills only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days.
What a recruitment agency is (and is not)
A recruitment agency is a business that finds, screens and presents candidates for your open roles. You stay the employer: you interview, choose, make the offer and pay the salary. The agency's job is to do the slow parts of hiring for you so that your time goes only into the final decision.
It is worth separating a few things that often get mixed up:
- Permanent recruitment: the agency finds a candidate who joins your payroll. This is what most Surat SMEs mean when they say "agency".
- Staffing or contract staffing: workers stay on the agency's or a contractor's payroll and are deployed at your site. Billing and compliance work differently.
- Job portals: they give you access to a database or job ads, but you do the searching, calling and screening yourself.
A genuine agency is paid by the employer. It should never charge candidates to apply or to get a job.
You interview, choose, make the offer and pay the salary.
Recruiters call candidates so only relevant profiles reach you.
With Job Vista the fee is billed after the candidate joins and completes 7 days.
What the agency does, step by step
1. Understanding the role
A good engagement starts with a short briefing call. The recruiter should ask about the job title, daily work, must-have skills, salary range, working hours, weekly off, location within Surat (Udhna, Sachin, Katargam, Varachha, Adajan, Ring Road and so on) and how quickly you need someone. If an agency takes a one-line requirement and starts sending resumes, expect poor matches.
2. Sourcing candidates
The agency then looks for people in several places at once: its own candidate database, people who have applied to similar jobs, job portals, social media, WhatsApp and referrals. An established database matters because it means candidates can be contacted the same day instead of waiting for an advertisement to bring responses. Job Vista, for example, has a database of 50,000+ candidates and has worked with 250+ clients.
3. Screening
This is where most of the value lies. Recruiters call candidates to confirm current and expected salary, notice period, commute, relevant experience and interest in the role. Many candidates drop out at this stage, which is exactly the time you save. Only people who fit the brief are passed on.
4. Sharing profiles
You receive a short list of profiles with a summary of each candidate. At Job Vista the first pre-screened profiles usually reach you in 2–3 days once the job details are confirmed.
5. Coordinating interviews
The agency schedules interviews, reminds candidates, collects your feedback and passes it on. This sounds small, but chasing candidates and confirmations is one of the most time-consuming parts of hiring for a busy owner or manager.
6. Offer and joining
Once you choose a candidate, the recruiter helps align expectations on salary and joining date, and stays in touch with the candidate through the notice period to reduce last-minute drop-outs.
See how Job Vista works with employers: first pre-screened profiles in 2–3 days, and the fee is billed only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days.
What it costs: how agency fees usually work
There is no single market price, and you should be careful of anyone who quotes without understanding the role. Fees are commonly structured in one of two ways:
- A percentage of the hired candidate's salary, often based on monthly or annual pay.
- A fixed fee per position, which is common for volume or entry-level hiring.
The fee itself is only part of the picture. Just as important are when you pay and what happens if the hire does not work out. Before sharing an opening, ask every agency these questions:
- Is any amount payable before a candidate joins?
- What exactly triggers the invoice: the offer, the joining date or a period after joining?
- If the candidate leaves early, is there a replacement, and for how long?
- Are the terms written down before hiring starts?
Pay-after-joining billing and replacements
Advance fees put all the risk on the employer. A pay-after-joining model shares that risk: the agency is paid only when it delivers someone who actually starts work. Job Vista's rule is simple: Placement fee is billed only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days. If you interview candidates and decide not to hire, there is no placement fee.
Replacement terms protect you if a new hire leaves soon after joining. Job Vista provides a free replacement within your plan's guarantee period, and the period is written into your plan before we start. Whatever agency you use, make sure the replacement terms are in writing.
When an agency is worth it, and when it is not
An agency is usually worth it when:
- You need to fill a role quickly or hire several people at once.
- A position has stayed open despite your own advertising.
- You do not have an HR person with time to screen and coordinate.
- You are hiring for a skill you do not normally recruit for.
It may not be necessary when you have a steady flow of good applicants, strong referrals, and someone with the time to screen properly. Many businesses use both: their own channels for easy roles and an agency for urgent or hard-to-fill ones.
How to get the best results from an agency
- Give a clear brief with a realistic salary range.
- Reply to shared profiles within a day or two; good candidates do not wait long.
- Give specific feedback ("strong in Tally, but too far from Sachin") so the next profiles are closer.
- Keep interviews to one or two rounds in the same week.
Working with Job Vista
Job Vista is a recruitment and staffing agency based in Surat, hiring across Gujarat and pan-India. We recruit for office, sales, technical, factory and support roles, share pre-screened profiles in 2–3 days, and bill only after the candidate joins and completes 7 days. You can read how we work for employers or share an opening directly.
