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Recruitment agencies - the truth

I work in recruitment and have done for about two years.  I started at the bottom and worked my way up.  I was a yes sir man until the start of this year when I started working for a huge recruitment company.

A lot of you will not know that recruitment is sales driven, where YOUR CV is just a tool to be used to meet KPIs.  I can list all the agencies to stay away from on this site, but that would take up a lot of time so Ill just say stay away from all of them.  There are a few amazing ones, but for every good story to be told there is 10 bad ones.  It's sad but true...

So what am I getting at? My gripe is that recruitment is run a bit like a car sales yard or perhaps one of those double glazing call centres.  Most consultants no nothing of the industry they work in. I am an ex-aerospace engineer, I have a degree in the industry and I once worked for the air force.  I know how to talk to an engineer and I understand how the companies work.  But 99% of the agencies you will deal with all have sales people dealing with your application.  They judge you on not what you have done over time, but on your most recent job.  From that basic precedent you have very little chance of getting the job you apply for.

Recruitmen agencies, the truth If your CV is good however, be prepared to be sent to what ever company in your area that uses people like you, because these people have KPIs to meet. That is all that they are interested in.  They really dont care if you get the job or not. If you do that's great, but they're more interested in that 6K threshold a month so they can earn commission.  You're just a number on the books, you're a meal ticket if you like!

Here is a bit of free advice.  Dont bother to put references on your CV, this is used (or rather misused) as a contact into YOUR business, and they will call them without your permission.  If they ask you Who do you currently work for? - just make a name up, because they will call them and thats the last thing you want... Really!

Job boards like Monster are looked at by millions of potential employers apparently (yeah right!).  Well, this is complete BULL, because its looked at by millions of recruitment agencies trying to find companies to call so they can get vacancies to chase.  They're just sharks on a feeding frenzy.

So why am I blowing the lid on one of the UKs biggest growing industries?  Well these fast paced high turn over companies are destroying an industry that USED to be service.  It is now treated like a car lot, where you (the potential employee) are the next quick buck and they dont care what you want, they just want your details to feed the KPIs.

My advice people, is just apply direct to the companies and not through agencies.  This recruitment industry and their agents are killing the UK.

By: Whistleblower

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I live in the U.S.A., and temporary service agencies here are used to help employers get around labor laws. The temporary cannot sue the client for anything, since he/she is technically not an "employee" of the client.

At some places I've temped, everyone else who worked there was also temporary or contract. Permanent employment is becoming a thing of the past in America.

+2

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LilahJ - 4-May-12 01:23 

I am going into a recruitment agency on Monday, purely to knock seven shades out of a consultant that promised me a job back in January.

0

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Cascas - 3-Mar-12 18:37 

The point about protecting your references is well-taken. I've lost referees in the past because recruitment agencies take the opportunity to pester them as soon as they get the phone number about filling the vacancy I'm leaving.

Also, do not let a recruiter into yourLinkedIn network, they'll just r**e and pillage it.

-2

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A Seasoned Veteran - 20-Feb-12 22:06 

Kenny, no worries, will look forward to it when it gets here.

Thanks

-9

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Freddie - 5-Dec-11 21:35 

I remember my schooldays with its smarmy teacher's pets. (Spotty Lewis) I suppose they mature physically with their hair falling out etc. But being teachers pet is still their comfort zone, right freddie.

-10

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Boblet - 5-Dec-11 20:08 

Freddie, Barely have time to put up new gripes after scratching a measly living :-(

Will make it a priority in the new year. In the meantime folks.. please try and play nice!

-5

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Kenny (Site Admin) - 5-Dec-11 17:51 

With childish comments like that you'd be the first one out of here! Get a life!

-8

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Freddie - 5-Dec-11 16:56 

Admin I am sure you have noticed, that those posters, who hassle you to introduce a login system, seem to be the same posters who irk other posters. Maybe a system to eliminate irksome posters might be more appropriate.

-5

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Boblet - 5-Dec-11 16:30 

Kenny,

sadly we are seeing increasingly more examples that we need a login system. I appreciate you're a busy man but how is this coming along?

-5

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Freddie - 5-Dec-11 13:24 

I do agree castle employment agencie is rubish and so is righ4staff and fusiuon. mikeP is a bit thick and doesnt have a clue what he's talking about i my self cant read or write to well

-8

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grumpyoldwoman - 5-Dec-11 11:38 

That's a bit unfair, gow, 'disgruntled' could always look at the pikshers on the pakits.

On the other hand, you've been excessively kind by describing him or her as semi-literate, that's stretching the truth somewhat.

People like that should be removed from the job market and forced back into education.

-8

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MikeP - 5-Dec-11 09:47 

Disgruntled, maybe your jobs only last a few hours because your prospective employers discover that you are only semi-literate and can't even be trusted to stack shelves in a supermarket as you can't read the labels on the stock properly!

-6

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grumpyoldwoman - 5-Dec-11 08:27 

I totaly agree there to look after ther selves often give you jobs that only last a few hours as and when they want you they will have lits of people lined for the same job so that you dont get use to the job so they can keep putting people in and makeing money for them selves castle emploment are one were i come with a company called pindar print

+3

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Disgruntled - 5-Dec-11 08:01 

Trying a different approach: online recruitment only. no wasting time interviews for no actual job, no looking for jobs that aren't there just here's who i am, have you got something i could do? just someone to match your skills to a possible job to pass on the details and put the word out about you.

-5

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recruitmentrevolution.com - 28-Nov-11 13:29 

I'm leaving recruitment, I worked in it for 5 whole weeks.

It's soul destroying because when I started I thought that I'd be helping people into work. My back ground was the motor-trade (up to dealership service manager) so my skills/knowledge include excellent customer service. My god, contractors (job seekers / human being) become no more than a percentage on a spreadsheet. Try sending people to home from a factory who is desperate to earn money to live because of someone else's admin error. Recruitment agancies feed off desperate individuals who need to earn money to heat their homes or feed their kids. Even the best recruiter will turn to dirty tricks to achieve their KPI's......

What's scary is that some people have no morals or ethics and actually are very successful at these roles! Even being a recruiter you are still on a "contract for services" anyway so if you don't get your KPI target then they can let you go anyway.

-2

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THEUGLYTRUTH - 22-Nov-11 17:25 

The trouble is that these people need jobs somewhere so that's why we have so many recruitment consultants.

-10

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Terry - 23-Sep-11 17:50 

We send out our C.V.’s in faith to your adverts posted wide
We ring, we text, of course we think, that you’ll be on our side
We chase up applications, never thinking that in trust
You’ll lie and cheat – why should you care
If we never earn a crust

Hoping for a place of work, or maybe a place to learn
Anything for experience, or at least a chance to earn
How can we fail, we did it right we filled it all on site
What is it you want us to do? Just give up the fight?

Recruitment guys, I ask that you change the way you think
It seems that to be honest you’re happy that we sink
We can’t get info on the jobs, without your help, it’s true
For the love of God, behave as if you knew what’s true is true

-5

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Helpless - 15-Sep-11 20:40 

Avoid using Go New Recruitment & Office Angels - Most of the jobs that they advertise on their websites where filled ages ago.

-8

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Pete - 11-Sep-11 16:27 

Sorry folks Freudian slip in previous post "a" should read "the"

-5

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The Hook - 14-May-11 15:16 

He seems to have spat his dummy out Fisherman, I am not an angler so I am not sure what bait might to tempt him of a bottom.

-6

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the Hook - 14-May-11 15:14 

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