Recruiters are liars and scumbags. Google says so.

This depresses me.

My entire working life I have been in this industry, and I have taken my fair share of criticism for just uttering the phrase “I am a recruiter”.

Indeed, there were times, at dinner parties for example, where I dreaded being asked what I did for a living, because I knew I would spend the night defending the profession at large.

But now it seems ‘the great search engine in the sky’ is predefining us as liars, scumbags, idiots and worthless.

Try it.

All you need to do is enter the words “Recruiters are” into Google and then wait and see what Google AutoFill throws up.

It’s horrific, but it needs to be faced, so here is a screenshot of what I saw when I just did it.

Google - Recruiter Descriptions

“Recruiters are… ” Google Search AutoFill

Can this be true? How do these things work? Does the Internet contain so many instances of these phrases that Google just defaults to these insults?  Is our industry really that bad?

I don’t think so.

What about the Graham Whelan’s of this world? And the recruiters like Peter Murphy? And the countless others who do great work every day?

It is no secret there are problems with service and quality in our industry. I have pointed them out myself many times.

But maybe its time for a bit of balance. A little bit of respect for a hard job, well done by thousands of recruiters from Aberdeen to Auckland, and all ports in between.

In fact, I know its only a drop in the ocean, but Google, stick this in your search engine algorithm.

I hope it gives you indigestion.

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  • Posted by Greg Savage
  • On April 16, 2013
  • 73 Comments
Tags: Brand You, Employee engagement, personal branding, recruitment, Selling recruiter value, selling value

