Recruitment Consultants
Discussion
Just had a phone conversation with one of these idiots, then sent my CV over with a covering letter.
Got an email back (literally) two minutes later asking
1 Current salary?
2 Salary expectation?
3 Notice period?
4 DOB?
5 Nationality?
6 Reason for leaving?
Every single one of these points was either covered in my letter, or included on my CV - they clearly haven't bothered to read anything that I sent them.
I'm really interested in the particular role, but am having massive doubts due to this total muppet who's dealing with my application. As a professional, do I really want to be represented by someone like this?
Wooooosssaaahhh - rant over
[small]As a freelancer I deal with loads of agents, and find that they're not all bad, but the ones that are.....[/small]
Got an email back (literally) two minutes later asking
1 Current salary?
2 Salary expectation?
3 Notice period?
4 DOB?
5 Nationality?
6 Reason for leaving?
Every single one of these points was either covered in my letter, or included on my CV - they clearly haven't bothered to read anything that I sent them.
I'm really interested in the particular role, but am having massive doubts due to this total muppet who's dealing with my application. As a professional, do I really want to be represented by someone like this?
Wooooosssaaahhh - rant over
[small]As a freelancer I deal with loads of agents, and find that they're not all bad, but the ones that are.....[/small]
munky said:
Even more annoying are the ones that advertise jobs that don't exist, just to get CVs in, or those that send you details of jobs of the type that you've specifically told them you don't want
That's all of them in my experience.
Luckily I work in a specialised field and due to the number of years I've been in it I now have more contacts than the "Recruitment Consultants".
pp
Many Recruitment "Consultants" must be looked at in the same light as many estate agents.
They are not out to help you get a job that suits you, by providing help and guidance, but they want you to take any job so they can meet a target or earn some commission.
Its important that you keep the upper hand with these people and ensure that they don't approach anyone on your behalf without your prior approval.
It always amazes me how Estate Agents and Recruitment Companies feel that a 22 year old spotty oik can inspire confidence when selling your £200k + house or attempting to place someone in a reasonable job.
I have always found the smaller independent agencies the best as you tend to deal with a partner who has a vested interest in the long term development of the business and its reputation.
>> Edited by Egbert Nobacon on Tuesday 26th July 20:19
They are not out to help you get a job that suits you, by providing help and guidance, but they want you to take any job so they can meet a target or earn some commission.
Its important that you keep the upper hand with these people and ensure that they don't approach anyone on your behalf without your prior approval.
It always amazes me how Estate Agents and Recruitment Companies feel that a 22 year old spotty oik can inspire confidence when selling your £200k + house or attempting to place someone in a reasonable job.
I have always found the smaller independent agencies the best as you tend to deal with a partner who has a vested interest in the long term development of the business and its reputation.
>> Edited by Egbert Nobacon on Tuesday 26th July 20:19
There's good and bad services/products within every industry. Recruitment agents are sales people, and unfortunately the candidate is rarely seen as the "client", as it's the company recruiting them that pays the bills.
If you happen to work in a sector where you are essentially a commodity you won't find very good agents, as the agents don't have to be any good to make a decent living - particularly when the economy is more buoyant.
You'll find a much better quality of service as you become more senior (Director level and above) and/or are more specialist, as you will no longer be viewed as the less important side of the equation. You're also better to get to know an agent well and stick with them. Try and find a career agent, not one of the majority that is in the industry for 12-18 months, as they should actually be good at what they do.
There are a lot of muppet recruitment agents out there - but there are a lot of muppet candidates too.
As you may guess - I know a little about the industry from the inside.
>> Edited by willdew on Tuesday 26th July 21:02
If you happen to work in a sector where you are essentially a commodity you won't find very good agents, as the agents don't have to be any good to make a decent living - particularly when the economy is more buoyant.
You'll find a much better quality of service as you become more senior (Director level and above) and/or are more specialist, as you will no longer be viewed as the less important side of the equation. You're also better to get to know an agent well and stick with them. Try and find a career agent, not one of the majority that is in the industry for 12-18 months, as they should actually be good at what they do.
There are a lot of muppet recruitment agents out there - but there are a lot of muppet candidates too.
As you may guess - I know a little about the industry from the inside.
