With the shrinking in the industry over the last eighteen months there is indeed an arguement to say that the ones that have held on are the ones that are better at what they do. Being a better consultant would be to make less of the errors listed above.

That said some of the perceived errors above can be perceptual rather than real. Job adverts are often duplicated across a wide range of networks and jobs do get filled even though the adverts are still running. Sometimes the adverts can be removed but often the job adverts on job boards once posted stay until they expire.

As with all industries it is easy to throw mud and having been in recruitment for ten years and a recruitment trainer for five of those I can think of some people I’d like to throw some mud at! But equally I can think of very good business professionals who happen also to be consultants. They do quality work.

The value in the above list is as a check point for consultants in what not to do and how to be better than their competition!

Stephen

Thanks for re-opening the age old debate about the ‘candidate experience’ that we have been on the soapbox about for over a decade. While I appreciate the comments of the recruiters who are overworked and inundated with 70 out of 100 candidates who are not relevant to the role advertised, I have no sympathy for individuals who cannot do the basic courtesy of responding to all candidates.

It is not hard to construct a basic email that explains your situation, what your process is and what the likelihood is of the candidate being qualified or contacted for the role. This isn’t even about ensuring the candidate stays in your pipeline or is a possible client later in life – it is just being human.

If your company can’t cope; get some technology, hire a graduate trainee/intern, stay at the office past 5pm, find a way to be human. It is not a process for candidates, it is a life changing experience. Remember the adage about ‘walking in another man’s shoes’? Try and see what it is like for a candidate and how they deal with your company.

See you at TruLondon, where the debate will continue with Simon.

Alan

That said, what I find quite disturbing is when a recruiter calls me out of the blue and starts interrogating me about my current job and company. How are we supposed to deal with that without being rude and telling them it’s none of their business where we work or who’s our manager? I know it’s their job, but it’s kinda like a total stranger in the street asking you about your family life…

Clearly the past couple of years have been difficult for everyone and having witnessed it from both sides I know the feeling of rejection, dejection and angst surrounding all concerened.

One assumes Nasty Recruiter’s [slightly bitter] reposte is a result of some of this frustration. Whilst we can clearly see through the sarcasm, I am not convinced it will appeal to the disgruntled candidates currently seeking something better in the market.

All this said, do bear in mind this was the second part of two-way investigation to recruiters are equally encouraged to ask jobseekers to consider their stance.

All that said – there are some very pertinent points here. Courtesy, client knowledge and well considered CV promotion are the least you can expect from your recruiter. Furthermore, your CV is your property, so you deserve to know where it is going in a P&C manner.

The points above should be read by every recruiter in the land, because they are in the most part, and in a perfect world – extremely valid. However please, please temper your expectations of your recruiter. I receive 100 CVs a day in my inbox as a reward for good marketing and advertising, but more than 70 over them will be irrelevant, frivolous, or `push-button` applications. What are we to do with those 70 people that didn’t care to read the job requirements?
Invite them in for a cup of tea?

In a nutshell, all we do, all day long, is dream up ways of being mean to our candidates. We hate them all, without exception. Any recruiter who returns a candidate’s is frowned upon. People snigger and make jokes about them behind their backs.

A good day at the office involves mailshotting everyone in our database, preferably with a £100k CV to small companies for maximum effect.

We love to tell our candidates who our vacancies are with and actively encourage them to tell everyone about it, as in the interests of fairness we firmly believe that every client should interview 20 people.

We are robots and our hearts are made of tin.

And yet despite all of this, we cry ourselves to sleep at night, sucking our thumbs and wondering why everyone is so quick to judge and never to praise!

I guess it’s because recruitment these days is about communities, when once it really wasn’t.

Slow on the uptake, maybe, but I believe jobseekers will be getting all round service within 12 months and if any of it is a result of pointing out each other’s follies, then so be it.

Regards
Ryback