73 Comments

Jesse Honig
Greg, I wouldn't fret too much, just about every profession you google comes up with the same results. Try lawyers, bankers, doctors, teachers etc. Its the way the search engine works... Truth be told, I'm not remotely ashamed of our profession. Most recruiters are hard working decent people. I've seen so many potential job candidates act in a totally unprofessional and dishonest way, that I just don't accept it when people tell me "they've had a bad experience with a recruiter". My response is "well I've had many bad experiences with candidates". Ultimately, people are people and everyone has their own barometer of integrity. There is no noble profession...just noble people. Jesse @ Continuity Partners New York, NY
    Carl Lovelock
    Very well put Jesse.
    Teri Moxham
    Well done Jesse ! I agree completely !!! However, we continue to roll with the punches ! I have made SO MANY good friends in this industry and my team and I pride ourselves on being in an industry which absolutely helps people improve their lives and the lives of their families ! Don't care if there are a few crazies out there and the consumate grumblers - we really enjoy genuinely "helping" people !!! TERI . Sydney
    Doug Flatimus
    Correct, well put.
    Sandra Anderson
    Well said Jesse. All professions have unethical people. It's up to us to build relationship to show clients through unwavering service and dedication that most recruiters are ethical and has integrity! I always tell my clients that we deal with the most unreliable commodity on earth! I't our job to separate gold from sand! Love recruiting! Sandra Johannesburg
    Audrey Hughes
    Totally agree with you Jessie
    Warren Zevon
    Jesse, you're out of touch with your own industry, you disrespect and devalue your own candidates, and your generalization proves it. "I just don’t accept it when people tell me “they’ve had a bad experience with a recruiter”." Really? You attach no credibility at all to a professional telling you about a bad experience with one of your kind? You simply discount any and all such complaints? I just learned more about you. Sara, you're attempting to generalize, which is dismissive of very real complaints. "All professions have unethical people." True, but you're missing the very large point. Recruiters are also rightly criticized for being ignorant of even the fields in which they're trying to recruit, of being unprofessional and unresponsive in their communications, and many more genuine problems with your field than ethics. Why did recruiter job postings far outpace real job postings, coming out of the recession? For instance, in September and October of 2012, while all other job postings remained flat according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, recruiter openings jumped with double-digit growth. Why? Because employers know that recruiters are worse than useless, that it takes more than one recruiter to fill one contributor job. Recruiters who refuse to acknowledge that theirs is the most reviled job title in industry are part of the problem. Every time your body shop assigns the junior recruiter to contact senior candidates for a senior job, you're adding to the problem. Every time you ignore a reasonably, professional follow-up attempt from a candidate with the justification, "They have no idea how busy I am!" - you're adding to the problem. Every time you ignore simple, clear statements on a resume such as "no relocation" or "no travel," you're adding to the problem. Every time you submit a resume straight from a job board to a client, ignoring the editing done at your own request by the candidate - you're adding to the problem. Face it, blind rationalizers, recruiters are the idiots of the business village.
      Martin Burns
      Warren - Well, you're not Warren, of course. You're someone who's angry enough to complain bitterly - and, I'll add, there are germs of truth in your bitterness - but lack the courage of your convictions, so you hide behind a persona. There is, of course, a long tradition of creating a mock persona to attack people in power - it's necessary in some cases. This isn't one of them. All that said: yes. there are bad practices in recruitment. There are far too many boiler-room, shady operators out there taking advantage of a very real problem: connecting the corporate with the personal. It's not an exact science - we're dealing with people, in all their permutations, on both ends. Emotions mix in, needs shift, surprises abound. That ambiguity is, or course, as much pain as it is joy. The best of us love to puzzle this out, working closely with great individuals on both sides in order to make exceptional matches. And, you've probable never talked to a recruiter like that, based on your anger. You've instead been smile-and-dialed by a 20 year old who was just given a list of phone numbers by a whip-cracking boss, along with some "buzz words" to drop. It's embarrassing, but it happens on a far-to regular basis. The problem is, every day out there in the world, there are thousands of punks calling tens of thousands of people, ruining the reputation of an industry. I don't know what you do - but, imagine a highly ethical, skilled, experienced software engineer being told every day that "software engineers suck - you all build buggy spaghetti code, don't document, never shower, still live in your mom's basement, slack off to play video games whenever possible, are arrogant, etc etc.." All because _some_ engineers behave that way. It's a lousy thing. You mentioned that employers "know that recruiters are worse than useless", in order to make your jump from one datas-set to a pretty ridiculous conclusion. The fact is, recruiting roles are the first to go when the economy slumps, and the first to get filled when hiring starts again. Along with that, there's a major move among organizations to bring recruiting in-house, creating internal agencies. To do that, corporations need to hire more recruiters: not because they're useless, but because they're critical. I think over time, you'll be getting less and less frustrating, boiler-room calls from agencies, and more contact from well trained corporate recruiters, as well as the few agencies who survive because they, too, operate with ethics and best practices. In the meantime, send lawyers, guns, and money... and, yes, recruiters.
        Warren Zevon
        Thoughtful response. "...recruiting roles are the first to go when the economy slumps, and the first to get filled when hiring starts again." - Agreed. Recruiter staffing is a stats leader of labor needs overall, leading the boom times and the recessionary times. "...jump from one datas-set to a pretty ridiculous conclusion." No, not ridiculous; unproven, yes. You refer to a new-to-me "...major move among organizations to bring recruiting in-house, creating internal agencies." Not only has that not been documented anywhere that I've seen, and I'm much more of a recruitment industry reader than most recruiters, but that in-house move would contradict the huge recruiting expansion in the last 25 years or so. The explosion of third- and fourth-party recruiters is indicative of the inefficiency (kinder word this morning than my first thought) of recruiters in general and the traditional, in-house recruiting model in particular. Here's an extreme example of that: I was recruited by a contingency-based headhunter, the rarest and most valuable kind of recruiter. A very large company could not fill a critical role through the in-house recruiters after months of effort, and so the hiring manager went to this headhunter. I was hired, after superb coordination and diligent work by the headhunter. All were happy until the in-house recruiter who had been specifically tasked with filling the job discovered my resume in the company's files. I had sent it nine months previous to first headhunter contact, 12 months before hire, as a blind submission, and had forgotten it. Therefore, the headhunter was deemed ineligible for the commission, never mind that the same resume had been available throughout the in-house recruiter's "search." To re-emphasize my main point, though, those recruiter who are in denial about the state and reputation of their field are part of the problem. Those recruiters who blindly defend all their colleagues and their field are contributing to the problem. It won't be until the recruitment world stiffens requirements and purges ranks that this problem will start to get better. ah-hoo, indeed.
          Christine