>> Edited by willdew on Tuesday 26th July 21:02
I once got a phone call from an agency I was registered with. After a few pleasantries, the guy had the front to ask me if I could supply the names and phone numbers of some of my colleagues in account management. Needless to say, I asked to be taken off their books as I didn't have much faith in their motivation to place me. Twat.
Once put my CV with a company who sent me for an interview. Trouble was, the job I wanted was not being advertised. I was interviewed for a junior role instead. The interviewer wondered why I had applied for this role as I was more than qualified for the senior role. When I told him I expected to be interviewed for the other job, he explained that someone was still doing that job. He then twigged that the current employee was looking to jump ship. The agency had this other guy on their books and was trying to fill his role before he actually left.
So that was a complete waste of a day for me and a whole pile of crap going to the guy who wanted to leave.
The same agency also sent my CV to my current employer in application for the role I currently did! My boss was not exactly chuffed but by then I didn't give a toss anyway. Needless to say the recruitment agency got a rocket up their donkey and the agent got the push big style.
So that was a complete waste of a day for me and a whole pile of crap going to the guy who wanted to leave.
The same agency also sent my CV to my current employer in application for the role I currently did! My boss was not exactly chuffed but by then I didn't give a toss anyway. Needless to say the recruitment agency got a rocket up their donkey and the agent got the push big style.
ing parasites, that sums it up.I used to work for an IT recruitment agency and my old boss once sent the CV of a girl who was looking for a new job to her current company. All hell broke loose but he just laughed it off and said "Oh well, at least she's got a reason to leave now."
Another agency I worked for routinely advertised jobs that didn't exist (even though that's illegal) in order to get candidates on the books so the agency looked good when a company approached them asking for a vacancy to be filled.
Another agency I worked for routinely advertised jobs that didn't exist (even though that's illegal) in order to get candidates on the books so the agency looked good when a company approached them asking for a vacancy to be filled.
I find they get you to interview for a job paying £40k (or whatever) only to later be told that the company is only offering £30k. They knew all along and knew you wouldnt bother going for the lower salary so they LIE.
The sooner employers realise that bad agents simply waste their time the better.
The sooner employers realise that bad agents simply waste their time the better.
I'll stand up for one of the financial recruitment folk (a fellow Ph'er). I was recently examining my options and discussed with them where I ultimately wanted to end up and they gave me some clear advice over what I needed to do to get there and likely roles etc. This clear unbiased advice actually resulted in me taking a new higher level role in my current company rather than leaving. It also means in 2 years or so when I'm looking to move on again I know who will be the guys representing me.
There are good people out there, granted it might take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff but you can find someone in the end.
Chris
There are good people out there, granted it might take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff but you can find someone in the end.
Chris
I've just found a new job after a good few months of looking for the right one...and initially I had REAL trouble with most agents I dealt with (I won't call them consultants...very few consult).
I was, by one woman, put forward 3 times for jobs at my current grade which she'd sold to me as "management", despite me saying clearly in conversation and e-mail I only wanted to look at management roles. Actually went to one interview, and wasted both my and the company's time. The other two I cancelled late on, when I saw the specs. She wasn't happy about that, but she was even less happy when I made a complaint about her...she phoned up (I thought to apologise) and HAD A GO at me!!!
I did find a few good agents in the end...only a couple of whom I'd even close to trust, but ones who'd recognised what I could do and how well I interviewed.
The majority...selfish dross...some of whom clearly aren't above deceit to try and get their money!!!
I was, by one woman, put forward 3 times for jobs at my current grade which she'd sold to me as "management", despite me saying clearly in conversation and e-mail I only wanted to look at management roles. Actually went to one interview, and wasted both my and the company's time. The other two I cancelled late on, when I saw the specs. She wasn't happy about that, but she was even less happy when I made a complaint about her...she phoned up (I thought to apologise) and HAD A GO at me!!!
I did find a few good agents in the end...only a couple of whom I'd even close to trust, but ones who'd recognised what I could do and how well I interviewed.
The majority...selfish dross...some of whom clearly aren't above deceit to try and get their money!!!
The are good recruiters ones just as there are equally poor applicants.
