Top questions to ask recruitment agencies in North America for job seekers

The right job search agency can help you find your perfect role in North America. Here’s our expert take on the questions to ask any agency as a candidate to vet the best options for your career.

Finding a job can be overwhelming and time-consuming. This is particularly true in the dynamic, fast-moving North American job markets, where companies are often first adopters of workplace innovation, structure and transformation.

Recruitment agencies can handle the heavy lifting, from sourcing job opportunities to navigating assessments and interviews. The right recruiter fights in your corner, sourcing the opportunities you’re looking for based on your skills and career goals. Helping you find a role you can be happy with in long term.

So how do you find the right recruiter to represent you and your career? We’ve spoken to our experts worldwide and across our locations in Miami, Toronto and New York to source the ultimate questions to ask a recruitment agency as a candidate.

Why work with a recruitment agency to find your next job?

When you are job hunting in the USA or Canada, having the right recruitment agency by your side can make your job hunt faster, less stressful, and more effective.

Finding the right opportunity for you

Recruiters are working to connect their clients with top talent. If you find a recruiter who understands your specialism, skills and career trajectory – that’s a connection you can keep throughout your career. 

Helping you navigate the North American job market

From hiring freezes to company restructures, working with a recruiter with inside knowledge of the industry can help you navigate trying economic circumstances, repositioning yourself to find job security and career growth. 

Highlighting your most valuable skills

Recruiters work with businesses of all sizes to hire the skills they need most in-house. They have a unique perspective on which of your skills you should be highlighting most in the current job market.

Position yourself with salary benchmarking

Recruiters know career-level salary benchmarks within your local job market and industry. They’ll help you position yourself to get the best possible salary expectations for your skillset.

Ensure feedback throughout your recruitment process

Recruiters are on your side. Even if you don’t get the role, a good recruiter will ensure it’s a learning opportunity for you, sourcing high-quality feedback from the interview panel and reviewing that with you so you can understand what to work on for the next opportunity.

Is working with a recruiter free as a candidate?
As a candidate, you should never be charged by a recruiter or recruitment agency. Recruiters are paid by their clients, not their candidates. If a recruitment agency, or recruiter, is asking you to pay for a service or charging you for their time, this could be a scam or fraudulent activity.
Stay Safe with Salt: Fraud and Scam Alerts (welovesalt.com)

Questions to ask your recruiter as a candidate in North America

What data and insights do you have into the North American job market?

What skills should I highlight to help increase earning potential?

Do you understand my specific skill set?

Do you have evidence of your track record placing candidates?

How can you help improve my resume to stand out?

How can you help me prepare for my interview or assessment?

What data and insights do you have into the North American job market?

Understanding the job market landscape gives you a crucial advantage in your job hunt. The North American job market is dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-changing. It can be hard to find all the relevant and up-to-date data you need to inform your job search. That’s why it’s a great idea to work with a job search agency capable of sourcing and using those insights for you.

Ask your potential recruiter about their take on the North American job market, specifically, trends within your industry. Ask them what they’re basing that on, and where their data comes from.

Are you interviewing for a job at a global company? Ask your recruiter about their perspective on your market globally too.

Recent economic challenges for businesses in North America have led to fluctuations in job openings and wage growth, and this can be demotivating to read. But behind the headlines, there are promising trends for job seekers to get excited about. Chat with a recruitment expert and get their take. It might surprise you!

What skills should I highlight to help increase earning potential?

The American digital sector has been thriving thanks to advancements in new and emerging tech like Generative AI introducing new job roles and opportunities. What we know from this is that the skills most in demand now, might be different tomorrow. A good recruiter in America will not only give you tips about the skills based on the local market but forecasts on how it will develop based on other markets around the world. 

Ask potential recruiters how you can access higher earning potential through skills development. What are they basing their advice on? Does it reflect what you know about your industry?

Also, ask about their salary benchmarking. They should provide up-to-date, relevant, and reflective insights into what your earning potential is based on similar roles in the industry.  This is something Salt prides itself on – working with synergy with our locations around the world to give the best skills advice to candidates in the digital sector based on local and global expertise in digital industries. 