          • May 30 2013
          There are generalizations on both sides of the above argument. What I find most interesting is the above reference to, " a contingency-based headhunter, the rarest and most valuable kind of recruiter". This is followed by disgruntled comments regarding the hiring company's in-house recruiter. I agree the in-house recruiter should have identified you as a candidate for the position upon the original receipt of your resume. However, it is actually possible the in-house recruiter had done just that. The recruiting process involves so many different steps and individuals at any company that all the facts are required in order to identify why a candidate was no identified in the first place. The fact of the matter is that contingency based recruiters are NOT that rare. The recruiter, or the company for which they worked, signed a contract with the company for which they were doing the recruiting. They agreed to the terms that if a candidate had applied directly in the last 12 months then there will be no fee paid to that contigency recruiter/recruiting company. The contingency recruiter should have asked you if you had been submitted to the company previously, or at the very least within the time frame that their contract with the company requires. If the recruiter asked you and you told them, "No", then YOU are the party responsible for them not getting the placement fee. I guess it can be hard to admit the fault might be yours? You could have paid the recruiter for placing you in the position. Did you pay them? Recruiting requires an incredible mix of talent that is not easy to find in a single individual. They have to deal with managers who don't know exactly what they need in a new employee, HR departments that can be slow to process paperwork and candidates who don't even bother to shower for job interviews. It is an exhausting enterprise. Before you blame the un-qualified, unresponsive recruiters you should blame their managers for not correcting their poor behaviors or firing them and finding someone new who can and will do a good job. And....until you work as a recruiter for a few years you shouldn't throw stones.
        recruiterwhat
        Some of your reply was entertaining and even comical in spots, I will give you that. However, recruiters for the most part just suck and that is a fact. Its not anger, its not problems with my mom in childhood or anything else you wingnuts can come up with, its just a raw fact. There is a very small (and I mean SMALL %) of recruiters that are ethical and professional but you will have to go through piles of them to find the needle in the haystack.
      Jenny
      Reminder to the universe: Not all "recruiters" work for agencies / search firms. That term is also used on the client side.
        Tom King
        I have to say that there are fairly cogent arguments on both sides here as recruitment as an industry has always had a stigma attached to it and in my experience this has both been justified and unjustified. To say that all recruiters are scum is a bit of a generalization, however I have experienced some cowboy tactics and lack of professionalism during my time in the industry. Like Greg however, I defend the industry and its merits til I am blue in the face because I see the value in the service we provide. I have worked with some major players in the media industry and digital market and whilst there have been mistakes made, breakdowns in communication and other human errors over the years, I get repeat business from candidate and client alike. To have such a thing as this highlighted just brings further scrutiny on us when most of my peers and colleagues are decent people who really try to do well in this sector. Say what you like about us; we are recruiters and proud! If dealing with the negativity you have as a recruiter bothers you, then perhaps you are in the wrong industry.
      Greg
      THANK YOU! Yes exactly. I was about to type much the same thing but then saw your entry and I couldn't agree more. I have been job searching on and off over the last three or four years and I am astounded at just how awful SOME (not all, but a growing majority) of recruiters are. These recruiters bring great shame to the industry and as a consequence, I've been fighting an uphill battle with finding a job and clinical depression and will soon (within weeks) be homeless from being forced by the market to rely on recruiters who almost never get back to me about opportunities, including the rare time I get an interview. Their ability to lie so blatantly and do it without remorse, to me, makes them amongst the scummiest people on the planet. No doubt partly because the industry is not properly regulated. Prior to the last few years, my experiences with recruiters had been largely positive, often leading to a job. But then something happened around 2011/12 and ever since, I would say 9 out of 10 experiences have been hugely negative. And that's putting it mildly. Everything from being lied to repeatedly, to a complete failure to return calls and emails despite multiple attempts. I had one who sent me to an interview then bugged me for days to tell him what the questions were that I was asked, no doubt so he could tell other people he was sending what to expect. This was 9 months ago. Till this day, despite repeated attempts, I am still yet to hear back about how the interview went. This exact thing has happened several times since. The author of this article may not be one of these people but he's in an industry that is very very broken - and it's costing livelihoods - and lives. Any downplay of this reality by the recruitment industry, I deem abhorrent. It needs to be acknowledged, and dealt with as quickly as possible. Enough is enough.
    Dave Smith
    Try doing the same for bloggers or journalists as well - v amusing!
    Balasubramaniam
    Absolutely!. Well articulated Jessy
    Jody
    You guys are absolutely the low life of all people. You are the scumbag of all professions. If all of you died the world would still run fine without you.
      Greg Savage
      Classic post Jody. Thoughtful and considered. And courageous too.. what with you putting your full, real name, employer and location to your opinions. Good job
Richard Long
Hey Greg, This seems like the professional equivalent of Googling you own name. I agree with Jesse - Google many professions (lawyers, accountants, CEO's etc) in such a way and you'll come up with similar results. I think its best to just focus on how we conduct ourselves individually as professionals and not worry too much about the results of a Google search. I dont think its indicative of general opinion - most rational people realise any profession has its good and bad operators! Richard
Nicholas Beames
Google is taken 'with a pinch of salt'. Nick @ Astute Payroll
Navid
Hi Greg, Thanks for posting this. I think it is a subject that needs more clarification for everyone. Through my years of doing recruitment and headhunting I have come to realize that there are a lot of disgruntled people who hate recruiters being clients or candidates (I have actually been able to pick up business and deliver to clients with previous bad experiences).I have found that this is due to three major reasons: 1) Anyone and everyone without any form of education background or certification or apprenticeship or work experience (whatever you may want to call it), can get into this industry and in this way you are bound to get bad apples in the bunch. 2) Recruitment in general tends to have a bigger emotional impact on people's lives because it is affecting their careers or teams or companies and therefore they generally tend to react or at times even over-react. 3) The industry is relatively new and what a client or candidate may know about what can and cannot be done is often incorrect. Therefore the expectation is usually higher than performance. For example when I place an advert for a particular job many people apply and they all think that they can do the job and want to call me and talk to me about the job. Can I talk to all of them? Absolutely not or I would have to be at the office 24/7. The truth of the matter is I have lost several hundreds of thousands of dollars in work that I have performed for clients and candidates and they changed their agenda through the process to suit themselves. I never got paid for this work. Should I start hating clients and candidates and call them liars? I have come to realize that no matter what others say, recruiters are not any worse than other professions *cough real estate agents cough* (or lawyers for that matter). If there is anything as an individual that I can do to improve I will happily do it and if not then I am proud of what I do no matter what google or facebook or linked in may say.
