What is the role of a recruitment agency in body leasing?

Potential involvement of a recruitment agency in the body leasing process

Despite these differences, recruitment agencies can play a role in the body leasing ecosystem, although it is not their core business:

• Providing candidates to the supplier’s talent pool: Body leasing companies can work with recruitment agencies to source candidates (potential contractors) for their talent pools. The agency then acts as a sub-supplier to the body leasing company.
• Recruitment support for the supplier: A body leasing supplier can commission a recruitment agency to find a specific specialist with rare competencies, whom it will then engage on its own for a client project under the body leasing model.
• Recruitment in the “Try and Hire” model: Recruitment agencies can sometimes participate in “Try and Hire” processes, where a specialist’s initial period of work with a client is done on a temporary or contract-like basis, with the option of later permanent employment through the agency.

Key differences in responsibilities and relationships

The main difference is who formally “owns” the contract with the specialist and the client. In a typical body leasing, it is a specialized IT service provider. A recruitment agency focuses on a one-time process of matching a candidate to a position with an employer. The body leasing provider manages the long-term relationship with both the client and often the contractor, being responsible for administrative aspects, invoicing and continuity of service.

When does a client work with an agency and when with a body leasing provider?

A client turns to a recruitment agency when it is looking for an employee for a permanent position. In contrast, it chooses a body leasing provider when it needs temporary support from a specialist, flexibility to scale a team or quick access to competencies without permanent hiring.

Summary

A recruitment agency and a body leasing provider are two different types of players in the IT talent market. An agency focuses on permanent recruitment, while a body leasing provider specializes in hiring professionals on a temporary basis. While their paths may sometimes cross (e.g., an agency as a source of candidates for a provider), their core roles, business models and responsibilities are different. Understanding this difference is important for companies looking for the right partner to meet their IT staffing needs.