Good Recruitment vs Bad Recruitment
It has sadly come to my attention as a recruiter that the ethics of recruitment seem to be falling by the way side in some agencies. It is true that not all agencies work in the same way, some are hard-working, dedicated and truly value their candidates, whereas some may choose to take the easy route when it comes to placing roles. At Temporis we pride ourselves on taking the time to speak to our candidates, find out what roles they are interested, and once a role that may be suitable does come around, speak to them in detail, before asking their permission to send their CV. You will hear all our consultants say something along the lines of “we will not send your CV anywhere without your permission, that is not how we do things” … and it isn’t. Some agencies however are not as protective of your personal details as we are. I wonder if these people would like their name, address, education and employment background sending to any number of businesses without their permission, which is what they are doing every time they release your CV without your permission.
It is not only that another agent may ring you about a role that comes in, explain the details to you and talk to you about whether you want sending, spending time on finding you an ideal placement. It is that if you decide the opportunity sounds like one of interest, and another agent has speculatively and without your permission sent your CV already, serious problems can arise. This not only makes you look unprofessional, puts the client in a tough spot and cause all matter of issues, but could in effect stop you getting your dream job. If a client receives the same CV from two different agencies they would rather discount you as a candidate than get embroiled in an agency dispute over representation. The agents who work in this way undermine the hard work of true, dedicated recruitment professionals, and can tar all agents with the same brush. One that is lazy, incompetent and worst of all throwing your details to any number of roles without your permission.
This problem (and it is a growing problem) encourages bad practice and lazy recruitment, so what does it mean for you? As a Candidate it means your CV could have been sent to a large number of firms, many you may not want to work for, some you have, and worst of all one that you may currently be at on a long term role. Imagine your CV landing on the Senior Partners desk saying you are immediately available and looking for work when you are sitting in the office next door, non-the wiser. Our advice to you would be.
- Always make a note of where your details have been sent, and demand specific information about any roles you may be interested in, such as the firm name, location and the job specification, before giving permission for your CV to be released. - Ask the agent for an email confirming where they have sent your CV, this is something we do with every single Candidate, and helps you keep a track of every firm your CV has been sent too, and for which role. - When registering with a new agency ensure that you instruct them not to send your CV anywhere without your permission - And finally, I urge you to think about the people you choose to work with. Bad Recruiters continue to work in underhand ways and if your CV is linked with them this only reflects badly on you.