Recruitment Companies
Discussion
This is my first ever experience of recruitment companies, so advice would be welcome to a novice.
Fancied a job change, so around February this year, uploaded current CV to CV library.
So far over the last two months I’ve had five recruitment companies call me advising that their client and my CV look are a match, they tell me the name of the company, ask if they can send my CV to their client, sure why not, this is all going to plan and then I ask do you have written job description?
The job written job description seem to be an issue, only one of the five have provided me with a job description?
I should point out that I have had two interviews, and neither had written job description? Is this normal, am I going sound naïve, when I say I beginning to doubt three of these jobs actually exist.
Fancied a job change, so around February this year, uploaded current CV to CV library.
So far over the last two months I’ve had five recruitment companies call me advising that their client and my CV look are a match, they tell me the name of the company, ask if they can send my CV to their client, sure why not, this is all going to plan and then I ask do you have written job description?
The job written job description seem to be an issue, only one of the five have provided me with a job description?
I should point out that I have had two interviews, and neither had written job description? Is this normal, am I going sound naïve, when I say I beginning to doubt three of these jobs actually exist.
my advise is to send as many cv's as you want but just take your current company's name out. Most of the recruitment agencies try to fish around. If they can't tell you the company name them tough.
Some of the recruitment agencies don't have agreement with the client, they found the job being advertised on client's website and then they will send your cv to them saying i have a candidate you might be interested in. They don't have a job spec because it is not given on client's website.
But once you have a interview with client then you may disclose your company name.
Some of the recruitment agencies don't have agreement with the client, they found the job being advertised on client's website and then they will send your cv to them saying i have a candidate you might be interested in. They don't have a job spec because it is not given on client's website.
But once you have a interview with client then you may disclose your company name.
Yep, much better to do your own research, find companies you want to work for and approach them directly.
Recruiters take anywhere from 10-35% (or more) of the offered salary as a fee. So if you are in a 50K p.a. year job the recruiter will walk away with 5-15K for their efforts.
Hence there is a strong incentive for them to get a candidate into a role. Which can work in your favour when they bombard the hiring manager, however, if there is a real job vacancy nobody generally needs to be forced to hire someone. You will also notice I said "a" candidate and "a" role.
I have seen a few recruiters have long careers and build up specialist knowledge of a sector, with good networks of both candidates and employers.
However, the type who will be ringing you off CV library are unlikely to be in that category. They are the type where one week they are "IT Recruitment Consultant"; the next they are "Healthcare Recruitment Consultant" and the week after they are specialists in Construction Industry Recruitment. You can imagine the care taken with identifying candidates.
In many respects you will also find that CV-spammers find mutual ground with lazy HR departments of crummy companies.
A decent firm will make the effort to recruit staff and won't abdicate responsibility to any random fly-by-night agent clutching varied CVs downloaded from the internet.
So even if you got a job through random agency A, just consider the "investment" the firm has made in finding you and extrapolate how much they care about their staff ...
Recruiters take anywhere from 10-35% (or more) of the offered salary as a fee. So if you are in a 50K p.a. year job the recruiter will walk away with 5-15K for their efforts.
Hence there is a strong incentive for them to get a candidate into a role. Which can work in your favour when they bombard the hiring manager, however, if there is a real job vacancy nobody generally needs to be forced to hire someone. You will also notice I said "a" candidate and "a" role.
I have seen a few recruiters have long careers and build up specialist knowledge of a sector, with good networks of both candidates and employers.
However, the type who will be ringing you off CV library are unlikely to be in that category. They are the type where one week they are "IT Recruitment Consultant"; the next they are "Healthcare Recruitment Consultant" and the week after they are specialists in Construction Industry Recruitment. You can imagine the care taken with identifying candidates.
In many respects you will also find that CV-spammers find mutual ground with lazy HR departments of crummy companies.
A decent firm will make the effort to recruit staff and won't abdicate responsibility to any random fly-by-night agent clutching varied CVs downloaded from the internet.
So even if you got a job through random agency A, just consider the "investment" the firm has made in finding you and extrapolate how much they care about their staff ...
I use Linkedin for jobs. I browse Indeed, find a job I like the look of, then search the recruitment agency on linkedin, add a few people who might be running the job, then you get the 'your profile looks to be a good match' message and you go from there, assuming you have the relevant skillset and or transferable skills.
Got to use it to your advantage. I am off for an interview soon and the job description Ive had consists of 3 lines. Ive no other information to go on.
Got to use it to your advantage. I am off for an interview soon and the job description Ive had consists of 3 lines. Ive no other information to go on.
Flooble said:
Yep, much better to do your own research, find companies you want to work for and approach them directly.
This would be my advice too, particularly for permanent roles. Those who enjoy short to medium-term contract work, then a good agency can help to market your skills and availability across their well-established networks. Horses for courses. Good luck!All "recruitment" and "employment" agencies are full of s
t and have degrees in 'how to lie' as that's the only thing that comes out of their mouths. As mentioned above, they make all the right noises pretending to be your friend and on your side but it's all bullst and the only thing they're interesting in is milking you for whatever they can and will resort to all kinds of underhand ways of achieving that. Never tell them where you're currently working or who you've worked for as the only reason they want to know that is so that they can go in there themselves and undercut their competitors. Basically, treat everything they tell you as a lie and you won't go far wrong.
t and have degrees in 'how to lie' as that's the only thing that comes out of their mouths. As mentioned above, they make all the right noises pretending to be your friend and on your side but it's all bullst and the only thing they're interesting in is milking you for whatever they can and will resort to all kinds of underhand ways of achieving that. Never tell them where you're currently working or who you've worked for as the only reason they want to know that is so that they can go in there themselves and undercut their competitors. Basically, treat everything they tell you as a lie and you won't go far wrong.All that jazz said:
Basically, treat everything they tell you as a lie and you won't go far wrong.
