The majority of HR directors turn to recruitment agencies when hiring, but two-thirds feel they are not getting value for money. That’s the conclusion of research carried out by HR recruitment company Resource Innovations.

Nine out of 10 HR directors use agencies when looking for new staff, while 76% use press and online advertising. Nearly half (48%) said they would like to see more support from the agencies they use, especially post-placement when they could follow up and check the new recruit is settling in.

Resource Innovations director Jane Shaw said: “The fact that agencies are not seen to offer value for money raises questions over quality and service levels.

“It is important that we strive for consistency across the industry in order to combat any negative perceptions,” she added.

Nearly half (46%) said 5% of staff left within the first three months, while 42% said they didn’t know how high their turnover was in the initial period.