Articles From the Team

"I don't like recruitment agencies..."

Whether you’re hiring or looking for a new job, there’s a common perception of recruitment agencies.

But where does this perception come from? There’s no denying that there will be instances where a recruiter is probably genuinely bad at their job, but most of the time it boils down to misunderstanding and miscommunication amongst other things.

So what are the reasons recruiters are given a bad name and how can this change?

“My recruiter hasn’t been in touch with me for over 2 weeks.”

Ask yourself: for what reasons would they need to get in touch?

Maybe there are no further updates since your last conversation, or there aren’t any new roles available. A majority of the time, there’s a genuine reason why you haven’t heard anything.

If you’re desperate to confirm this, drop your recruiter a quick message. Make them aware you haven’t heard back; most likely, the response will be as above.

“My CV has been sent everywhere without my permission!”

This is bad form from any recruiter.

A reputable recruiter will be very clear with you about where they want to send your CV – then it’s your job to provide consent. They’ll keep track of where it’s gone on your behalf and there should be no surprises. Just to be sure, request confirmation (of where your CV was/is sent) in writing. You don’t want to risk your CV going to the same firm multiple times.

“I didn’t get the role I was after.”

What was the feedback you received when your application was rejected? Did you recruiter prep you thoroughly? Did you feel prepared? Did you have all the information you needed? Sometimes it’s just not meant to be…

“I saw a job advertised but the recruiter didn’t contact me about it.”

A couple of things:

1. In this case, if the role’s advertised you should apply for it (notifying your recruiter of course)! Sometimes there are so many candidates to consider for one position, your CV’s overlooked.
2. The recruiter will have inside knowledge of the employer’s culture and the right team fit, so while on paper a job might look like the right position, you may have ruled it out without you realising. You may have initially instructed a recruiter on location, type of work, culture fit and/or salary requirements/limitations. Maybe you need to have another chat with your recruiter – maybe your job search so far has made you realised some flexibility around your requirements?

“I haven't received post-interview feedback yet.”

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to provide immediate application feedback to each candidate (most of the time, this is because the recruiter hasn’t heard back from the client). However, a good recruiter will always provide feedback eventually, regardless of the feedback itself. You shouldn’t have to take time out from work, travel across the country in some instances, and give up your time, not to receive any form of feedback.

“I'm contacted about the wrong opportunities.”

There are a few things to consider:

1. Did you have an in-depth conversation with your recruiter to outline – exactly – what you do and don’t want? If not, your CV may indicate your skills are suited to roles you’re not interested in. Make sure you’re clear but any good recruiter will make sure to extract this information.
2. Are you due to qualify soon? Sometimes a role in your desired discipline isn’t available or you miss out on it for whatever reason. Although it may seem like your recruiter is contacting you about the ‘wrong opportunities’, more often than not, they’re making sure you have other options just in case Plan A doesn’t work out.
3. When was the last time you updated your CV or spoke to your recruiter? If it’s been years and your circumstances have changed, then the likelihood is (unless your recruiter is a mind reader) they won’t know about this. If you’re open to hearing about roles, then let your recruiter know and let them know – specifically – what you’re looking for.

For more information please contact BCL Legal or email us at info@bcllegal.com.