Do you understand my specific skill set?

Specialist recruiters have networks of candidates and clients within a specific field. They’re more likely to understand the specifics of what you do and find you the right opportunities to advance your career.

Good recruiters will also use their knowledge of career-level salary benchmarks to help you value your skill set within the market. They can help you practise negotiating for the salary you want and offer advice throughout the later stages of the hiring process.

To vet generalists from specialist recruiters, ask about their experience in your industry, the types of clients they work with, and their approach to the recruitment process for candidates with your skill set and career aspirations.  Salt has a unique specialization framework in all our locations around the world. Each of our consultants has in-depth knowledge of one specific field. They work with other specialists worldwide to stay informed and ahead of the market as it develops.

Do you have evidence of your track record placing candidates?

The best way to learn more about your recruiter is to hear what other candidates have said about working with them. The proof is in their reviews and success stories!

Ask your potential recruiter about their track record placing candidates. Do they have testimonials to share from others they’ve helped on their career journey?

Here are a few of the reviews from our Salt USA team!

“Elizabeth is amazing at what she does. She was in constant communication with me throughout the entire process. She truly believes in helping people, which was translated through her effort and attention. I would recommend her to my closest friends and colleagues.”
– Jim Barry, Candidate, New York.

“I enjoyed working with the Salt team. They really listened to me when I explained the type of job I wanted and presented me with great opportunities. They made a long and involved application process quite easy and streamlined, keeping you informed and comfortable along the way. I truly think they have the job hunter’s best interests at heart and work hard to find you the right position. I will reach out to them again when I am back on the job market.”
– Anne Borremans, Candidate, New York.

How can you help improve my resume to stand out?

A good recruiter will know what the most valuable skills are, and the skills that employers most need to hire in-house. 

Here are some top tips to get started with, collected from Salt’s recruitment experts worldwide:

How can you help me prepare for my interview or assessment?

Recruiters understand what their clients are hiring for, and even consult on the design of a fair, accessible interview and assessment process. While they won’t be giving you the cheat codes, they can help you work through your nerves and tell you about techniques you can practise before the interview, so you can show your best self on the day!

Ask your potential recruiter how they’ve helped candidates in the past prepare for interviews. Does this sound like it would help you on the day?

How to reach out to a recruiter at an international job search agency

It’s simple to start working with international job search agencies and find a recruiter that works for your needs.

Apply online

Check and apply for roles direct on their website. You can search for Salt’s open roles by looking at our specialist job feeds for both the USA and Canada.

Submit your CV on their website

Most international job search agencies have websites with the choice to upload a CV. Salt connects people and businesses within Creative, HR, Marketing, Sales and Technology. If you are interested in being part of our talent pool of expertise, you can upload your CV to our USA and Canada sites from our navigation.

Connect with recruiters directly

Look for the recruiter responsible for your specialism on their website or LinkedIn and contact them directly to register your interest in hearing about new positions.

More about Salt North America: a leading digital job search and recruitment agency

If you’re looking for roles in Consulting, Creative, HR, Marketing, Sales, or Technology, The Salt teams in New York, Miami, or Toronto can connect you with opportunities that align with your skills. Our expert digital recruiters are dedicated to giving you a competitive edge in today’s job market. 

Digital recruitment specialists in Miami

Miami is a central hub for digital growth, attracting businesses from cities like New York, San Francisco, LA, and across Europe. Our specialist recruiters are working hard to shape the future of talent in this dynamic market, offering unique insights and global ability to multinationals, start-ups, and rapidly growing companies.

Expert digital recruiters in New York

New York is a major center for technology and media. Our New York office specializes in connecting top talent with leading companies across Consulting, Creative, HR, Marketing, Sales and Technology. With a deep understanding of the local job market and extensive networks, our recruiters help job seekers find exciting opportunities, and employers in building strong, innovative teams.

Digital and Creative job search experts in Toronto

Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is a hub for technology and creative industries. Our Toronto office connects many talented digital and creative professionals with top employers in the region. Our recruiters understand the local market dynamics and are dedicated to helping job seekers and companies succeed.