ZAFAR & ASSOCIATES - LLP | Recruitment Company Setup - Pakistan
Recruitment company is known as recruiting firm, agency, staffing or temporary agencies, have teams of recruiters working in one or many industries to source job candidates and fill positions for their clients, also known as employment agencies, and act as the go-between for employers and jobseekers, work on behalf of employers to find suitable candidates to fill their vacancies since many employers use them for accessing to jobs that aren't commonly advertised.
Recruitment is described as finding human resource, to work in a company and become the member of that organization. This process is characterized by searching the prospective employees for the organization / company. It starts from identifying the requirements of the company, with respect to the particular job description, and ends with hiring the most suitable match. The recruitment procedure includes identifying the job need, making a recruitment plan, writing a job description, advertising for the job, reviewing the applications and lastly, recruiting the most suitable candidate. Once the applications of the interested applicants are reviewed, the screening process starts which includes initial screening, interviewing the applicant, analysis and background check of the applicant, final decision, then make the job offer to the selected applicant and finally the hiring.
The process of recruitment, for a company can be time consuming, expensive and requires a lot of skill, thus, in such instances, recruitment agency plays a vital role. The recruitment agency (company) works for the company for hiring candidates for a specific job. They act as a mediator for the company (its client) / (employer) and the person (employee). The recruitment company helps to match the job descriptions of vacancies with the best possible candidates.
The agency works by receiving a job description and hiring requirements by its client. The goal of the agency is to gather as much as information as possible that may include any special skill/ attribute required by the employers, in order to shortlist the best possible pool of candidates for a particular job. This shortlisting is done after going through the CVs/resumes of candidates. Once the applicants are shortlisted, the agency sets up an interview with the selected candidates, for better analysis of an individual and to briefly explain what the company has to offer and what they expect. In this regard, the agency may also arrange a direct interview with the company instead of interviewing the candidates first (this will depend upon the policies of the agency and the company).
A recruitment company benefits the employer (company), by finding the most suitable / talented workers, as they have better access to candidates looking for jobs, than the companies. This is mainly because recruitment agencies have larger networks, have wider range of sources (including their own platform) to search and attract the candidates than other companies. Moreover these agencies have expertise in hiring individuals for a particular job with specific requirements, thus giving the most suitable employee to its client.
For setting up a recruitment company, the area of interest needs to be finalized. For example it could be an IT-focused agency or a retail business-oriented staffing team. This field of interest i.e., the market to be tapped on is decided, according to the network / expertise and knowledge of a particular recruitment company. Recruitment agencies can work in different types, here are some examples:
Traditional Recruitment Agency
This, also referred as "employment agency", is the most common one. They only search for candidates when their client, needs an employee for a certain position. Upon the selection of the candidate, they charge a flat fee / a percentage of the candidate's salary from the company. However, if the candidate quits within a specified time period (usually 3 months), then the recruitment agency is supposed to find a replacement for that employee or return the fee paid to the company.
Headhunting Agency (Executive Search Firms)
These recruitment companies only look for high-level executives for companies. They usually work on a retainer basis or with a percentage of the candidate’s salary or both. This type of recruitment requires a lot of time and expertise but is undoubtedly effective. They are professionally-trained recruiters, who works eagerly to find the best fit for the organization, thus many companies rely on these recruiters to find high levels executives (like General Manager or Director of Marketing).
Staffing Agency
A staffing agency, also known as, "manpower agency" matches the most suitable candidate with the right position. A staffing agency only fills temporary or contractual positions. These are often from selective industries (i.e. hospitality) where they only do temporary contracts and not hire for permanent positions. Moreover, in this case, the client does not hire the people but it’s the staffing agency who selects applicants for the company. This means that they have to do all the interviewing, screening, and training, giving ease to the company. It offers a wide range of services including temporary, temp-to-hire, contract, and direct hire. They charge a mark-up depending on the employee’s pay.
Niche Recruiting Agency (Specialist Recruitment Agency)
These agencies spot the talent gaps in the market and then help fill vacancies faster by providing best suited candidates for special roles/jobs. They only work with a particular, chosen industry. They’ve specialized knowledge of that particular field, like, what skill is required, kind of packages or compensation the worker expect. This enables them to find highly qualified applicants who are experts in their areas.
For the recruiters, doing SWOT analysis, (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) and working on the marketing strategy through devising an appropriate 4 Ps (product, place, price, promotion) plan before starting up, will be beneficial. As it, helps evaluate the agency’s strengths to help tap on the current market opportunities and deal with the threats of the market and at the same time have an understanding of its weaknesses and thus minimize the negative effects of them. Moreover, it gives a better and clearer picture of the competitors and the market you opt to work in. In addition to that, to avoid any legal problems all relevant rules and regulations should be taken into consideration. This protects your client and candidates from any legal issues that may arise. Lastly, the business plan / marketing structure should be drafted to show the agency’s motif and objective.
In Pakistan, there two ways to procure employment overseas, either through public or private Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs), or through direct employment (where the applicant make arrangements of his employment on his own). The BE&OE issues licenses to private OEPs and regulates and monitors the direct employment as well. In the private sector, recruitment is primarily conducted through licensed OEPs. Currently, there are approximately two thousand active licensed OEPs, associated with Seven Protector of Emigrants Offices. The Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) is the only public agency operating in Pakistan; however its work has become nominal.
OEP role in recruitment industry is of immense importance. These companies arrange human resource from Pakistan for overseas recruitment by matching the needs of foreign companies with the most suitable applicants. In addition to that, such agencies also facilitate in the emigration process with all necessary documentation within the given deadline. The recruitment sector in Pakistan, which is a well-established industry, formalized its rules and regulation and procedures / practices according to the Emigration Ordinance and Rules 1979.
Incorporation & Registration of OEPs
The proposed name of the Recruiting Agency is required, which should be confirmed in writing by the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE & OE) to avoid any similarity with another company’s name, along with the Bank statement and property documents, should be presented.
Three files of required documents are to be prepared (Original, Duplicate and Triplicate) in separate file covers.
All photocopies are required to be attested by an officer / notary public.
Following documents, should be presented to Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment by an OEP (overseas employment promoters), for obtaining license under, s.12(2) of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979:
Application Form 2
Bank Challan of Rs 5000/- (Original)
Sole Proprietor Partnership Deed / Memorandum & Articles of Association
Copy of CNIC
Good Conduct Certificate
Income Tax Certificate
Bio-Data of Applicant(s)
Bio-Data of Applicant’s Father / Husband
Specimen Signature of Applicant / Managing Director
Name of two persons who know the applicant(s)
Five Photographs (Passport size) of applicant(s)
Bank Certificate
Bank Account transaction statement / Property Deed
Undertaking on Stamp Paper valued Rs 50/-
Performance of OEP under whom the applicant worked (if any)
OEP License
For grant of license an application should be made to the Federal Government, through the Director General, in triplicate, in Form 2, with a Certificate of character from the District Magistrate / any person authorised by Federal government, along with non-refundable application fee of five thousand (5000) rupees.
The application is then forward to Federal Government, along with the relevant documents, by the Director General upon satisfaction. If the Federal Government approves the application for the grant of license than the applicant has to deposit license fee of fifteen thousand (15,000) rupees and a security of three hundred thousand (300,000) rupees for good conduct, in the following manner:
A sum of one hundred thousand rupees in cash in any branch of a bank nominated by the Federal Government; and
Two hundred thousand rupees in shape of the Defense Saving Certificates pledged in the name of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Division.
After this the Federal Government may grant a license in the form as set out in Form 1, which shall be non-refundable.
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