Tips & tricks which some recruitment agencies use

InsideInsurance

Beachview wrote: »

they said that was okay and offered to ring me back. Of course that was the last I heard of them. Why lie to me? Why not just say if you can't take the call, we'll just move on to the next person on the list.

Recruitment is a numbers and timing game.

The majority of hiring managers want to get a good candidate that can do the job rather than necessarily the best candidate that is humanly possible.

Assuming you aren't talking about volume roles then typically you want to be interviewing around 3 people for a single job vacancy, probably around 5 for a matching pair etc. You go down the CVs in the order they're received until you hit your target number, ok if there are just a couple more then you'll finish off the list but if the agencies arent doing their job (which sometimes they dont) then you simply dont have time to read every CV thats sent.

The agents therefore have to balance getting their 3 CVs in quickly -v- getting their best candidates in. Their list of potential candidates are long, most subscribe to LinkedIn and job sites where they can buy access to CVs and contact details and so you start at the top and work your way down.

I am sure the agent did put you back into the list with the intent to call you should they not fill their quota by the time you'd asked to be called back. Obviously for good service they should have called back and said they had a few strong candidates that got in before you but agencies know their reputation so dont bother trying to polish it

scheming_gypsy

Beachview wrote: »

One time I spent ages preparing an application for a job through a recruitment agency. It was for a job I really wanted. Somebody from the agency rang me about the job and wanted to interview me on the spot. Unfortunately it was a very inconvenient time they rang at so I explained, and they said that was okay and offered to ring me back. Of course that was the last I heard of them. Why lie to me? Why not just say if you can't take the call, we'll just move on to the next person on the list.

About 5 years ago I went for an interview through an agency. got a call after saying they wanted me to go back for a second interview. I'm still waiting for it.
In 2009 I went for an interview and the interviewer told me he was very impressed and would call the agency to arrange the second interview, asked how much noticed I'd need etc etc. The next day the agency called to say that i was unsuccessful as I didn't have enough experience on one thing.

It's not just agencies that lie to you.

TrickyWicky

It should be noted that there are two types of agencies - temp and recruitment.

Recruitment: See my above post.

Temp: They have an interest in getting you into work.

Trouble is these days they all seem to be doing both.

andygb

AP007 wrote: »

After you have been out of work a certain time I have been told by many they will not work with you as they clients ask for people in work. I still apply for jobs via agencies but no response although one get in touch with me last week after I updated my CV on Reed again last week but when she realised I was not in work (yes she had not read the CV properly!) her suggestion was try to get in touch with companies direct. I have been doing that and will continue to do that.

That is exactly what a couple of agencies have told me in the past six months (one even told me that she did not think that it was possible for them to find me a job:().
I also apply direct to many companies, but in the last TWO YEARS, I have had no responses.
Anyone who still says that there are plenty of jobs out there, and that it is easy to get work, really needs to get real.