Why we hate Recruitment Agencies
Discussion
Hi All, I thought this might be worth discussing briefly.
I have been in recruitment for about 10 years
I also understand that like in every industry there are always a number of bad eggs.
I think the biggest reason why agencies take such a bashing and are constantly moaned and complained about as estate agents and now anyone who works in a bank are, is this:
Most people don't understand the purpose of a rec agency.
Misconception:
They are there to find people jobs.
Truth:
They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
They gain absolutely zero in spending time, money effort on people who they cannot place so they don't. No placement = no fee.
In a world where many job seeks very often don't read job specs and fire off 20+ applications in one sitting, similarly agencies don't spend the time rejecting individual candidates.
So when you aren't been contacted/chased/updated by your agency about your application, it is quite probable that you are not successful. Move on and don't waste your time on that job.
Of course we all need to improve our communications skills and customer service skills- every company does. Agencies are no exceptions.
However I think if everyone knew the reality about what recruitment agencies did, everyone would get along a lot better and a lot less blood, sweat and tears would be spilled.
I have been in recruitment for about 10 years
I also understand that like in every industry there are always a number of bad eggs.
I think the biggest reason why agencies take such a bashing and are constantly moaned and complained about as estate agents and now anyone who works in a bank are, is this:
Most people don't understand the purpose of a rec agency.
Misconception:
They are there to find people jobs.
Truth:
They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
They gain absolutely zero in spending time, money effort on people who they cannot place so they don't. No placement = no fee.
In a world where many job seeks very often don't read job specs and fire off 20+ applications in one sitting, similarly agencies don't spend the time rejecting individual candidates.
So when you aren't been contacted/chased/updated by your agency about your application, it is quite probable that you are not successful. Move on and don't waste your time on that job.
Of course we all need to improve our communications skills and customer service skills- every company does. Agencies are no exceptions.
However I think if everyone knew the reality about what recruitment agencies did, everyone would get along a lot better and a lot less blood, sweat and tears would be spilled.
Edited by lawtoni on Tuesday 22 October 16:49
Two questions if you (or others) don't mind answering for me (IT contract related)..
1. Why do agencies advertise on jobserve and the such and not put the contract rate or budget?
2. Do you ever ask or take up references for people before interview or job offer? Whenever I am asked for this I refuse as I see it as a way of getting potential client names to then bother with cold calls. Is this correct or is there sometimes a job behind this method?
1. Why do agencies advertise on jobserve and the such and not put the contract rate or budget?
2. Do you ever ask or take up references for people before interview or job offer? Whenever I am asked for this I refuse as I see it as a way of getting potential client names to then bother with cold calls. Is this correct or is there sometimes a job behind this method?
SilverLink said:
Two questions if you (or others) don't mind answering for me (IT contract related)..
1. Why do agencies advertise on jobserve and the such and not put the contract rate or budget?
2. Do you ever ask or take up references for people before interview or job offer? Whenever I am asked for this I refuse as I see it as a way of getting potential client names to then bother with cold calls. Is this correct or is there sometimes a job behind this method?
No problem1. Why do agencies advertise on jobserve and the such and not put the contract rate or budget?
2. Do you ever ask or take up references for people before interview or job offer? Whenever I am asked for this I refuse as I see it as a way of getting potential client names to then bother with cold calls. Is this correct or is there sometimes a job behind this method?
1. Because an agency will pay you as low a rate as you will accept.
If they advertise a job for £30/hr and you would have accepted £25/hr, they don't make as much money.
2. A good agent will call your refs if he/she thinks they can be a source of new jobs. Agencies don't take up refs before an interview because they only need to do it once- with the person who gets the job, at offer stage
I don't think people have any misconception over what a recruitment agency does, its the way they go about it that irks people. They are out to serve themselves, fair enough, but they pretend to be all about the company they are seeking to place people at or the candidate. Like the simpsons episode where Marge becomes an estate agent.. the right house is the one thats for sale, the right person is anyone.
The truly abysmal ones are the ones fishing for where you are leaving from or what companies other agencies are trying to place people at without even trying to find anywhere for you themself.
The truly abysmal ones are the ones fishing for where you are leaving from or what companies other agencies are trying to place people at without even trying to find anywhere for you themself.
So people dislike recruitment agencies because they don't seem to care about the individual job hunter, and your rebuttal is that they don't care about the individual job hunter 
I don't think people are as stupid as you make them out to be. People dislike the practices of recruitment agencies, they don't misunderstand them.
I remember a recruitment agent who posted on PH who said his favourite job hunter interviewed extremely well but got itchy feet every 2 years. If that potential employee came across your door once-upon-a-time and you didn't give him the time of day because you weren't currently recruiting for a position he was suitable for, then you lost commission the first time, the second time, the third time, and however many other times he will job hop.
