Recruitment Consultants! Aaargh!!!!!

CCFC_80

Zazen999 wrote: »

I got a splendid job through a Reed recruitment consultant.

Thanks Dan. xxx

I wonder how many people that recruitment consultant didn't find jobs for
or who had no intention of finding jobs for ???

Potential_Advisor

irish_eyes_r_smiling wrote: »

i've been a RC and also an administrator in a RC office for my sins a few years back.

i hated the admin position, the consultants were arrogant, rude and basically just !!!!!! really. Potential candidates would be treated with contemped, if you couldn't make them money then forget about hearing back of them.

they were not contructive in giving feedback to applicants after interview at all, the least they deserved IMO!!!

I know they arn't all the same ( well hope not anyway ) should have ran into a new career direction after that experience. My other two experiences were completly different though so guess it's just pot luck!!!!

andy46 wrote: »

I wonder how many people that recruitment consultant didn't find jobs for
or who had no intention of finding jobs for ???

Hmm, you do wonder. A few years back I went to see an Agency in Croydon, parked in the expensive pay and display round the corner, and was early by about 15 mins. I introduced myself, and was asked to wiat in an interview room. So i did, there was a table with 2 chairs either side of it, nothing else, just a table with no phone no nothing, bear with me ,there is a reason for the detail! anyway, my appt time came and went, 10 yes 10 mins later the consultant walks in, not a hint of apology for keeping me waiting, and says...." thats my seat" pardon? "you're sitting in my chair, thats the one I sit in" - my face at this point would have suggested to anyone with a brain that I thought RC was clearly mad, so i said, " i'm sorry, I didn't realise we were still at school, you quite clearly have only just left, help yourself" ..,. i am still incredulous at this stage but as I have come all this way, I decide to be patient and stick with it.S o when he has sat down on his favourite chair, he starts to ask me my name, address and contact details, despite the fact he has had them for 5 days and has rung me to confirm these details prior to my appt with him. At this point I lost it and and told him what a complete waste of time and money he had caused me and basically, he was a one man shower of !!!!!! ...and then I left

Now before someone replies to say I am rude and arrogant and aggressive, no, thats the RC code of conduct, not mine. I am professional, polite, and am always on time for professional appointments, if for some reason I am running late because of traffic whatever, I ring and explain, and I apologise when I get there. This is what I expect from fellow professionals so in retrospect I suppose I shouldnt be shocked at RC's behaviour, but I swear to God, I was close to wringing his scrawney smug and smarmy neck, actually his face was smug and smarmy not his neck, but you get my drift.

This is by no means my only negative experience with this breed, there are numerous stories I could tell you, which have only reinforced my belief that they are by and large a repugnant and thoroughly un-professional lot who, as my opening post suggested, should be forced to watch reruns of big brother and Jeremy Kyle repeatedly, unfortunately, they would most likely enjoy the experience...

Right, where's my medication? ...nurse?

Zazen999

andy46 wrote: »

I wonder how many people that recruitment consultant didn't find jobs for
or who had no intention of finding jobs for ???

I don't know, I didn't stop to ask.

Presumably they only work on cases where it is possible to match candidate to job; otherwise they wouldn't get the commission?

starsky365

There are a certain subcategory of RC's that specialise in recruiting 'recruitment consultants' I know this because I know such a person.

The clear thing is that THERE ARE NO JOBS!!! they recruit a recruitment consultant who recruits another who recruits another in a big pyramid selling style structure.

The only purpose this exercise serves is to keep the RC's getting paid at the end of the month. Nothing more!

venus_in_furs

Well most recruitment companies i applied for didn't even bother contacting me back! I was a graduate out of uni (a graduate who 'needed something to do' as you nicely put it) and desperate for work and experience.

The only company to get back to me and be of any help was one called 'Brook street'...they were amazing. They rang me back after getting my application and then arranged an interview at one of their offices, where i registered properly with them. After that they kept ringing me to tell me they had not forgotten about me, they were just waiting for a suitable position to come up and put me forward for. Soon enough i had a job! A temp office job, despite having no previous office work experience. That job has helped me gain a lot more experience in the working world and thus helping me with getting a job now.

