Using Recruiters: Challenging the Negative Recruitment Stigma

There is often a negative stigma surrounding using recruiters, for job seekers in particular, but why is this? When searching for my first full time job, multiple sources were adamant that I should not use a recruiter for the reason that ‘they take your money and put you in any old job’. If these inaccurate preconceptions derive from close relations, you tend to trust these opinions and not look much more into using a recruiter.

But that’s exactly what these notions are, inaccurate, and that opinion is now supported by educated awareness and understanding, rather than word-of-mouth talk based on theory.

Ask yourself this, our recruiters don’t get their full share if the placed candidate leaves the job within the following 3 months, so why would they put you in ‘any old job’ if that means they wouldn’t be fully paid?

One of our dedicated consultants, Dale King, has been with i4 for over 10 years and shares his experience of recruiting, why he does what he does, and what his thoughts are on this negative stigma:

What do you enjoy about being a recruiter?

“The ability to have a positive impact on someone else’s life. It is a great feeling when you deliver the offer to the candidate and then hear their elation. Makes it all worthwhile!”

What made you become a recruiter? Why do you do what you do?

“I had some very bad experiences using the local agencies around Norwich when looking to hire IT staff. It seemed that no one really grasped the actual brief of what I required. It seemed that as long as they got CV’s across to me that the job was done. Due to redundancy I was forced to look for a new role and I felt that there was an opening in recruitment for me, I met with Jason at i4 Recruitment and the rest is history. I am now still going after 10 years…”

What are your thoughts on the negative stigma surrounding using recruiters?

“The negativity has been created by too many people believing that recruitment is easy. It is far from it. You need to communicate openly with both your candidates and clients at all times, understanding what both are looking to achieve. Too many recruiters miss this and are only interested in hitting KPI’s rather than building solid relationships.”

“No company wants to deal with excessive numbers of irrelevant CV’s or over pushy sales people but unfortunately there are plenty of consultants out there who believe this to be the way recruitment works therefore tarring the good Recruiter’s with their brush.”

What would you say to job seekers that have reservations about using a recruiter?

“Shop around and find an agency that are able to provide you with all the details regarding the role on successful submission of your CV. Make sure you are given the client name, salary and location as part of this process. Make sure that you ask feedback on your application, whether it is good or bad news. By doing this you will find an agency that suits your expectations.”

To conclude…

Unfortunately like in any industry, you may come across individuals who do not positively reflect the true nature of their job. However, recruiters do generally tend to be dedicated to placing you in the best possible job. Not only do they want to see you in your dream job, but they also want to see you stick with it so will ensure they find a position that will not only suit your skills and experience, but that will also keep you motivated.

Why not check out our humorous post on 10 Reasons to Avoid Recruitment Consultants!