Alan Allebone
Hi Greg, As we grow older we usually get wiser and sometimes hardened to all different types of snipes bestowed upon us. If I had a cent for every snipe, nasty remark said about me relating to my 37 years in this wonderful profession I would be a very very rich man. I have found that over the years the people making these snide remarks do not really understand our profession, they do not want to understand our profession. That's okay we do not need them. My very first boss in London was one of he owners of Turner Charles limited, they are still going for over 50 years. He told me that if one is honest with others and honest with yourself then you will always be a respectable person. I have followed his advice for the 37 years I have been in recruitment. It has stood me in good stead. I look back and see how these people have rubbished not only me but many people but they themselves have never progressed because they are too busy rubbishing others Greg for the past 18 years since I have been in Australia, I have watched and followed you and your progression. I learnt a lot from you and I can honestly say it has changed my way of thinking and methodologies for the better. I personally thank you for being an inspiration not only to me but many others. The whingers are the scumbags and losers and we can hold our heads high. Kind regards Alan
    Greg Savage
    Alan, your kind words are very much appreciated, and if indeed I have helped you in your (extremely long :)) career, then I am delighted Very best Greg
Frank Morrisson
Hi Greg, As an ex recruiter myself for 15+ years, I toiled day in & day out to make a good impression with clients and candidates alike and defended the recruiting profession to anyone that would listen to me. Now I'm on the other side of the fence, as HR Director and I get called at least a dozen times a week from recruiters doing cold calls and I despise the process, the industry and the calls. I know it's a tough gig sitting behind the desk trying to make budgets and placements, I get it - but of the dozen or so calls I get each week, there are generally only one or two who seem to go out of their way to (a) understand my business and (b) actually be polite when calling. The amount of calls i get from the comedian type recruiter, or the pushy cars salesperson type recruiter, or the totally uneducated type, or the arrogant "you're an idiot if you dont work with me" type etc....etc....... is embarrassing and I get embarrassed myself in even saying that I am from the industry. I know you are a loyal campaigner in trying to educate & clean up the industry, but I think the problem(s) are so ingrained into the culture of recruitment agencies now, that it's a no win battle. Recruitment will of course always exist, but recruitment agencies are seen as very little value in today's standards. Way back when, our company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with recruiters - today, our spend is minimal. Why - because we have the technology & personnel to do it ourselves now and our brand is far stronger than any recruiters brand in attracting the potential new employees to us. We have ex recruiters working for us who know how to hunt & farm candidates and we manage our database via regular interaction with all - which is something agencies do very poorly. I know not everyone in the industry should be branded with the recruiters are worthless, useless etc.... tag - but your (and my ex) industry is not helping itself by some of the clowns behind the cold calls. No call should ever be cold ! Offer value, know my business and act like every other business partner we deal with. Sorry Greg, but I tend to agree with Google .....................
    Greg Savage
    Thanks Frank, I think in many respects you are quite right..especially in regard to dumb cold calling( https://gregsavage.com.au/2012/05/15/the-golden-rule-of-cold-calling-dont/), and our industry had "earned" its reputation through the actions of many exceedingly shoddy operators. But some of us diehards will continue to fight the good fight, and whats more I believe the wheel will turn, and even companies that believe they have a "strong employer brand" will need skilled niche recruiters when the talent shortage bites.
    Richard
    Interesting post Frank In the interests of balance though, let's consider the profession you're now representing. Google search: Human resources is... (bullshit, a joke, useless, a waste). Sorry Frank, but I suspect there are many who agree with google here too. HR bad practice has in many cases caused the exact problems you're chastising recruiters for. I'm sure you can name many HR folk from your time in recruitment who just didn't understand how to manage recruitment processes efficiently. Those who expect good service whilst instructing several recruiters to work on a contingent basis at unsustainable rates Those who don't want to spend time fully briefing the recruiters on what the hiring manager is looking for, yet prevent them from speaking to each other Those who don't give feedback Those who haven't got the backbone to challenge their line managers' unrealistic expectations Those who delay decisions and miss the boat on top talent Those who allow the cowboy recruiters to get away with cowboy behaviour rather than confront them and spend time dealing with an issue Those who have internal hiring quotas to fulfil and knowingly push forward poor quality candidates to line managers whilst holding back much stronger introductions from recruiters, rather than admit they've underperformed (this is a growing problem in recent years) The list goes on.... For the record I work with some excellent HR people. Those who know how to foster good working relationships with recruiters and use them as a valuable resource in addition to their own methods of hiring. However the most effective relationships I hold tend to be direct with line managers who consider their HR teams to be a hindrance to the hiring process. Even so, I wouldn't be so churlish and short-sighted as to tar everyone with the same brush.
Gemma
I think just about the only exception to the nasty Google Algorithm rule is 'nurses', where the first suggestion is 'angels'! Maybe if we all turned to recruiting nurses we'd be on a winner?!
Neil Bolton
No stress, Greg. Try typing in to Google "I f******** hate iTunes" and you get 15,700,000 results. In other words iTunes is far worse than recruiters. That said, on to the serious part of the post: Many recruiters do drag the profession down, and it saddens me too. But that gives the good recruiters a wonderful opportunity, as candidates - and clients - want recruiters to do well! So do the job well, treat people humanely, and stand out from the Google algorithm!
Mitch Sullivan
I like Greg's sentiments but agree with Frank. Once you've worked the other side of the fence, the way you perceive the industry does become somewhat negative. I've always said that it's the client's ultimate responsibility for how recruiters behave - and unfortunately the cowboy recruiters make a living because many companies are still giving these agencies jobs to throw CVs at. The good news is that it is changing slowly, largely due to the rise in inhouse recruiting. They are raising the standards and that will eventually seep through into the 3rd party sector - in fact it's already started. It's an evolution thing.
Lachlan
There is the maths - If you have one vacancy and ten applicants, you will have nine people who fail to achieve the role and will often be unhappy about that. In fact the closer they are to matching the requirements, the less happy they will be if they miss out. We cannot disclose details of the other candidates so they can never see our reasoning. There are also matters which are difficult to broach - who likes to be told they do not "fit" with that funky new high tech start up? or if they are too scruffy, have personality issues, poor references. We do often have to deflect the criticism. Given the above two points, is is reasonable to expect some negativity. That does not necessarily mean we have done wrong. I think we surpass "Australia's got X Talent" shows on the success percentage by a country mile - I mean - how many applicants?... We also all know the contingency business model is flawed but appeals to both sides for different reasons. For the client, often no need to commit, for the recruiter, the often misjudged possibility of a fee. The solution? 1. Establish commitment and trust on both sides. 2. Learn to say "No" - So hard some times, we do so love to please.
