How To Spot Recruitment Agency Dirty Tricks

Thank you for this, I was wondering why 'it looks bad on me if they put me forward to somehwere I've already been put forward for'!

Nice - I like this - thanks for translating "Recruit Speak" - I'll have to remember it.

I am using the Job Centre and Recruitment Agencies to find work, but there is no room in the job market for job-changers. These days, people have to change direction when a previous role dies. Recruiters assume that you will always progress upwards in your chosen field. The job market changes every three months and new job search skills have to be acquired by recruiters and job seekers.

Martin - in my experience, recruitment agencies work on volume rather than individually. This works against you when you're changing direction, because your CV doesn't reflect your ambition. There's no harm in writing to potential employers you've targeted as companies you'd like to work for though. Most people don't bother doing this because they assume they won't get a response - and while it might be frustrating at times - as a former employer I can assure you that letters sent this way do get read.

My experiences with recruiters have not been good! First of all, when they contact you about whether you know someone who might be interested in a particular position, they know that person may be you. And if you say that you might be interested in the position, then you have potentially set yourself up, and created a double opportunity for the recruiter to contact your own employer before you are ready to commit to anything. Most of the time, recruiters are fishing for information about the company, about the people, potential openings, about movement in the industry, and really don't care about you as an individual. Most of the time, it is all about the commission or potential commissions. Be very careful what information is disclosed to them, and what names are given. If there is a genuine interest by the company, many things will take care of themselves. The negotiation of salary and benefits are best done between the employer, and the candidate, or directly with the company. Using professional skepticism when dealing with recruiters, and being guarded in your responses, is really the best way to go. Treat them respectfully, but not as a friend and confidant. It is a business transaction to them, and to you.

I worked for a recruitment company in Queensland and i know how dodgy they are. We had a contract for a government entry level recruitment so we made sure our friends interested in the positions got through the initial stages and did our best to keep out applicants we thought would get the positions. That's another side of recruitment that people don't realise goes on behind the scenes!

Jess - ouch! That doesn't sound good at all.

It's sad to say but I have experienced most of the above - even in my field of web design/development. I think you should actually change your 'Questions you should challenge' listing and add checkboxes for the reader.

Paul - thanks for the feedback and I'll take your suggestion on board.

I love being vague and winding them up with open answers and being submitted to one place multiple times with multiple recruiters.

The todays recruitment market is changing and thus it makes very difficult for the candidate to find the good recruitment agencies. Some are good and some are bad. so what should one consider when dealing with them as the blog says a lot what could be avoided when you are dealing with the recruitment agencies. Also the platform like recfluence.com can be used to check whether the agencies you are dealing with have a good reputation or not and make the decision based upon it. So you can avoid potential loss of being captured by the bad recruitment agencies.

I cannot begin to say how right you are. I have experienced all that. Just give you an interesting story. I was introduced to a company via a recruitment agency, then I was told that the company didn't want me. I immediately sent my CV to that company, and they quickly called me for interview, and guess what? I got the job! In my lifetime, I have never seen a breed more dishonest and crooked as the recruitment agents. They useevery nasty tactics to get their comission. They have no respect and consideration for other people's feelings and time. My motto: Always apply directly.

Brilliant article. Recruiters are like vultures sometimes. Really couldn't care about your needs. Commission driven only. I have felt so pressured by some recruiters it's actually made me feel like giving up.

Thanks for the kind feedback, Isobel. It's a shame (but human nature) that most recruiters focus on their own desires ahead of what is best for their clients. Not every recruiter is like this, though -- there are some really good ones out there. Don't give up!

Don't give up, Isobel! I can tell you from experience that there are *lots* of great recruiters out there who do put your needs first. Unfortunately, it's c ut-throat and ruthless business, so the old-school recruiters who use these poor tactics often stand out.

I've come across pretty much all of those - I hate the fact that I'm worried about talking to a particular recruitment agent about a role that I've not yet been offered because they keep pestering me to say I'll accept the role if it's offered - and they want to close the deal now. Some idea of how to deal with them in that situation would be gratefully received!