Are Recruiters a Necessary Evil or Necessary at All?

We’re looking for someone with the wisdom of a 50-year old, the experience of a 40-year old, the drive of a 30-year old and the pay scale of a 20-year old.

Randy Glasbergen

The quote above is funny but true. We live in a society where we want everything for nothing and this applies to talent as well. I can’t tell you how many job descriptions I’ve seen with a laundry list of required skills that would make the mind reel. But, the catch is that they only ask for 2 – 3 years experience. Of course this just isn’t possible but it’s fair warning that they’re only going to pay the wage of an entry level position and they’re hoping that you’re desperate enough to accept it.

Recruiters used to be professionals in every sense of the word. Now most of them are no more than order takers (my apologies to the few really good recruiters out there). If they think they can make a quick buck from placing you they’ll hunt you down like a dog but otherwise good luck trying to get a call back or God forbid some professional courtesy. Many have little to no understanding about the jobs they’re recruiting for and when they review resumes they have a list of requirements and they just tick off the boxes. If you’ve used exactly the words they’re looking for on your resume and there are enough ticks, they’ll call you for a phone interview which more often than not is a complete and utter waste of time. Based on the number of ticks on your resume and if they liked you (or not) during the phone interview they will or won’t pass your resume onto the hiring manager. Given the quality of recruiters I’ve seen over the years I’d say that the industry is in desperate need of a major overhaul. The amount of good people that are passed over due to ignorance is staggering. How often have you heard someone comment on the fact that they applied for a job that was a perfect fit and never got a call? And when they reached out to the recruiter they never had a response.

Considering the piss-poor job most recruiters are doing, what do we need them for? A computer can check the resumes against the keywords. And believe me, those phone interviews accomplish nothing. So let’s get rid of recruiters, save a lot of money and let’s start paying the talent what they’re really worth.  

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a.bacall

Make someone smile today.

Geri

Is Professional Courtesy a Thing of the Past?

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing common about common courtesy or common sense.

SomeECards.com

Just when I think that nothing about the corporate world could surprise me anymore, I heard a few stories recently that stopped me in my tracks. It seems that professional courtesy has gone the way of the dodo.

It’s always been an accepted practice that when one interviews for a job in person (not merely the anonymous sending of an application online), but an honest to goodness face-to-face interview, that one could expect a phone call in a timely fashion after the fact. Apparently this isn’t the way we do business anymore. A friend of mine interviewed for a high level position in a Fortune 100 company (where she presently works) over six weeks ago. Although she’s sent two follow up emails to the hiring manager, she has yet to receive a response. Isn’t that special? I’ve since spoken to several people in that same company and they told me that when they initially interviewed it was 3 – 5 months after the fact that they were offered the job; and there was no contact at all during those months.

Another friend interviewed (also face-to-face) for another Fortune 100 company. Several weeks later she received a templated email thanking her for her application but that they were moving forward with other candidates. She sent the HR manager an email telling him in no uncertain terms that after an in-person interview she expected the courtesy of a phone call. He did have the grace to call her back and apologize but said that although he agreed, “that this is just the way business is done these days”.

Well, that’s just not good enough. When did it become okay to dispense with professional courtesy or any courtesy for that matter because “that’s just how we do things these days”? It’s high time that we remember that every human being deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.That's the way I do business and live my life. Shouldn't you?

Being polite is so rare these days that it’s often confused with flirting.

Quotesgram.com

Make someone smile today.

Geri