Kevin Chappell
The sad thing about our profession is that it is peppered with cowboys (and girls). But so is every profession involved in selling their service. Where do I start.....?? But Frank I do take umbrage to your comments. I am proud of what I do and have done for a long time. I have helped many people with their careers, placed hundreds and hundreds of people, and given them free advice that has been worth gold, and in some cases, turned their lives around. And in social situations, I find quite the opposite. People are very interested to get a recruiter's opinion of the market, the state of jobs, what's out there. How we are doing is often seen as the barometer of the economy and people are really interested. I've never had anyone run for cover! I have no idea what you were doing, who you were working for, or the market you were active in, but clearly it was all wrong! As a +30 year veteran, I've seen many come and go, and nothing changes. There were turkeys 30 years ago, and 20 years ago, and 10 years ago. The only thing that is different now is that because communication is easier, it's likely the turkeys will become Christmas dinner much earlier, and in the process elevate those of us who deliver a quality service with the intuition we have gained over the years. The mandatory requirement in my business is a minimum ten years experience (we have an average of 22 years at last count in our team of 15 Associates), because if you get to that stage, you know what you're doing. That's how you avoid the turkeys. And by the way, HR people are not immune. If you put in Google "HR Managers are..." what comes up first is "a waste of money". But of course, non of us in recruitment would ever dare to think of HR Managers in that way. Just as I hope that people in HR really do value the service that we do offer and the knowledge and intuition that we bring to finding the best talent.
Paul
Hi Greg, having been in recruitment for 20 years, I've heard a lot of bad things too. But you know what, Ive done a lot of good for peoples careers, can hold my head high in terms of ethincs and general business practice. The recruiters I have worked with Past Present and Hopefully future have all been good people working for the right reasons too for the most part, as I know are the huge majority of recruiters out there. We need to be proud about what we do as I know you are from all your previous articles. Besides, if you type in Google is....... you get some interesting comments, not all good! But I kinda like that, where would we be if the world was anodine and cleansed daily? Keep up the blogging, Paul
Jason Perkins
The perception of the industry is the same as any other some have good experiences and some have bad, the bad ones get voiced on posts like this and the good ones will rarely speak up. No agency can cover every candidate at once as no agency is dealing with every company and vacancy on the market. This is why we have databases to contact potential candidates when we have something that matches their skill set, what most people forget is there are a vast amount of candidates for each vacancy and so if they are not getting feedback perhaps they should look at personal development to stand out of the crowd rather than blaming recruiters. I’m not saying we are all perfect and I completely agree with meeting with us and making your own judgment rather than just emailing a resume and waiting for a response. As a recruiter if I do not have a vacancy for someone I have met with then I will approach companies on their behalf – people forget we do all this without charging candidates and the same with sourcing candidates for companies no charge unless there is a placement. This is a very undervalued industry that can add value to any company or candidate if dealt with and communicated correctly.
Rachel
Same type of results can be found when googling: human resources is . It's disheartening to see my chosen profession is considered "a joke" "bullsh*t" "useless" "evil" "a waste" and "boring." I love what I do, but I feel like my profession takes hits on all sides. Executives don't like us because we "tell them what to do" (sorry, but our job is to mitigate risk and sometimes your decisions expose the organization to possible litigation or relgulatory violations). Employees don't like us because we tell them what to do (no, you can't throw a stapler at your co-worker, not even if he said you smelled bad then told you to take a shower or even if he stole your sandwich from the refrigerator...for the fifth time). What people fail to realize is that we're not running around with a policy book waiting to slap them with it. We aren't a task force. We're here to help make your jobs easier. Sometimes that means we will need to redirect you, but don't take it as a personal affront. We aren't trying to target you, we're trying to keep you from targeting yourself. And we are anything but boring!!!
    AB
    Don't kid yourself. HR is the sole reason that a group as unproductive as recruiters can exist and still make a profit. If most HR departments weren't as gifted at chasing away talent as they are, recruiters wouldn't have a niche. As it is, whilst you're stuck in the late 80s with paper application forms, applicant tracking systems that you’re dumb enough to let candidates see and job adverts that are basically just a shopping list of Things You Want without ever bothering to explain what it is that you’re offering in return, recruiters will find it easy to keep eating your lunch. As a hiring manager, I take pride in liaising directly with the many technical professionals I know in my community. I keep both recruiters and HR out of my hiring processes, as each is equally inept at recruitment in their own way.
Bob
And yet, the GOOG has hundreds of these liars and scumbags working for them. Go figure.
GB
So what does that say about the 462 current Google Employees who hold titles that include "Recruiter" OR "Talent" OR "Staffing"
Frank Morrisson
Just a quick right of reply...... Kevin - it's great to hear your agency has recruiters who have a minimum of 10 years experience - that's the type of agency where I believe if you were to "cold call" my company, I would hope there would be some value and intelligence to the call. The disappointing aspect is though, for your one agency - there are 100 others who employee anyone off the street and give them a "consultant" job title who will drive your industry further & further into the ground via their highly dubious sales tactics. We could argue about this all day, but when you are on the HR side of the fence, and the phone rings every day countless times with recruiter after recruiter cold calling with the most appalling of skills and professionalism, there is no wonder agencies reputations will keep being dragged through the mud. As I said in my first post – and I’ll say it again – I know not all recruiters or agencies are like this. I get it, I’ve been on that side of the fence running recruitment agencies not only in Australia, but also the UK & US. There are some exceptionally good people who work as recruiters – it’s just a shame that there are far many more bad ones.
MR
Greg, I have worked in the industry for 10 years now. I believe we have the best job in the world. I can count the "bad person" recruiters I have come acorss on 1 hand. I can not count the "good person" recruiters as I have come across so many. However over 70% of those "good person" recruiters did a poor job and did not suit the work we do and are no loner in the industry. Frank, Most Recruiters are good people but they are poorly trained, just because you do a job badly does not make you a "bad person". I think the recruiters who call you are probably "good people" who do not know how to develop new clients. After all they are calling HR when 99% of the time the best way to get into a new client is through Executive Management.
Nick Dobbs
I think Google's algorithms should add search terms that when clicked lists companies that have "successfully" implemented candidate registration online platforms that are utterly irrelevant, souless and so politically correct that they make candidates with any sense of self-respect question what the culture of that company is really like. Would I place my faith in a professional recruiter like Greg Savage rather than an unapproachable, omnipotent HR Department? Hell Yes !
