Recruitment Myths Dispelled

Having worked in recruitment for the last few years, I'm fairly familiar with the fact recruiters get a bad rap. This is not something I was aware of when I innocently stepped into the world of employment, and to this day it still gets to me a little. I appreciate there are recruiters who don’t do a great job, but surely this is the same in every sector? Perhaps it’s because we deal with pivotal appointments in companies, or with peoples’ careers and money, and mistakes in these arenas are far more personal. However there are a few myths I am still surprised are in circulation, and I wanted to shed a little bit of light on these issues.

‘You throw a few CVs at me and I pay ￡XXXX, ridiculous!’

Believe me – I wish all I did was throw CVs at people in exchange for money. And to a lot of people, I guess this is what ‘recruitment’ looks like. However there is a lot more behind the scenes work that goes in before recruiters even get to the stage of throwing CVs at hiring managers. Let’s look at where those CVs come from.

There are several different sources from which recruiters find their candidates – websites, databases, adverts, LinkedIn and networking to name a few. On a daily basis, recruiters search for new candidates who have registered online, applied to an ad, or got in touch in the last 24 hours. They sift through a mass of CVs scanning for people who have the skillsets they can represent. After this they’ll call and leave messages to discuss requirements. Throughout the course of the day 20 – 30 minutes will be spent per call to ascertain what each candidate is looking for and if we can assist. If the answer is yes, they’ll be invited to meet for a full registration. This is usually an hour long meeting during which recruiters discuss their CV, question for more info, uncover reasons for leaving jobs and hone in on exactly what the job seeker is pursuing next. We’ll go through paperwork and check their Eligibility to Work. If the job seeker is open to temping, we’ll take up references too. Finally the recruiter formats and types up the CVs with all the added notes so they are ready to be thrown at companies when they have a requirement that matches. Recruiters do this every day, so that they have multiple CVs to throw at numerous jobs, all with different specs, salaries, and locations. Our job is to ensure we have done the background work so that when you need someone right away, the CVs are ready to go. Maybe this is why our job looks effortless, and we should take that as a compliment.

 ‘You don’t give people a chance.’

The common misconception with recruitment agencies is that we are a less friendly version of the job centre. Yes we help get people work, however the main difference is that companies are paying for this service. And with the price tag comes a list of things the company would like. Whether it be systems usage, industry exposure or simply someone who lives within a 5 mile commute, we are bound to submit candidates who meet the criteria. Unfortunately if you don’t have what they're looking for, we cannot submit you, as we would only be wasting your time and ours. As I say to many job seekers, try to avoid recruitment agency adverts if you don’t have the experience requested, and instead apply to employers directly who are more likely to be able to consider transferable skills. Undertaking voluntary work, or temporary work to gain experience in related fields, is also an effective way to bolster your CV.

‘Recruiters never give feedback.’

Recruiter feedback is derived from whatever information we get from the managers your CV is submitted to or who you meet with at interview, and if they don’t tell us anything, we have nothing to pass on. Unfortunately it is common for the only feedback received to be about the candidate who was successful in securing the job, and not much information given on the others. I appreciate that this is frustrating, disheartening and unfair. Recruiters generally do always strive to get some indication of the reasons behind the decision, or interview skills which could be improved, so we both know for next time. However our hands are a little tied if we can’t give anything back. I completely agree that even if no detailed feedback is received, all candidates should be given information on the outcome in a timely manner, especially if they have gone through the paces of an interview.

‘Recruiters are all cold, heartless, money-hungry sales people.’

Yes you are correct - recruiters are sales people. We sell job opportunities to candidates; we sell our services to companies. We work to targets and we earn commission. But that doesn’t necessarily mean recruiters are cold, heartless and money-hungry as well. As mentioned in previous posts, I have witnessed daily the empathy and ethics of colleagues in the industry. Most recruiters do care about helping people get the right job and adding value through their services. After all, we still have to sleep at night. Just as accountants aren’t all boring and lawyers aren’t all argumentative, not every recruiter fits the stereotype.

Any other myths that need dispelled? Comment below.

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