If you make money by taking a contract, placing a job advert, and passing the CV's on to your client, then good for you. If and when I use the services of a Recruitment Agency, I will try my damnedest to avoid companies like yours.
I don't think people are as stupid as you make them out to be. People dislike the practices of recruitment agencies, they don't misunderstand them.
I remember a recruitment agent who posted on PH who said his favourite job hunter interviewed extremely well but got itchy feet every 2 years. If that potential employee came across your door once-upon-a-time and you didn't give him the time of day because you weren't currently recruiting for a position he was suitable for, then you lost commission the first time, the second time, the third time, and however many other times he will job hop.
If you make money by taking a contract, placing a job advert, and passing the CV's on to your client, then good for you. If and when I use the services of a Recruitment Agency, I will try my damnedest to avoid companies like yours.
lawtoni said:
No problem
1. Because an agency will pay you as low a rate as you will accept.
If they advertise a job for £30/hr and you would have accepted £25/hr, they don't make as much money.
2. A good agent will call your refs if he/she thinks they can be a source of new jobs. Agencies don't take up refs before an interview because they only need to do it once- with the person who gets the job, at offer stage
Let me interpret that...1. Because an agency will pay you as low a rate as you will accept.
If they advertise a job for £30/hr and you would have accepted £25/hr, they don't make as much money.
2. A good agent will call your refs if he/she thinks they can be a source of new jobs. Agencies don't take up refs before an interview because they only need to do it once- with the person who gets the job, at offer stage
1. My recruitment agency will screw you over
2. A "good" agent will bleed you and your contacts dry
Nope. I meant
1 an agency will increase their margins as much as they can. A bit like... er... every company in the world
2. an intelligently run agency will find developing new business important. A bit like... er... every company in the world
1. My recruitment agency will screw you over
2. A "good" agent will bleed you and your contacts dry
1 an agency will increase their margins as much as they can. A bit like... er... every company in the world
2. an intelligently run agency will find developing new business important. A bit like... er... every company in the world
stevenjhepburn said:
lawtoni said:
No problem
1. Because an agency will pay you as low a rate as you will accept.
If they advertise a job for £30/hr and you would have accepted £25/hr, they don't make as much money.
2. A good agent will call your refs if he/she thinks they can be a source of new jobs. Agencies don't take up refs before an interview because they only need to do it once- with the person who gets the job, at offer stage
Did you mean1. Because an agency will pay you as low a rate as you will accept.
If they advertise a job for £30/hr and you would have accepted £25/hr, they don't make as much money.
2. A good agent will call your refs if he/she thinks they can be a source of new jobs. Agencies don't take up refs before an interview because they only need to do it once- with the person who gets the job, at offer stage
1. My recruitment agency will screw you over
2. A "good" agent will bleed you and your contacts dry
If you make money by taking a contract, placing a job advert, and passing the CV's on to your client, then good for you. If and when I use the services of a Recruitment Agency, I will try my damnedest to avoid companies like yours.
[/quote]
No I don't. I provide a very high quality service. Considering we have never spoken or met I don't understand your presumptions on the way I run my business.
I spent 9 years contracting in IT so have a reasonable amount of experience with recruitment agencies, nearly all of it bad
Once I was with a client for nearly 3 years. After the initial placement I never heard from the agency again, until I negotiated (by myself with the client) a £5 p/h pay rise. The recruitment agency phones up a few days later out of the blue and claims they have negotiated me a £2 per hour pay rise expecting me to be pleased about it. FLOL
Lying b
ds, the lot of them
Once I was with a client for nearly 3 years. After the initial placement I never heard from the agency again, until I negotiated (by myself with the client) a £5 p/h pay rise. The recruitment agency phones up a few days later out of the blue and claims they have negotiated me a £2 per hour pay rise expecting me to be pleased about it. FLOL
Lying b
ds, the lot of themI do get a little irritated by them when I get an email from them, telling me about a job (or I find it on jobserve etc.), and I contact them about it to talk to them. They then send my CV forward, and I get an interview.
I then get no feedback. Nothing. Clearly, I don't get the job, but a quick email (a template one even) would be nice.
I understand that they don't want to waste time on folk who haven't made them any money and just sucked up their time, but it does rankle.
I then get no feedback. Nothing. Clearly, I don't get the job, but a quick email (a template one even) would be nice.
