Are you being ghosted or kept in the dark?

The truth behind poor recruitment practices and what to do about it.

Every single day in my feed, I see candidates (mostly) and clients complaining about all the terrible practices that some recruiters adopt, how many times candidates are being ghosted, how there’s never any feedback on CVs and even interviews, how candidates are left in the dark about what progress there is…the list is endless.

I’d love to say that it’s all bullshit, that every recruiter in the country is fantastic and that it makes no difference if you work in-house in talent acquisition or as a recruitment consultant in an agency, every single person in my profession is top class. But I can’t. As in all professions, there are good practitioners and people who really should rethink their careers and do something different because they aren’t very good at their jobs. When working with jobseekers, it’s important to remember that even the fact that there is no news from the client is still an update, and so much better than radio silence.

I can totally understand how frustrating and demoralising it is when candidates are treated poorly and ignored. There are some really professional and qualified people out there who also happen to be recruiters (honestly, there are – in fact I’ve linked to a variety of professionals in and around the industry at the end of this email). But recruitment consultants are continually criticised on LinkedIn; it’s a sad fact, and in the last 12 months, it’s a more and more regular theme.??

Why is this happening?

A huge problem is that there is no entry requirement to becoming a recruitment consultant or to setting up a recruitment agency since the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, later superseded by the Regulatory Reform Act 2001. In layperson’s terms, this means anyone can set themselves up as a recruiter. Which may explain a lot.

However, there are lots of guidelines for recruiters from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and the Institute of Recruiters (IOR). Of course, employment law comes into play in terms of running payroll for clients and general knowledge of what is legal and what’s not when it comes to recruitment practices and employment.

A recruitment agency as the entity have to adhere to certain rules and regulations, and individual consultants will be trained and develop their own working styles within the agency. And while it’s not good to ghost your candidates and keep them in the dark, it’s not against the law. That said, I can totally understand how frustrating and demoralising it is when candidates are treated poorly. It goes against my values as a recruitment professional.?

A lack of trust

One area of practice that I find astonishing – and can’t believe still takes place in 2024 – is recruiters letting a candidate know about a vacancy they are working on, but refusing to divulge the name of the organisation they are recruiting for.? That’s just ridiculous…how can a candidate possibly decide if they’re interested in the role and prepare a good application if they don’t even know the employer's name?

Firstly, if the recruiter doesn’t trust the candidate or client enough to share the information, I suggest they find new clients or candidates.

Secondly, from the candidate’s perspective, they don’t want their CV sent to a client or employer without their knowledge; that doesn’t make any sense.

I had thought that this practice no longer existed, but we heard just this week from a candidate who said that they were pretty sure the job we’d briefed them on was one they’d already been told about but that they couldn’t be sure as the recruiter wouldn’t tell them who the employer is…

Here’s what candidates can do:

• Be clear about where recruiters can send your CV. My advice to candidates is to insist.? Insist on knowing who the employer is before agreeing for your CV to be forwarded.? Just politely but firmly say “you can’t send my CV anywhere without letting me know and I can only consider a role once I know who the employer is”.
• Support one another. Talk to other job seekers in your sector. Compare notes, and cheerlead one another. I’ve just set up a closed Facebook group to encourage this (more on that below).
• Stick to the good ones. Get recommendations from friends and peers about who the good recruiters are and register with those. Be proactive and also be patient. There are many of us out there who truly do have your best interests at heart.?

I hope those who are looking for a new opportunity at the moment see some new roles through the autumn as I know it’s been a tough market in our sector (marketing, PR, digital, creative and communications). Remember to sign up to our newsletter for job alerts, because your perfect role may be just around the corner. As always, happy to chat.

Take care,

Liz

Liz Gadd | 07377 400413 | [email protected] | www.linktr.ee/lizgadd

Did you know I now offer expert support through our closed Facebook group?

We want to help more people in creative, marketing, PR, events, communications, digital, and social media roles, so we’ve set up a new Facebook group.? We don’t place every candidate who registers with us (I wish, we’d be multi-zillionaires if we did!). And we can’t always offer one-to-one support outside of actual job applications, so this is a better way of using our time and offering more personal support. If you’re looking for help with finding new freelance clients, or a new contract or permanent job, come and join us for tips, hints, advice and community support. You’ll get my CV and LinkedIn Review Workshop too, packed full of ideas about how better to use LinkedIn to find a new job, or new freelance contacts, what your profile and your CV should contain, and how to approach people you’re keen to work with. There’s a ￡25 subscription fee for the Facebook group, for lifetime access. During October, we will also be running the next group programme, “Your Dream Job 5-day Challenge” with Helen Jane Campbell which is included in your subscription.

This group has been formed to allow us to help as many people as possible find a new job or devise a solid plan for attracting new freelance clients and it's a great resource.

Here’s the link for all the information and payment links too: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lizgaddrecruitercandidatesupport

We’re currently developing unique webinars for group members, so now’s a great time to join.?

Other great places to get job-hunting and recruiting inspo:

Here are a few people who write interesting and supportive content for candidates and some for clients. I’ve only ever 'met' these people through LinkedIn and I really enjoy their content, I hope you do too.

Dominic Joyce

Head of Talent Acquisition & Founder of Maverick Otter | LinkedIn Top Voice - Job Search & Careers Advice | Guest Speaker | Panelist | Personal Branding Coach | Top 1% Content Creator on LinkedIn

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/dominic-joyce/

Greg Wyatt

Insight-led recruitment. UK key hires when your context matters. 40,000 hours in recruitment - the more I learn, the less I know.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/gregwyatt/

Suzie Henriques

The CV Bee? ?? | CV writer & career coach for leaders | For the job you want, not the job you've got | Ready so you are ?? | Trusted by 300+ professionals | Bios, profiles, cover letters, interview coaching | MCIPD&FCMI

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/suziehenriques/