Yup.  I said it.

Every time I hear about a candidate that went on an interview with a recruiter for a job that never existed.  I dislike recruiters.

When my clients and colleagues are afraid to attend HR-related networking events because they get bombarded with agencies trying to “earn business”.  I dislike recruiters.

Every time I hear that a job seeker was told they were presented for a job opportunity and then never called back.  I dislike recruiters.

When I hear a candidate had a face-to-face interview and never heard back.  I REALLY dislike recruiters.

This is the situation.  Anyone working in talent acquisition or recruiting has been overwhelmed with applicants over the last two years.  And I am very guilty of not replying to every phone call or email I get from a job seeker.  It’s impossible.  There have been days when I’ve gotten over 50 resumes in my email inbox.  That’s on top of all the other emails and phone calls…paperwork, interviews, client meetings, phone screens, reference checks…etc.  So yes, I understand how busy we all are.

This is the other situation.  As professionals in this industry, we have a responsibility.  And it’s a freakin’ no-brainer.  The most important responsibility of a recruiter, corporate or agency, is to treat people like they are people.  How hard is that?  Why does this seem to be so foreign?

For every complaint and for every excuse I’ve heard from recruiters, I have some very simple solutions.

If you reply to a resume by phone or email, you’ve made contact.  If you think there is a possibility that you can’t follow up after that contact, let the candidate know right away.  Be honest.  If you made an honest mistake and simply forgot, contact them as soon as you remembered that you forgot!!  Apologize.  Own up.

If you interview a candidate over the phone or in person, feedback is mandatory.  If you know they are not a good fit during the interview, let them know right there.  Don’t ignore them.  And don’t forget about them!!  Technology is a beautiful thing.  It gives us calendars that send out little alarms and reminders.

Job seekers and candidates are not cattle.  I have zero respect for agencies and firms who employ recruiters that treat them this way.  And there are hundreds of excuses but I’ve never heard one that can be justified.

We all make mistakes.  Most of them in the recruiting world can be forgiven with a simple “I’m sorry.”

If you’re reading this and you’re a recruiter who finds this offensive, then you have a lot of work to do.  Part of your job is to DO YOUR JOB.  If you can’t find time in an 8 hour day, then work a 10 hour day.  Send out some emails on the weekend.  Yes, work overtime.  It’s part of your job and if you’re not doing it, then in my opinion, you suck at your job and shouldn’t be in this industry.

Being a recruiter should not be all about the volume and the money.  The real job is connecting people.  Connecting employers to employees.  Making solid relationships and benefiting someone’s career and company.

With this said, I’m aware this seems like an attack.  And in some ways, it is.  But I’d like to think of it as less of an attack and more of a challenge.  I challenge anyone to disagree with me.  I challenge you to prove me wrong and tell me why you think I’m crazy.  I challenge you to tell me why it’s impossible to treat people like people.
Go for it.

While this post is geared towards other professionals in my industry, I’d like for job seekers and candidates to jump in and share their experiences as well.  I’d also like to say, not all recruiters are bad.  I’m fortunate enough to know many good quality professionals working in talent acquisition and I can recommend many AWESOME people.  If you’d like my advice on using recruiters while on a job search, check out one of my previous posts here.

{ 17 comments }

Recruiting Out Of The Crowd

by Veronica July 26, 2010

Football movies.  I love them!  Remember The Titans is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.  I can watch Jerry Macguire over and over again despite my strong dislike for Tom Cruise.  And when I saw The Blind Side, I decided that I needed to create a list of awesome football movies in [...]

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Is This An Interview Or An Interrogation?

by Veronica May 26, 2010

True Story: Before I was a Recruiter, I was a Nail Technician and Salon Manager in Florida.  When I moved to Illinois, I decided to transition into the corporate world.  I created my first resume and posted it on the job boards.   For months I went on interview after interview and got rejected over [...]

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I’m not gonna lie…I will look you up on the internet.

by Veronica April 6, 2010

Before I even call you, I will copy and paste your name into LinkedIn.  So make sure that you’re profile reflects that of the resume you just sent to me. When I first started using LinkedIn for recruiting (2006), I was surprised to find out how many Manager and Director level professionals would misrepresent themselves [...]

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We All Have Something To Learn

by Veronica January 19, 2010

Recently I spent some time in Las Vegas, NV attending the AM&AA Summit. (Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors)  Having a strong focus in recruiting for accounting and finance professionals, I became intrigued with mergers and acquisitions a year and a half ago.  The professional connections and knowledge I take away from each of these [...]

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