Search Recruitment Reviews 1,433

Taken on as a temporary hire with the promise of a long term role within the permanent recruitment team in Liverpool. Held numerous conversations and shared plans about what I wanted to do long term with the business, even entered into training plans with the business to enhance my employment capabilities. All sounds great…. Welcomed to
The business on LinkedIn on the Monday… how wrong was I?

Tuesday morning I’m let go because of costs and they had another Resourcer in Manchester who was permanent so it was easier to get rid of me. I was given 20 minutes notice and only paid until the minute I actually left, no compassion, no thought process, discarded like I didn’t matter.

I’ve never worked somewhere as unprofessional and it shows by how they treat their staff

I had a really positive experience with Search Consultancy, and a big part of that was because of Barry Chapman. From the very beginning, he was incredibly helpful, supportive and always easy to reach. What really stood out to me was how quickly he replied to messages often within just a few minutes and how clearly he explained everything step by step.
Barry made the whole process feel much less stressful because he kept me informed at every stage. He would always explain what needed to be done, when it needed to be done, and what the next step would be. He also repeated important information to make sure nothing was missed, which I really appreciated. It was clear that he genuinely wanted to help and make sure everything went smoothly.
I was always in regular contact with him, and I never felt like I was left waiting or unsure about anything. Emails and updates were sent very quickly, and he was very thorough in making sure I understood every detail. He really puts a lot of effort into keeping people informed and supported.
This experience completely changed my opinion about agencies in a positive way. Barry was professional, friendly, patient and very dedicated throughout the whole process. I’m really grateful for all his help and I would definitely recommend Search Consultancy, especially if you are lucky enough to work with Barry Chapman.

I must state I have never experienced a more incompetent bunch of people. From day 1 one mistakes were happening. They offered me a job (woo) and then rescinded the offer on the Friday (was due to start on the Monday), then Monday at 1100 called me to ask if i could start in 20 minutes. I found this behaviour highly irregular, and then when they had the audacity to ask if I still wanted the job when I said i couldn't start until the Tuesday, i found their tone rude. However i though hey-ho I am sure it will be fine, how wrong I was.

When i begun my role, i got my first pay and sadly i was on an emergency tax, I understand this can happen, i contacted HMRC to get a new Tax code however after providing it to Search they still have not resolved this issue. This has now been an on-going issue for 5 month, and when i ask them about it they will now just ignore my emails regarding this situation.

Search also ended my employment without letting me or my employer know by error, this lead to all my holiday pay which i had accrued being paid out, resulting in a loss of funds as a pay rise was coming in 2 weeks later, sadly Search did not even attempt to resolve this issue and failed to even offer a simply apology.

When i did go on holiday Search decided to ignore my emails requesting holiday pay and only responded when i emailed with a subject title "joke". And instead of resolving the situation they just threatened to fire me and did not resolve me getting holiday pay for time off.

Overall once you are hired by them and you have any issue, they will not try and resolve it, and if i am being truthful they either need a new career or re-training as the way they treaded members of staff was shocking, and was enough that it has led to me find alternate employment.

If you are seeking an enjoyable experience with a company that provides consistent support and ensures your role is progressing well—while also offering assistance when concerns arise this is not the company. The initial stages may appear promising.

The onboarding process is straightforward, and the consultant at interview present themselves as enthusiastic and supportive. My initial interview was positive, and the consultant was approachable, communicative, and engaging.
However, once concerns were raised regarding the role, the situation changed significantly. The company’s response felt coordinated and defensive, with statements made that I believe to be inaccurate. Furthermore, the HR department did not provide the support expected and, in my view, contributed to worsening the situation.

Based on this experience, I would not recommend engaging with this company.

The company are not disability friendly and discriminate.

I do not require a generic response or a response stating they feel they have dealt with the situation as this is not the case.

Tried calling Search 15 times over two days, from 09.30 - 16.45 both days to the Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool office. There is an automated reply to all, that no one is available, Unbeleivable.
If this is the level of attention to answering calls.
You can be sure your CV will be given the same attention.
Do Not Waste Your Time With This Agency

Sadly only 5 stars 😕
I wanted to give more for Barry Chapman.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to Barry for his support throughout the time I worked at the agency. Communication with him was always easy because he is a professional in his work. If ever needed, I would seek his help again.
Thank you Barry!!!

