Why do recruiters get a bad rap?
Today my colleague sent around a screenshot of what suggested google search results came up when she typed in ‘recruiters are’ and unfortunately for us it wasn’t ‘recruiters are awesome’ or ‘recruiters are helpful’. Suggested searches included ‘recruiters are useless’, ‘recruiters are liars’ and ‘recruiters are a waste of time’… ouch!
So why do recruiters often get a bad rap?
Having been a job seeker that signed up to multiple agencies in the past I can understand why job seekers would feel this way. When signing up to agencies for temp work I came across many of the same issues I hear from other job seekers; recruiters posting fake adds, recruiters lying about job descriptions and recruiters not calling you back/ disappearing off the face of the earth altogether.
These experiences are bound to leave a bitter taste in any job seekers mouth. If you don’t feel like you can trust the person assisting with your job search why would you bother adding in a third party and going through a recruitment agency?
Now that I’m on the other side I can understand why some of these issues may occur. Agency recruitment is a cut-throat industry, it can be extremely KPI driven and when your main source of income is through commission it can be possible to focus on chasing those dollar signs and, unfortunately, lose some integrity on the way. Luckily, here at Lotus People we are dedicated to and focused on being ethical and genuine in our approach and the emphasis is put candidate and client experience first.
Now I have this insider knowledge, here are some points to remember when applying for jobs through an agency;
- Recruitment agencies are not the same as job support agencies – Unfortunately, we can’t help everyone. We have to place the best people for each job. As a recruiter there is no better feeling than placing someone in a role that they are really passionate about and if we could do that all day every day, we would! However, we are there to service our clients needs and therefore need to ensure candidates not only have the right experience but will also be right cultural fit for the business.
- You do deserve to hear back about your application – I speak to a lot of candidates who say they’ve applied for 20 roles and haven’t heard back from any. Unfortunately, this is common but if you have put the time and effort into applying for a role then you do deserve to receive an outcome for your application. It is our policy at Lotus to respond to all applications via phone or email within 48 hours of submission. If you don’t hear back from an employer or recruiter within 72 hours I would suggest following up regarding your application – even if you aren’t successful it is important to know which positions you are still in consideration for.
- Registering with recruitment agencies can add another layer to your job search – Job hunting can often be a full-time job in itself. Scrolling through seek, writing cover letters and adjusting your CV can be extremely time consuming. Another thing to note is not all job opportunities are advertised. We often work with clients exclusively and are able to fill a role with candidate we have previously met with. If you make a good impression with an agency there is a high chance they will reach out to you with opportunities that aren’t advertised on job boards.
In every industry you are going to get people that only think about the short-term successes and others who care about building a career and a positive reputation for themselves. Recruiters that act with integrity really do care about giving their clients and job seekers the best experience they can. When finding a recruitment agency to register with read reviews, ask for recommendations and find agencies that specialize within your industry. Working with reputable agencies can really make your job seeking experience a positive one!
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