Recruiters are full of it!!!
Well most of them anyway, I guess.
I have one that plucked me off careerbuilder.com and she sent me on a series of interviews, I went and then she tells me that they are waiting for the CIO to get back in town before thay can proceed...2 whole weeks! The VP of HR at this potential new employer specifically asks me to hold off any other job prospects until they can get me in with the CIO. This VP of HR went as far as giving me benefit information and telling me my proposed salary. I was stoked, and told my recruiter. She seemed excited for me and I really thought things were going to work out.
During this 2 week wait I was still interviewing and I kept in contact w/ my recruiter, but I figured out something about her. She always asked me who I was interviewing with and what position it was for and then all of a sudden I get a cranky phone call from a lady I interviewed w/ saying that some recruiter contacted her about the open position and that I referred her! WHAT!? No I didn't!
Then I discover after my 2 week wait that this potential new employer wasn't moving forward. No reason as to why. So I write another nice thank you letter to the VP of HR to thank her for the opportunity to interview with them. I get a response! Apparently they told my recruiter they weren't interested 1 day after my interview, they went with someone internal. Again I say, WHAT?!
In recent days I've been working w/ a different recruiter and to no avail, she's the same way. FULL OF IT!
- They LIE about having jobs
- They LIE to you about how long employers take to interview in hopes that you land your own job
- They string you along FOREVER!
- They USE you for grabbing potential referrals, and get you in trouble by doing it.
- ALL LIES!!!!!
P.s. Keep in mind that in my 15 years of expereince, I've dealt with many recruiters who have ALL lied to me one way or another. Over the years they seemed to get more cunning.
I was lucky to land a steady job while I was temping. Sure enough, the second day at this job one of the recruiters I had been working with called me with a possible assignment. When I told her that I had something steady, she was quite indignant. She wanted to know the name of the company and what business they were in. Of course I refused to give her any info. BTW, I found the steady job through local newspaper advertising.
I don't plan on using that particular recruiter in the future.
They also use people in order to meet a quota for the number of people interviewed.
I just avoid these bums completely!
All, well most, of the things you said are true. I would compare recruiters to used car salesmen, but that would be an insult to used car salesmen.
You have to remember that recruiters work for their client companies, not for you. You are just one of thousands of people whose resume is in their database.
On top of that, recruiters work for companies who have profit goals. They are not social workers or social service agencies. If you can make them money, then you get attention. Otherwise, you are just raw material.
This time around in job hunting, I have made the decision not to respond to recruiter ads. If one seeks me out, they will have to convince me that they are worth my time and effort to work with them. I have been criticized for his thinking but I'm employed, in no rush to change jobs and have the luxury to be selective.
So if they're so great, and they already have my resume, why don't they contact me with a job? I dare any recruiter to answer me on that question.
Never had a recruiter ask me for MONEY...that's a scam (some kid hacking) not a recruiting agency.
These recruiters are something else! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks they're lowlifes. Keep in mind the folks that contact me are centrally located in downtown Chicago, one was national. Had a self employed recruiter snatch me up, met her at a Starbucks and then sent me on a job interview the next day, told me to ask for $2k to $3k more than their offer, but they were floored I would even ask. I should have known better, but once this woman's client got back to her she dropped me like a hot potato! After all was over I sat back and realized that I barely met this woman for all of 20 minutes, she sent me off to her client (who was probably paying her big $$$!)....it was just bad. I was half tempted to call the place and tell them what she was doing to them.
Just recently I had one from KPM Group string me along. She did some phone screen, I went in for a face to face and she asked me if she could send over my resume, um duh lady you said you did that the day before?! Anyway, I didn't hear back from her for a couple of days so I sent a follow-up email, she calls 2 days later. Then I discovered from her that this company is doing internal interviewing first and then they will ask for outsiders. Um, why didn't she tell me this a long time ago? So with that said, I still haven't heard from her in over a week. Again, another one FULL OF IT!!!!!!
If any of you are in Chicago I can certainly give you a full list of employment agencies to stay away from and probably a few names.
Loribrad, I live in a suburb of Chicago and have had my problems with recruiters calling me and asking me to come in and register with them. After falling for their stories a few times, I got wise and no longer would go chasing after these bogus offers.
The recruiter, usually an overly bubbly female, would call and say that there was an assignment that just had to be filled and could I come in and register. Of course, when I got there the assignment had "just been filled" but that they would certainly have something else very soon. Then I would never hear from them.
I learned not to fall for recruiters' phony sales pitches and politely told any recruiters that called that I was not interested.
I read your post about recruiters and I was compelled to write. I know what you are saying because I have been on the other side also. I have worked with agencies and experienced the same. Mainly because recruiters do not have the power you think. With agencies sometimes the company says they have a job, you fill it then they come back and say never mind. Most agencies have adapted the business model for the recruiters to do sales also, they are required by the company to interview a certain amount of people, make marketing calls, etc. its a drudge job. I hated it when I worked at one, that's why I left and will never go back.
The recruiters are on the front line, if the companies don't do what they say we get the brunt to it. If we do our job and follow the company process; interview, set up interviews w/mgr., negotiate salary etc. then it is out of our hands.
Its up to mgmt. to do their jobs too and if they don't we can't control that. We don't like this either mainly because WE have to field the many calls from candidates who are wondering what is going on. We are constantly put in a position to ask and ask the mgrs. when are you going to make a decision, when are you going to interview? I feel for the job seeker, I make it a point to try and explain as much as I know but some recruiters unfortunately hide behind their phone. Which is not the answer either. At least I can treat the people who I deal with , with respect, honesty and communicate with them on what I know.
I know there are some who are no better than a dishonest car salesman, but I am not one of them. If you work with me I will not treat you like that ,you will get the truth even if it means you don't end up working for our company.