Dave
Don't spend time feeling bad for yourselves, get busy converting the uninformed one person at a time. If you Google a " lollipop is" or even "Google is" the type ahead list is equally depressing. Seems that the internet is can be a negative place...or at least that is what is stickiest about the internet...bad stuff. What recruiters do is valuable or people would not take the time to complain. Return some calls that you would not normally return today, take a minute to coach a lost soul candidate, say something nice about an HR employee...the karma will circle back...
Sandy beaches
What I hate about recruiters is their cowardice. If you are unsuccessful in your application it would be helpful to get some feedback as to why....not a lie saying the job has been withdrawn or already shortlisted. I would rather someone said Hey you didn't get the job because you came across as pushy and you need to work on your interpersonal skills than a recruiter saying oh sorry the job was withdrawn. That pisses me off.....People hunting for jobs need help and I believe a good recruiter should be honest.. Strangley all the recruiters I have had anything to do with have really bad interpersonal skills.......mind you I haven't observed them brown nosing to the employers....
Katherine
Hi Greg, I have had similar experiences with Sandy beaches. No wonder ....google did that !!!:) I would say the fact speaks for itself, the fact is there are so many unemployed people in Adelaide, SA and more and more people are joining the "unemployed" So what are the recruiters doing ? I agree with Nick Dobbs If only Greg Savage is here in Adelaide !!! Katherine
Fred Elmore
Greg, I really enjoy your blog. While I have never been a recruiter or headhunter, I have been a Hiring Manager working with recruiters for over 20 years. I have some partnerships with recruiters that have been extremely positive. Having a solid working relationship with great recruiters has enabled me to be more successful in my job. I have also come across some terrible recruiters. However, as many of your audience members have already stated – every industry has good and bad in it! I am sure many of the recruiters reading this post would agree that there are some pretty terrible hiring managers out there too! I believe it is about continual evaluation. When should you ditch a hiring manager (I believe you already addressed this in another post) – and when should you ditch your recruiter (see http://www.clinicalstaffingreviews.com/why-you-should-fire-your-recruiter/). Thanks Greg!
Mark Jacobs
Greg, interesting post and I agree 98% with 100% of what you said. I believe that most of the time we recruiters take a lot of flak from candidates because they are not selected for the job. This is what makes us look like idiots. However, at the risk of sounding defensive, I would like to offer a somewhat different perspective. In my own job search experience, long before I joined the ranks of recruiters, I would be contacted by recruiters, "sold" a job, be submitted for a position for which I was well qualified and... nothing. No response, no follow up, no updates. My thought was, "Recruiters are idiots." I would also receive calls from recruiters offering me work under terms that I would not accept because of geography, working conditions or low salary. Again, my thought was, "Recruiters are idiots." Fast forward to present day where I am now a recruiter. I find, qualify and submit candidates to customers and... nothing! Please understand that I, like most professional recruiters, am driven by both personal and professional integrity. I will not submit an unqualified candidate to a Hiring Manager. The real problem in our current work world is with the so-called hiring managers, not with recruiters. A qualified candidate is not good enough; a candidate must be perfect in order to get the job and perfect is an arbitrary definition held by the hiring manager. This is the reason why we are perceived as idiots. Until hiring managers come up with some intestinal fortitude and hire good people instead of holding out Mr. Perfect Water-walker, we will continue to be perceived as, "....the idiots of the business village."
Ron
Yes they are liars. At least in my experience. They don't return phone calls. They have your email and phone number. Is a 30 second email to much to ask for when you request one? They pretend to think they know just a little of your profession, but don't. They say that they will be your exclusive contact at the recruiting company and then trade you off to another person. That person lies to you in person about it being against company policy to trade off contacts in that manner. Then they do it them selves. When interviewed the company ask for letter of referances. The recruiter never provides these to the company as he said he would. And then lies and says he did provide them. I have not had any good experiences with recruiters. How can you when all you are thought of as is a dollar sign and not a fellow professional. I'm insulted that you would even consider asking this questions. Of course they lie.
Lawrence
Ron, I disagree. I'm not in the profession but have engaged with them many times. Yes, may don't return calls or emails. It can be frustrating. I just think they are very very busy and need to focus on what will work best for them. They're certainly n ot a career-adivce service. But you know what? It's up to you to make yourself more sellable to both the companies you want to work for and the middle-people inbetween. Make yourself special.
Tom
Of course one can not generalise too much, but for the most part yes, they are scumbags. The vast majority do not return calls or emails, and it is inevitable that after a short time in the profession they begin to view people as having little more value than the boxes they can fill. Then, from the business's standpoint, it is rare that recruiter cares enough to learn about the company's culture or to understand their actual needs. It's a checklist on both sides, and recruiters are happy to tick everything, fuck over a large number of jobseekers, make the employer's just happy enough, and get paid. If you took someone who was already a scumbag and put them in a recruiter's role they would do the job no differently. It actually makes more sense to do so as they immediately skip the first few months when they would normally by sympathetic to the needs of human beings.
David
Recruitment agencies will be all but gone within 3 years with the exception to those "specialising" in Labour Hire where seasonal demand dictates flexability. I for one am happy to see this industry go as I feel it has become almost completely irrelevant as technology has steered its path to destruction. It is compounded by the fact the managers and people still working in the industry now have the wrong skill set. Over the past 8 years, external agencies have just stuck to the tried and tested methods of old which is driven by managers from the generation of totally sales focussed and the only piece of technology they are familiar with is the telephone. I also feel recruitment agencies have been incredibly bad for business in terms of cost effectivness for the hires which are usually of poor quality and also the longevity in which the agency hires stay in the place they were recruited for. The world will be a much better place when this industry and the pople who work in it end up on the scrap heap.
AB
I'm not sure why you think insisting recruiters aren't predominantly lying scum makes it any less true. It’s a reputation that's been well-earned, and for a reason: because it's true.
    Greg Savage
    That's the interesting thing about rational debate "AB", you have your view, and I have mine. The big difference here is that I am willing to put my name and identity to my point of view....."AB". Feel free to fix that up and we will all take you a little more seriously, maybe. regards Greg
Jeff Sanko