Some are very rude and ignorant (the ones who didn't even respond to my initial inquiries) but some are very good and actually seem to want to help people find work, even those like me, with less experience. For that i am very grateful.

CCFC_80

One of the most annoying things is that if I was to apply for a job with a recruitment agency for the first time. It is guaranteed I will get some numpty from the agency call me and ask "Now then what experience do you have ?"
yet they have my CV in front of them. Can they not read or if they can read are they just too lazy to read through it ?
Avoid these people if you can at all costs and do your own legwork when trying to look for a job.

Raquela

I have had much experience of recruitment agencies, and in my experience, by and large they aren't very good at their job. However, the last few jobs I have held I have obtained via recruitment agencies. There is one recruitment company in Nottingham who I wouldn't hesitate to recommend my particular contact to anyone who needs, as she is amazing, and really makes an effort and genuinely gets to know you.

My experience here in Norfolk couldn't be further from the truth; the only reason they have found me work is because of my own proactivity, and the job I've ended up in is not what I wanted, only reason I considered it was because I needed something and it pays well. the agency I am with are nice in person, but rude on the phone, every email from the consultant is riddled with spelling errors, and she even got the guy's name wrong, so when I turned up for interview I asked for the wrong person (hardly a good first impression, is it?!). I've rung them repeatedly to chase up the fact they are paying me basic rate, they never ring back, the one time they did, on my home phone (when clearly I was at the job they found for me), they insist they haven't received my p45. In short, this particular well known agency are pretty sucky. Another agency I visited locally, I have a lot more confidence in since they contact me regularly to touch base, and are far more professional than the big well known one...

I did think about training to be a RC for a millisecond. I changed my mind when the Hayes Recruiter phoned me back and basically interviewed me over the phone with no notice and was a total biatch!

olly300

vicshippers wrote: »

I love my recruitment consultant - he helped me find a job that suits my skills perfectly, in an environment that I love and I get Ok pay. Without him I never would have found it.

Maybe you had one bad experience and are over-generalising extensively?

Good you are so lucky.

The only time I've found jobs like that is when the company concerned has advertised themselves.

Potential_Advisor

Raquela wrote: »

I have had much experience of recruitment agencies, and in my experience, by and large they aren't very good at their job. However, the last few jobs I have held I have obtained via recruitment agencies. There is one recruitment company in Nottingham who I wouldn't hesitate to recommend my particular contact to anyone who needs, as she is amazing, and really makes an effort and genuinely gets to know you.

My experience here in Norfolk couldn't be further from the truth; the only reason they have found me work is because of my own proactivity, and the job I've ended up in is not what I wanted, only reason I considered it was because I needed something and it pays well. the agency I am with are nice in person, but rude on the phone, every email from the consultant is riddled with spelling errors, and she even got the guy's name wrong, so when I turned up for interview I asked for the wrong person (hardly a good first impression, is it?!). I've rung them repeatedly to chase up the fact they are paying me basic rate, they never ring back, the one time they did, on my home phone (when clearly I was at the job they found for me), they insist they haven't received my p45. In short, this particular well known agency are pretty sucky. Another agency I visited locally, I have a lot more confidence in since they contact me regularly to touch base, and are far more professional than the big well known one...

I did think about training to be a RC for a millisecond. I changed my mind when the Hayes Recruiter phoned me back and basically interviewed me over the phone with no notice and was a total biatch!

That sounds about par for the course Raquela, (nice name by the way). I was a bit worried when I started this thread, and the first reply/comment was posted, thought I had maybe mis-judged it and it really was just me who had several bad experiences with RC's but it would seem not, thank you for your posts so far everyone, it seems the Recruitment sector has a lot to do in terms of customer service, or perhaps that should be candidate service..

Deep_In_Debt

I've seen both sides - I've worked as a temps consultant (a long time ago though).

Last year I got made redundant after 12 years in my last job and applied for a job online with Reed. Being a person of "mature-ish" age and having been off the job market for many years, I found the staff a bit patronising - I've probably been working for longer than many of them have been on this planet, I felt a bit put off.

Having said that, they did get me temp work on a very good hourly rate and I was then offered a permanent role with the company.