1. Learn about fees from recruiters and temp agencies

Recruitment agencies

A recruitment agency, also called a “headhunter” or “recruiter”, helps:

• employers find workers
• workers find new jobs

Once a recruiter finds you a job, the employer hires you.

Charging fees

A recruiter can charge a fee if they find you a job. But they usually charge the fee to the employer.

If a recruiter wants you to pay them, make sure they have a license from the government.

If they do not have a license, they cannot charge the fee. They might also be trying to get money from you when there's no job.

Recruiters who are licensed can charge fees only to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. If you're not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they cannot charge you a fee for any service they offer.

Temporary help agencies

A temporary help agency, also called a “temp agency”, places you in a job for a period of time. For example, this could be for a few months or a year.

The temp agency is your employer, not the business where you're working.

Charging fees

A temp agency cannot ask you to pay for them to find you a job or help you find a job.