Frustration with recruitment agencies!
April 15, 2008
I’m sick to death of working with recruitment agencies. Honestly, if I could do without them then I really would but in the current labour climate, the industry I work in and the increase in competition from agencies for candidates there’s no option but for me to use them for at least some of the high volume of recruitment I’m doing this year.
I’ve just had yet another heated conversation with a recruitment consultant following an interview that was a complete waste of mine and my colleague’s time, as the candidate (who came for a sales position) didn’t even know what we did as a company, hadn’t been given any information on us and had been ‘led to believe’ that he would not be able to make any sales for a couple of months (which is complete rubbish)! He’d really been sold the job well I must say.
This incident, together with other, has made me wonder who is the client for a recruitment agency? The candidate or the recruiting company? The consultant’s excuse for the candidate’s confusion over what we did as a company was that he had been put forward for several different positions and had got them mixed up. I’m not certain this is true, but in any case that’s not really allayed my concerns about the agency’s service anyway. Many agencies wouldn’t ‘double book’ a candidate for more than one position at a time as it can create a conflict of interest and affect the long term relationship between them and the client, but obviously this isn’t the case for all of them. I understand that the recruitment consultant has a dual responsibility to two clients on either side of the table; the candidate and the recruiting company, but surely honesty and integrity is the best way forward for developing strong and lasting relationships with both. If an agency is wishing to put forward a candidate for more than one role, they should give a company a limited time to make a decision on that person, and make it clear that after this time they might lose them to another company: that’s a fair system for everyone. The recruitment industry has a bad rep in terms of qualities such as honesty and integrity, and we all joke about recruitment consultants in the same way as we do about other perceived ‘nasties’ such as estate agents. With my recent experience, it’s not difficult to see why.
Perhaps I need to re-read my own advice from a couple of months ago on working with recruitment agencies!
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3 Responses to “Frustration with recruitment agencies!”
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I had a recruitment agency phone me up today, and I don’t even work in HR. They asked for me by name, seems my name was on their database. The cheeky swines. I did point out that they should be asking for HR, not someone’s name on a database. No doubt if he phoned our HR department they’d tell him where to go.
I have to say the agencies are horrible.
I arrived in London a month ago and submitted my cv online - got a call promising ’several’ positions - and would I like to register and undergo an interview.
I was delighted. Finally someone is recognising my skills, degree, masters and teaching certificate. I came out of the interview thinking wow I’m going to have a job in no time….
Several weeks pass…
I email, call, leave messages…always the same response ‘we are constantly looking for work for you’
Today I lost it… and emailed them
ME:
When you first called me about 3 weeks ago and left a message you said there were a few positions that I would be suitable for.
What happened to these? Did they exist? I really had my hopes up when you left that message…
AGENCY
Unfortunately roles on the temp side come and go quickly and whilst there may have been roles I was keen to talk to you about when we met it may have been that they may not have been suitable for what you were looking for or they may have gone. Many of the roles were also the perm/contract roles that we have been talking to you about.
As I say I am on the lookout but it is quiet but please be rest assured as soon as anything comes in I will be contact with you.
Thank you
ME:
As a graduate yourself you must see that this is soooo disheartening - having gone to university for years and then having to wait for a job that ‘may not be suitable’ - when it’s clear that I’m desperate for work to pay for rent and for food.
Don’t call people saying there are ’several jobs’ if you don’t have jobs - simple. It’s just dishonest.
AGENCY
I understand where you are coming from but I am doing my best to look after your interest and the clients interest and whilst I have no doubt you could do roles a lot of them would not keep you interested.
I am in no way dishonest as I say I have explained the situation and am quite disappointed with your response. A lot of clients require CV’s for roles even on the temp side and so I have to match as closely as possible to their roles hence why the roles may not suit you or vice versa.
If you would like me to continue looking for you then I would appreciate a different attitude.
Thank you
ME
What I am saying is that I am desperate!!! I need to pay rent and food. Yes those roles may not keep me interested but they would keep me afloat. You may be disappointed by my response but my disappointment has been growing and growing as the days and weeks pass. I call, email and leave messages, and quite frankly it’s gotten me nowhere - except a rather large hole in my pocket.
Thank you
Catriona.
GRRRRRRRRRR….From a candidate’s position - we HAVE NO RIGHTS. At least clients can opt out of using them. In times of recession - candidates don’t have the luxury…
I’m a technical recruiter who cannot stand working with HR. HR reps are good a planning gender discrimination work books, scheduling 401k meetings, and planning the company’s annual summer time picnic.
They CANNOT answer questions like what design tools are needed or what is the operating frequency range, but HR reps CAN tell why an Analog Electrical Engineer needs to be able to demonstrate personal courage. Thanks. That is really helpful.