I started working with Search Agency at the Crawley branch in October after returning from maternity leave. At first, I was a bit sceptical as I had never worked with an agency before and had not heard the most positive things about them in general.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. There was always consistent work available, payments were regular and reliable, and I also received my holiday pay without any issues.

Barry, the Principal Consultant, has been professional, understanding and very supportive from the very beginning. Communication was always clear and helpful, which made the whole experience very smooth.

I would confidently recommend this agency and especially Barry, to anyone looking for reliable agency work.

Barry you are the boss

I start work with Search in September and Berry Chapman he is with great personality and always ready to help. I get my salary in time ,my holidays get paid in time, never late with anything.
I just can say a Big thank you for amazing time and i wish and I recommended to everyone to enjoy to this nice team.
Big thank you
Regards Kinga

Hi,
First and foremost, my post is not just another AI generated 'I can't be bothered' review,
So, in a few, personal and simple words: Barry Chapman at Search Recruitment helped me to find job here in UK after relocating back from Australia. I thought, that I'll need at least 2 months to find something, but my friend recommended to email Barry and I have started work the same week!!
Barry has a lot of work opportunities available and his professional expertise helped me to find, what has suited me best, which resulted in my permanent and secured employment.
(Search Recruitment: communication is easy, always very helpful and supportive, and payments were always on time).
5 stars.
Thanks and regards
KB

My experience with Search has been excellent and amazing. I always dealt with Barry Chapman, the principal consultant and I was impressed with the professionalism, advice and support that he gave me. The communication from Barry was absolutely the best, second to none. Always got paid correctly and on time and my holiday request was handled quickly and without issues. I highly recommend Search.

I’ve really enjoyed my time working with Barry and the team. Barry has been supportive, approachable, and fair throughout, and it’s clear he genuinely cares about both the people and the quality of work the company delivers.

I’m grateful for the opportunity and would happily recommend the company to anyone looking for a supportive and professional workplace. I wish Barry and the team continued success going forward.

Consistent availability of shifts and the way search Crawley branch and Barry Chapman to be precise treats employees with respect and honesty and it was nice working with the industrial division.

I had a highly positive experience working with this agency and am extremely grateful for the support provided throughout my assignment.
The team demonstrated a high level of professionalism, efficiency, and commitment from the outset. I would like to give special recognition to Barry, whose guidance, clear communication, and consistent support were exceptional. His dedication and attention to detail ensured a smooth process and played a significant role in helping me secure a permanent contract.
I sincerely appreciate the support I received and would confidently recommend this agency to anyone seeking a reliable and professional recruitment service.

I'm very grateful to Barry Chapman, he handled the recruitment process very professionally and efficiently. I felt supported and engaged at every stage. He was always available to answer any questions I had and quickly resolved them. It was a pleasant experience, and I definitely would contact him again if needed.

I was given employment through Search and Barry Chapman was absolutely great. He assisted and supported me immensely whilst I was trying to find my feet with this new experience in a new company. Thank you so much Barry, it’s been fabulous having you help me through my journey. Nischit Raval

Izzy has been an amazing support throughout the process and I look forward to continuing to work with her. Thanks also to Nicola.

Fine until you leave and then don’t pay owed hours on an admin error.

Kirsty Brooke has been amazing to work with! She is super helpful, very responsive, and kept me informed every step of the way 😀
I highly recommend Kirsty to anyone who is looking for a new job.
Thanks Kirsty!!

Barry has always been professional, approachable, and supportive, making sure I was placed in roles that suited my skills and helped me grow.

Over this period, I gained valuable experience in production, assembly, and quality control. The assignments I was given allowed me to develop both my technical and teamwork skills, while working in fast-paced environments where attention to detail and efficiency were essential.

What stood out most was Barry’s communication and reliability. He always kept me informed, was quick to respond to any questions, and genuinely cared about ensuring I was satisfied in my roles.

Thanks to Barry’s support and guidance, I was able to prove myself and, in the end, I secured a permanent contract with the company. I am very grateful for this opportunity and would highly recommend Barry and Search to anyone looking for reliable and professional agency work.