The worst part, and weakest aspect, of any job search I have ever untertaken has been the recruiter interaction. I have browsed all the above posts and in my mind, as it has always been, the recruiter is the weakest link in the job search. I use the major online services, Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder for getting my profile into the public profile. Doing so has had the effect of leaving chicken to sit in the sun during summer, the flies congregate, as in recruiters, an unfortunate aspect of the job search. Yes I am aware of the privacy and public settings, as well as personal information that can be included on the actual resume. I would no more trust my client representation to 95% of recruiters than I would trust a known criminal. Seems to me, 5% of the recruiters, local to my area, who have taken the time to meet with me, get to know me, have been shown to be the most effective and trustworthy. I have presented myself to clients where a recruiter firm has gotten me into an interview, only to find the firms have completely reformatted my resume, added bullet items, added vendor comments to the header of the resume, a host of other attributes could follow. In a couple cases, the vendor comments contained spelling and grammar errors. Other cases, vendor added bullet items were misrepresentative of me, not in my own words. The list could go on, and the actual companies associated with the calamity of missteps could follow with it. I have actually found my last couple positions using my own resources, searching, cold letters to insiders at the client firms I wish to work. Trying to find a job, is a job. Using a recruiter is taking a risk. I have had times where a recruiter firm has submitted me to a client, for which I did not authorize, knew nothing about, and all of a sudden I get a call or an email, you were double submitted and have been disqualified. I have found the latter to be more the case with recruiters who obviously are not from this country, Indians. When I pickup the phone and I hear an Indian on the other end, I simply just hang up. I could ramble on more than I already have. Recruiters, in my opinion, are a group that lacks credibility, integrity, morality, and ethics. Pretty much low life, bottom of the barrel types, bottom feeders, just for the 95% of the group.
Steven Hyde
The worst part, and weakest aspect, of any job search I have ever untertaken has been the recruiter interaction. I have browsed all the above posts and in my mind, as it has always been, the recruiter is the weakest link in the job search. I use the major online services, Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder for getting my profile into the public profile. Doing so has had the effect of leaving chicken to sit in the sun during summer, the flies congregate, as in recruiters, an unfortunate aspect of the job search. Yes I am aware of the privacy and public settings, as well as personal information that can be included on the actual resume. I would no more trust my client representation to 95% of recruiters than I would trust a known criminal. Seems to me, 5% of the recruiters, local to my area, who have taken the time to meet with me, get to know me, have been shown to be the most effective and trustworthy. I have presented myself to clients where a recruiter firm has gotten me into an interview, only to find the firms have completely reformatted my resume, added bullet items, added vendor comments to the header of the resume, a host of other attributes could follow. In a couple cases, the vendor comments contained spelling and grammar errors. Other cases, vendor added bullet items were misrepresentative of me, not in my own words. The list could go on, and the actual companies associated with the calamity of missteps could follow with it. I have actually found my last couple positions using my own resources, searching, cold letters to insiders at the client firms I wish to work. Trying to find a job, is a job. Using a recruiter is taking a risk. I have had times where a recruiter firm has submitted me to a client, for which I did not authorize, knew nothing about, and all of a sudden I get a call or an email, you were double submitted and have been disqualified. I have found the latter to be more the case with recruiters who obviously are not from this country, Indians. When I pickup the phone and I hear an Indian on the other end, I simply just hang up. I could ramble on more than I already have. Recruiters, in my opinion, are a group that lacks credibility, integrity, morality, and ethics. Pretty much low life, bottom of the barrel types, bottom feeders, just for the 95% of the group. Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    Greg Savage
    Well the last comment, which is pretty scathing, was submitted twice, once by "Steven Hyde" and once by "Jeff Sanko" So, who actually wrote it? Greg
      Steven Hyde
      Steven submitted the last comment, email does work also. Sorry for that, you can delete Jeff Sanko, he does not exist. I figure if my comments were good enough to post, I should include a valide name and contact email.
Jack Simonds
In my experience, recruiters are deceptive and will lie to get what they want. I guess the job requires that.
Maggie
90% of recruiters (I am in the UK) are liars and scumbags. They like to play God. What goes around comes around, however, and they will find out one day what the recruiter trek is like.
    Logan
    Having mixed experiences with recruiters in multiple countries around the world (USA, NZ, AUS) has led me to a few conclusions. I will try to avoid generalizations and rely on specific examples, but that will be difficult, so just take what I say as personal examples and not gospel. There are the types of recruiters that I have dealt with over the course of my career (which isn't that long so far I am only 30) 1. The Real One I will start with this, because there are good recruiters out there, there are not many, but they do exists. This type actually tries to match you to a position correctly, contacts you in a timely fashion and has a good relationship with the HR department of the firm they are recruiting for (not just a nameless recruiter trying to make a commission, or a quota). 2. The Hand Holders Not to be sexist, but these are generally the younger women that have come fresh out of undergraduate. They were hired because they had some minor background in HR or psychology, a nice face, and a rack. I am sorry if you disagree with this, but its a fact of life... (just like the pharmaceutical rep girls) Its not always a bad things, its called the "Halo Effect" we perceive these people to be better at their job because they are surrounded by attractiveness. Which has its benefits for some things... But these people are almost worthless when it comes to doing anything but nodding and smiling. The candidate suffers and Ms Boobs get a pack on the back 3. The Wrong Field. In this instance I almost feel bad for the recruiter... Until I realized how much it was screwing me over... This type of recruiter may be quite good at their job and fit into the first category I spoke of... However they have one major issue.. they are recruiting for the wrong field.. They may try hard, and work hard, but they have no knowledge of the field in what they are recruiting... This does nothing but agitate candidates when recruiters aren't able to ask simple questions about a job The last issue is a practice, not necessarily a type of recruiter... 4. Their need to schmooze. This can be the most annoying thing out of all. Not trying to directly say they are "liars", it is just very difficult to get the full truth out of any recruiter. They tell you just as much as they want you to know so they can lead you on as far as possible. Nothing like going through a few phone calls and 2 interviews and having some one come back and say "I am sorry we are looking for some one with experience in X, not Y" When it is written in plain English on my CV/Resume that my experience from from Y, and they have known this since day 1.... 1 month of my time and my hopes... evaporated not due to lying, but due to the lack of truth. Over the course of my career I have had ONE good experience with a recruiter which did lead to a contract job I quite enjoyed. Every other experience started out quite well, but then slowly tail span into one of the four circumstances listed above Sadly my contract is now over and I still haven't been able to find new work.... Maybe I should just become a recruiter... What's that saying? "If you can't beat em, join em" -L
Dan
Based on 38 years in the UK insurance industry, and having been both a candidate and a hirer, I have to say the number of "good" recruiters I dealt with was far outweighed by the number of "bad" ones. Cold calling, is always the mark of the third rate in my book, particularly if the caller is trying to place a junior "generalist" in a position clearly only open to persons with experience in a specialised niche market. Exaggeration, to use no stronger term, whether of the compensation package available or the candidate's abilities and/or experience seemed to be the stock in trade of a large number of recruiters. I sympathise with your position Greg, but your industry really needs to sort itself out. .