I understand that they don't want to waste time on folk who haven't made them any money and just sucked up their time, but it does rankle.
lawtoni said:
Nope. I meant
1 an agency will increase their margins as much as they can. A bit like... er... every company in the world
2. an intelligently run agency will find developing new business important. A bit like... er... every company in the world
er... wrong again! Guys like you have such a negative, money-grabbing, short-term gain attitude. You simply can't comprehend that many, many companies "in the world" value long-term, sustainable, ethical business practices to create long-term value.1 an agency will increase their margins as much as they can. A bit like... er... every company in the world
2. an intelligently run agency will find developing new business important. A bit like... er... every company in the world
By sustainable I mean at a micro level - valuing individual relationships, not a macro "there are so many mugs, the next one will be along soon" level.
itsnotarace said:
I spent 9 years contracting in IT so have a reasonable amount of experience with recruitment agencies, nearly all of it bad
Once I was with a client for nearly 3 years. After the initial placement I never heard from the agency again, until I negotiated (by myself with the client) a £5 p/h pay rise. The recruitment agency phones up a few days later out of the blue and claims they have negotiated me a £2 per hour pay rise expecting me to be pleased about it. FLOL
Lying bds, the lot of them
The recruitment industry is worth £34b and employs circa 100,000 people.Once I was with a client for nearly 3 years. After the initial placement I never heard from the agency again, until I negotiated (by myself with the client) a £5 p/h pay rise. The recruitment agency phones up a few days later out of the blue and claims they have negotiated me a £2 per hour pay rise expecting me to be pleased about it. FLOL
Lying b
ds, the lot of themYes liars and b
ds each and every oneGood for you!
lawtoni said:
Truth:
They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
In my experience they are not very good at this either! They just seem to take a job spec from a client, rip the key words out of it and search for them in a database of CVs. The top five search results get sent to the client.They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
I've yet to see an agency which couldn't be replaced by a computer program.
stevenjhepburn said:
er... wrong again! Guys like you have such a negative, money-grabbing, short-term gain attitude. You simply can't comprehend that many, many companies "in the world" value long-term, sustainable, ethical business practices to create long-term value.
By sustainable I mean at a micro level - valuing individual relationships, not a macro "there are so many mugs, the next one will be along soon" level.
What is negative, money-grabbing, short-term gain about finding a guy a job who is happy to accept the role, conditions, location and salary By sustainable I mean at a micro level - valuing individual relationships, not a macro "there are so many mugs, the next one will be along soon" level.
Do we put guns to people's heads and force them to accept these jobs?!
There is such a thing as competition! which like in every industry, (partic one as competitive and saturated as recruimentment) that controls prices and profits
alock said:
lawtoni said:
Truth:
They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
In my experience they are not very good at this either! They just seem to take a job spec from a client, rip the key words out of it and search for them in a database of CVs. The top five search results get sent to the client.They are there to fill their client's jobs. In general (sub £70-100k jobs) the agency gets the vacancy, then looks for the candidates. NOT agency gets lots of random candidates, then looks for jobs to place them in.
I've yet to see an agency which couldn't be replaced by a computer program.
lawtoni said:
What is negative, money-grabbing, short-term gain about finding a guy a job who is happy to accept the role, conditions, location and salary
Do we put guns to people's heads and force them to accept these jobs?!
There is such a thing as competition! which like in every industry, (partic one as competitive and saturated as recruimentment) that controls prices and profits
Your client has a specific budget, you (hopefully) have the knowledge of the market rates and where this particular job should be pitched, along comes someone with the right skill-set who for whatever reason doesn't know the market rates or circumstances mean that he is desperate for a job, and your business philosophy is "screw every penny you can out of him". Yet you wonder how I can judge you?Do we put guns to people's heads and force them to accept these jobs?!
There is such a thing as competition! which like in every industry, (partic one as competitive and saturated as recruimentment) that controls prices and profits
Have you ever considered pricing the job fairly, getting in a better candidate, being content with an adequate profit for a placement and making everyone happy?
stevenjhepburn said:
Your client has a specific budget, you (hopefully) have the knowledge of the market rates and where this particular job should be pitched, along comes someone with the right skill-set who for whatever reason doesn't know the market rates or circumstances mean that he is desperate for a job, and your business philosophy is "screw every penny you can out of him". Yet you wonder how I can judge you?
Have you ever considered pricing the job fairly, getting in a better candidate, being content with an adequate profit for a placement and making everyone happy?
Sorry, but yet again you are making far reaching presumptions of how my business works. You are 100% incorrect in these assumptions.Have you ever considered pricing the job fairly, getting in a better candidate, being content with an adequate profit for a placement and making everyone happy?
I do all of these things, and still (again) like every company have a healthy eye for the margin I make. The 2 are not mutually exclusive.
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