1) Candidates who don't return calls or emails
2) Clients who don't return calls or emails
3) Clients who give job specs with a certain range in salary and then offer less money than is in the spec
4) Candidates who exaggerate their salary
5) Candidates who want an offer only to negotiate a raise where they are
6) Candidates who move for money rather than an opportunity
7) Clients who give us specs but then reject a candidate for a reason not in the specs
8) Candidates who are not honest with us about their current situation
9) Clients who fail to tell us an account is in trouble or who omit other pertinent information when giving us an assignment
10) Candidates who are so desperate that they deal with ten or more recruiters
11) Clients who are so desperate that they deal with ten or more recruiters
12) Clients who look at recruiters as suppliers and not partners
13) Clients who do not give enough information for us to find appropriate candidate
14) Clients who promise things to people while they are interviewing and fail to live up to their end of the bargain
15) Candidates who don't tell us they are also interviewing elsewhere or who are even entertaining another offer
16) Clients who won't let recruiters talk to hiring managers
17) Candidates who resign before receiving an offer letter
18) Clients who give us assignments before receiving authorization to hire
19) Clients who give us an assignment and then promote someone internally after we have spent time working on their search - and then don't even apologize
20) Candidates who don't understand that the best time to meet a recruiter is when they are not looking for a new job
You understand your profession is viewed as being somewhere between used car salesman and telemarketer, right?
ReplyDelete@Anon. It is unfortunate that many in my profession are hustlers. However, there are many good recruiters who share my peeves. They are neither telemarketets nor used car salesmen and perform a legitimate and necessary service. And, by the way, there are many wonderful telemarketers and great used car sales people.
DeleteHey, Paul,excellent reply to an obnoxious, anonymous post.
Delete@Anonymous - Are you aware that recruiters have the innate ability to get you into a company that otherwise would've never glanced at your resume? Additionally, billion dollar corporations utilize us to assist in their day to day placements, their opinions and views of my profession is truly what concerns me. Have a wonderful day!
DeleteThanks, Abigail. Glad to see another recruiter chime in. And, of course, you are right.
DeleteAnonymous, you understand that anonymous commenters on blogs are viewed as cowards with nothing of value to add to a conversation, right?
ReplyDelete:-)
DeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteGood list. Not so sure about #10. (although 10 is a lot). I deal with whoever calls me with something interesting. And there are cycles of activity where every recruiter seems to have a hot job.
And, as a candidate, #15 is very situational. If I tell a recruiter I am talking to someone else, they try to rush their process along, while I as the candidate want to develop opportunities in synch, so I get a real choice, and not just which situation matured faster.
Thanks for your nice comments. You are correct in both.
DeleteFrankly, I am uncomfortable when someone tells me that I am the only recruiter they are dealing with - after all, I don't have every job.
I much prefer my candidates to be honest with me about their situation and where they are in the job hunting process. I prefer to know if they are seriously entertaining another offer both so I can determine their level of interest in anything I may have for them and to know whether my clients should (or shouldn't) push them through the process - after all, I work for the people who pay me.
Great list, Paul. Those that are anonymous, are not seen. When pointing fingers for personal reasons, they merely take up space good "white space." :)
ReplyDeleteClients who offer lateral salaries, who take WEEKS to give you feedback, who use you to build their database....oh yes..did I mention take WEEKS to give you feedback?? Selling used cars and telemarketing has GOT to be easier!
ReplyDelete@Anita: Thanks for your comment. Sad but too often true. But I will take recruiting with all its issues before selling cars or having people hang up on me!
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