Craig
Google suggestions are powered by the people who use Google. So suggestion 4 and 7 are quite accurate. You do waste time, and you're stupid!
Dave
I've dealt with recruiters for well over a decade, and whilst it is nowhere near as cowboy-y as it was in the late 90's and early 00's it's still pretty deplorable. In recent years I've had recruiters harvest my current employer and ring via the switch or guess my work email. I've been sent into a role that had no bearing on what I was told. I've been told I was going for a working interview when it was just an interview. I've watched a line manager have to threaten to contact the recruiters own boss to stop being harassed. On a lesser note, I frequently get contacted about roles that a brief look at my CV would show as unsuitable. Oh, and one company mailshoots me with an entirely incorrect surname. There are some very good recruiters, and they I'll always have time for, but they're in the minority. The nature of the business - sales/results orientated jobs will always draw chancers and bullshitters, no matter the market - doesn't help. The last couple of years has certainly seen a massive improvement though, I've noticed a lot less of the bad sides. The industry has earned it's bad reputation though - and it has to continue to rehabilitate itself, and until it does don't expect that autocomplete to improve.
Daniel Giglio
A certain amount of exploitative scum is usually present for economic changes in society. Recruiters just happen to be that, no big deal.
Linda
Good article and WAY interesting responses! I've been a recruiter for 16 years, and have owned my own firm for the past 2+ years. Our company is based on ethics and integrity in the hiring process, on ALL THREE SIDES. For all those who are recruiter haters, I implore you to look at your own involvement in the process. Can we honestly believe every single recruiter is stupid?! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE?! Recruiting is not a regulated industry; anyone can call themselves a recruiter, right? Then it's up to you to screen recruiters as much as they screen you. If they don't return your phone calls, why do you continue to try to work with them? For every 'bad' recruiter out there, there is a good one. And for every good recruiter out there, there is a great one. Pick your recruiters like you'd pick your own doctors: carefully and with much consideration that they specialize in your field, or at least understand your condition/situation. Interesting how many haters read your blog, Greg. I honestly wonder why they are here. To bash? To call names and then hide? Maybe they should think about how they are presenting themselves to the recruiters they profess to hate so much. I would bet there is a lot of this same attitude shown to the recruiters. Perhaps taking a look at their own interactions with recruiters would alter their perceptions. Perhaps not. Perhaps that is the problem.
Alan
The bitterness aimed toward recruiters is at least in part due to the perceived redundancy of the field to begin with. Those of us who have been competent enough on our own to find jobs prior to the spike in recruiter advertisements are now frustrated with the additional layer of bureaucracy which must be pierced in order to even be acknowledged for a position. As an IT professional I am flustered to find that the majority of job postings on websites like Dice are now strictly posted by recruiters. The problem this creates is three-fold: 1. I don't know the veracity of the job posting. One position in particular was advertised as being in one area of my state, and before I accepted the position, I made plans for it. They would not tell me the actual location until I accepted the job. When I did accept the position, they gave me the address - a full three hours' difference in location. How fortuitous it was that I had not already made a reservation on an apartment. 2. The number of cross-posts gives a false sense of security and availability, and conversely makes it difficult not to effectively blacklist yourself with an employer. I don't know if two companies happen to have the same posting, or if two vastly different posts are the same employer. 3. I will never be able to do the work myself to have meaningful discourse with prospective employers. Being put forward to one of your clients as a piece of paper rather than a human being who both has much to offer and has prerequisites to actually live makes it all to easy to be dismissed for any number of tiny issues that may come up. The ultimate problem of recruiting is this: the inherent disconnect of the field. No matter how good you are as a recruiter, the existence of your field at all speaks of the disconnect your clients have from job-seekers. The entire intent of your industry is to keep the job seeker at arm's reach from the employer, knowing what implications that sustaining a meager living in a dog-eat-dog economy has on a lowly job-seeker's sanity. This is how the employers have ensured that an employer-run job market continues to be one. In the age of the Internet, recruiting is only as valuable as your clients depend on you to do the work they refuse to do themselves, and as much as they want to keep themselves separate. Many others and myself only need you to find work because we're forced to use you.
Mamatha
Hi, Am not agree with this. recruiters are not liars, idiots, scumbags.....etc, Recruiters are putting their efforts to place students. Recruiters are helping to students who are in need of Job. so please don't blame Recruiters.. Its my opinion.
    Greg Savage
    You are quite right, Recruiters are none of these things, on the whole. I am sure you appreciate Mamatha, that this is NOT my opinion, and I am not throwing these names at recruiters. Its what Google throws up. Be a bit silly of me to blanket-insult recruiters.. seeing as I have been one for more than three decades..
chineseguy
google is correct. no need to get upset. just need to find a useful job which creates value.
AB
Most rapists don't think they're rapists, just misunderstood by a lot of sluts. Same with people who "aren't racst but..." Recruiters are scum. All of them. I've never yet met one who was competent, honest and effective. They exist purely because most people who work in HR are even worse at recruiting than they are, and that's saying something.
    Greg Savage
    AB your views idiotic and puerile. But they are your views and you are entitled to them. Pity you could not back them up with your name and identity. Which means you are a coward and a bully. My name is Greg Savage by the way. www.gregsavage.com.au
Paul
Thanks - I found your article interesting.
James
I am one of those recruiter haters. I'll try to be as polite as possible. I really, really dislike you. What makes matters worse is that recruiters DON'T LISTEN. It's pointless giving constructive criticism because recruiters lack the capacity of being honest with themselves. And how could we ask that? The whole premise of their job is based on lies, so it is fruitless. The treatment recruiters give to candidates is so unrespectful it is insulting. That's it. I said it: you don't respect your candidates. That's the problem with you guys. And that's why we hate you. You're not a "necessary evil", you are pure evil. I've had co-workers who have lost their jobs thanks to guys like you. Instead of victimizing yourself why don't you just do a better job? Here are a few, just a few, pointers: -Call back -Write back -Give feedback -Respect my time -Respect my current job -Read my resume -Don't use "time" as an excuse for everything -Don't lie -Don't lie (this needs to be listed twice) -Don't insist -Don't pressure me -Don't hang the phone abruptly -Don't ask sensitive questions all of the sudden -Understand that no is no -I won't refer you to no one. That's your job, not mine -Appoint a phone call with me And many, many others. We are the verge of replacing your pathetic and deplorable job with technology. Congratulations.
    Greg Savage
    "You’re not a “necessary evil”, you are pure evil" "We are the verge of replacing your pathetic and deplorable job with technology. Congratulation" Wow James, and this is you being "as polite as possible"? You sound so nice.. and balanced.. and reasonable...

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