Some solid advice.Heres a Linked in convo I had this week, guy messaged me twice in 3 hours because I didnt respond (I was in a training session so couldnt respond) then he phones my office and left me a voicemail, had the secretary asking who he was as he had spoken to her as well..
Thank you for accepting my LinkedIn request. I have a very interesting opportunity that I would like to discuss with you. Do you have a number that I can reach you on?
I am in a meeting, please dont call my place of work. Can I ask where this is, what its doing and for how much please? Send me a link to an advert if you like. Thanks, Mike.
This is a headhunt campaign so I cant send out a job spec. However the role is a escalation position with a major vendor based in Bracknell. Pay is excellent.
Theyre not all bad, some of them are actually pretty good.
There's a lot of poo posted above from people with bad experience of agents and those who think the jobs easy and they could do better. My advice after owning & running an agency for over 20 years is to find a good recruiter who understands your industry and work with him/her.
A lot of the mud throwing was done before:-
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=134...
A lot of the mud throwing was done before:-
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=134...
Mattt said:
20 years ago there was probably some skill to it.
These days there's lots of 'companies' that hire children and give them a LinkedIn account and instructions to spam everyone until they get a bite.
I sold my firm in 2012 and still stay in contact with them. Obviously the methods have all changed, there was no LinkedIn or indeed Internet when I started in 1989. The skills remain the same tho. Good recruiters network and build trusting relationships to build long term relationships. We placed lawyers and many of the newly qualified solicitors we placed in the early days are now running the firms we placed them at.These days there's lots of 'companies' that hire children and give them a LinkedIn account and instructions to spam everyone until they get a bite.
Never ever give your cv to a recruiter unless you know that they will not pass on your details to a potential employer without your consent.
bad company said:
There's a lot of poo posted above from people with bad experience of agents and those who think the jobs easy and they could do better. My advice after owning & running an agency for over 20 years is to find a good recruiter who understands your industry and work with him/her.
Ah yes, that old favourite line "we're not like all the other agencies, we're different". Then promptly go on to act the same as all the other scumbag agencies with the lies and deceit. There is no such thing as a "good agency". Those two words should never be seen in the same sentence.All that jazz said:
bad company said:
There's a lot of poo posted above from people with bad experience of agents and those who think the jobs easy and they could do better. My advice after owning & running an agency for over 20 years is to find a good recruiter who understands your industry and work with him/her.
Ah yes, that old favourite line "we're not like all the other agencies, we're different". Then promptly go on to act the same as all the other scumbag agencies with the lies and deceit. There is no such thing as a "good agency". Those two words should never be seen in the same sentence.Those of us who have had to deal with agencies (on both hiring and candidate sides) do tend to develop a very very poor opinion of them.
I know about three good agents. I have dealt with probably 1000 or more.
The ratio of CV-spamming job-spamming keyword-matching idiots to interested, genuine, connected individuals is pretty horrific.
Hence if you ask any random sample of people who work in a recruitment agency dominated industry (IT, construction) you will generally receive a really negative response.
I know about three good agents. I have dealt with probably 1000 or more.
The ratio of CV-spamming job-spamming keyword-matching idiots to interested, genuine, connected individuals is pretty horrific.
Hence if you ask any random sample of people who work in a recruitment agency dominated industry (IT, construction) you will generally receive a really negative response.
All that jazz said:
Ah yes, that old favourite line "we're not like all the other agencies, we're different". Then promptly go on to act the same as all the other scumbag agencies with the lies and deceit. There is no such thing as a "good agency". Those two words should never be seen in the same sentence.
No worries. Foxtrot Oscar & find your own job.Edited by bad company on Saturday 30th April 22:12
Edited by bad company on Saturday 30th April 22:16
bad company said:
All that jazz said:
Ah yes, that old favourite line "we're not like all the other agencies, we're different". Then promptly go on to act the same as all the other scumbag agencies with the lies and deceit. There is no such thing as a "good agency". Those two words should never be seen in the same sentence.
No worries. Foxtrot Oscar & find your own job.Flooble said:
Those of us who have had to deal with agencies (on both hiring and candidate sides) do tend to develop a very very poor opinion of them.
I know about three good agents. I have dealt with probably 1000 or more.
The ratio of CV-spamming job-spamming keyword-matching idiots to interested, genuine, connected individuals is pretty horrific.
Hence if you ask any random sample of people who work in a recruitment agency dominated industry (IT, construction) you will generally receive a really negative response.
Add the transport & logistics sector to that list as well, but it's not limited to those, it's any sector they manage to get their dirty grubby hands on.I know about three good agents. I have dealt with probably 1000 or more.
The ratio of CV-spamming job-spamming keyword-matching idiots to interested, genuine, connected individuals is pretty horrific.
Hence if you ask any random sample of people who work in a recruitment agency dominated industry (IT, construction) you will generally receive a really negative response.
All that jazz said:
bad company said:
All that jazz said:
Ah yes, that old favourite line "we're not like all the other agencies, we're different". Then promptly go on to act the same as all the other scumbag agencies with the lies and deceit. There is no such thing as a "good agency". Those two words should never be seen in the same sentence.
No worries. Foxtrot Oscar & find your own job.Nothing hurts mate, it's all good.
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