I once had to write an advert for an IT vacancy we had, the majority of applicants clearly couldn't read or thought they could do the role (dreamers). So if anyone apples to a job and never hears back it might not be because the job doesn't exist it might just be because you are not qualified for it. Anyway we had an utterly useless response over 2 weeks. We then had a contractor respond who said he had the skills asked for, so after much umming we decided to see him. What a complete shyster he was, it was pretty clear he didn't know what he was talking about. He'd probably read a book on the subject the night before to bluff his way through the interview he was that obvious especially when asked probing technical questions he should have known. So never again with one of them. We instead got a good recruiter to source someone, 6 days later and 2 interviews we'd got our person.
I once had to write an advert for an IT vacancy we had, the majority of applicants clearly couldn't read or thought they could do the role (dreamers). So if anyone apples to a job and never hears back it might not be because the job doesn't exist it might just be because you are not qualified for it. Anyway we had an utterly useless response over 2 weeks. We then had a contractor respond who said he had the skills asked for, so after much umming we decided to see him. What a complete shyster he was, it was pretty clear he didn't know what he was talking about. He'd probably read a book on the subject the night before to bluff his way through the interview he was that obvious especially when asked probing technical questions he should have known. So never again with one of them. We instead got a good recruiter to source someone, 6 days later and 2 interviews we'd got our person.
...and yet, somewhat curiously, I apply for jobs for which I am amply qualified for and experienced in, yet few recruiters even bother with a "no thanks".
The end of the "we think recruitment agencies are scum" queue is 50m down the corridor, left, through the doors and 2 mins down the road. Recruitment agencies will definitely be in the spacecraft with the telephone sanitisers (apologies to those who haven't read Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy).
Mike
The end of the "we think recruitment agencies are scum" queue is 50m down the corridor, left, through the doors and 2 mins down the road. Recruitment agencies will definitely be in the spacecraft with the telephone sanitisers (apologies to those who haven't read Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy).
Mike
CVP said:
I'll stand up for one of the financial recruitment folk (a fellow Ph'er). I was recently examining my options and discussed with them where I ultimately wanted to end up and they gave me some clear advice over what I needed to do to get there and likely roles etc. This clear unbiased advice actually resulted in me taking a new higher level role in my current company rather than leaving. It also means in 2 years or so when I'm looking to move on again I know who will be the guys representing me.
There are good people out there, granted it might take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff but you can find someone in the end.
Chris
Who was that? I might have a chat with them.
maxf said:
I find they get you to interview for a job paying £40k (or whatever) only to later be told that the company is only offering £30k.
I had that, but was in a desperate situation and had to get out of the job I was in. The company offered me the position with the "promise" of meeting the "advertised" salary within 3 months. It never happened. I no longer work there.
thanks for using the plural (consultant-S) meaning all of them?!
Yes some of you may have had a bad experience or two but you really cannot paint all of them with the same brush.
One thing that is so annoying for recruitment consultants is the fact you get a lot of applicants who expect the earth and never seem to grasp that we are offering you guys a FREE service - gratitude for you or what??? Personally I always respond to calls/emails/applications if even if giving bad news, nor would I ever advertise if there was no actual vacancy - if you ever experience this then report them to REC (Recruitment body) but for god's sake how can you slate everyone of them?
I work in a specialist sector and I would never 'spec candidates to companies' - this is seen as being a recruitment shark (IT sector abused this, then every tom dick & harry tried to do it) However, most decent companies will not even consider an agency who speccs in CV's to them nowadays - quite rightly so.
If you have a bad experience, write to the agencies MD and report them to REC but please dont ASS/U/ME that all are the same.
Yes some of you may have had a bad experience or two but you really cannot paint all of them with the same brush.
One thing that is so annoying for recruitment consultants is the fact you get a lot of applicants who expect the earth and never seem to grasp that we are offering you guys a FREE service - gratitude for you or what??? Personally I always respond to calls/emails/applications if even if giving bad news, nor would I ever advertise if there was no actual vacancy - if you ever experience this then report them to REC (Recruitment body) but for god's sake how can you slate everyone of them?
I work in a specialist sector and I would never 'spec candidates to companies' - this is seen as being a recruitment shark (IT sector abused this, then every tom dick & harry tried to do it) However, most decent companies will not even consider an agency who speccs in CV's to them nowadays - quite rightly so.
If you have a bad experience, write to the agencies MD and report them to REC but please dont ASS/U/ME that all are the same.
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