Are all Recruitment Companies what they seem?

The short answer is no. 2023 has seen a worrying number of scammers posing as ?‘Recruiters’, obtaining personal information from Job Seekers CV’s online and selling the data for illegal use.

Mark Hall, SRS Recruitments' Managing Director shares insight into this concerning trend that Job Seekers and Employers should be aware of.

"These so called ‘Recruiters’ are going to great lengths to disguise their practice by forming limited companies, creating sophisticated websites and social media accounts all aimed at deceiving Job Seekers and obtaining personal information that can be utilised in many fraudulent ways. A further worrying trend is for these ‘Recruiters’ to request payment in the guise of an ‘Admin Fee’ from Job Seekers, this is once again illegal."

In discussions we have had with the major online job boards, they have revealed their concerns that Job Seekers are being mislead by believing that vacancies being advertised that seem to offer a fantastic opportunity to further their career. These advertisements are designed to lull the Job Seeker into a false sense of security which leads to them giving unscrupulous individuals information they can utilise. As a result, online job boards have instigated measures to identify ‘False Recruiters’ and deal with them accordingly, however these individuals are constantly refining and adjusting their actions to avoid detection.

Another alarming trend that Jobseekers should be aware of is when Recruitment Agents do not adhere to the strict policies of GDPR Regulations and submit CV’s to Employers either for a current vacancy or speculatively without gaining a Candidate’s express consent. In addition, this poses GDPR compliance risks to companies and hiring teams who are accepting CVS and processing Candidate data from a recruitment firm without knowing that consent has not been given. This illegal and ‘bad practice’ has become common among some Recruiters hoping they can submit a Candidate’s CV before a professional Recruiter, who adheres to the correct process, and claim a placement fee. These actions can be damaging for the Job Seeker as many employers will not wish to become involved in a dispute between multiple Recruiters, in some cases removing the Candidate from the recruitment process to avoid confrontation.

In order to safeguard against these serious issues it is imperative that both Job Seekers and Employers verify the legitimacy of the ‘Recruiters’ they are dealing with to ensure their confidential information is protected along with ascertaining if the ‘Recruiter’ is experienced in recruitment within the Construction Materials Sector and is therefore able to assist in a knowledgeable, professional and confidential manner to ensure the best solution to their recruitment needs.

With over 34 years of experience recruiting for the Construction Materials Sector both in the UK and Europe SRS Recruitment Solutions are able to offer an unrivalled service to both Employers and Job Seekers based on an in-depth knowledge of the industry along with procedures to ensure integrity is upheld at all times throughout the recruitment process.

In conclusion, it is imperative that both Employers and Job Seekers are aware of the practises used by the Recruiters they are dealing with. It is very easy to create a website that appears to be legitimate. They should take time to research the Recruiter and their ability to assist them. Any legitimate ‘Recruiter’ should be able to demonstrate their industry knowledge, their processes and how they safeguard confidential information.

Good Recruiters are professional and operate ethically. Ensure you are working with the right one if you are either recruiting or seeking a new opportunity"

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Find out more about SRS Recruitment Solutions at www.srsuk.com