Ever Been Abused by a Recruitment Agency

Rabidlamb

A few years back I was unhappy with my pay & sent out my CV to all the usual suspects. Anyway, after my first interview I was offered a job with a huge 35% increase on what I had been then earning (came from a very low base). I asked for everything in writing which duly arrived. I then told my employer I was leaving & gave verbal confirmation to the recruitment guy that I was accepting their offer.

I was very suprised when my employer came back & offered me a 50% increase to stay. After weighing up the pros & cons in my head I decided to stay & rang the recruitment guy. The new employer wasn't going any higher so I believed that was the end of it.

The next day the recruitment guy rang back & b*llocked me out of it for using him as a pawn in the negotiations. By the end of the conversation it he was shouting saying "he would remember me".

I'm just wondering if anyone else ever suffered similar abuse.

egan007

go on name n shame.....

beerbaron

What agency?

pwd

Bizarre. Recruitment people are essentially salespeople and this sort of behaviour is contrary to my impression of them in general. I reckon this guy was a frustrated looney and that it is very unusual for this sort of thing to happen

fletch

No can't say I've ever suffered such abuse....lol (sorry I'm loling, it just seems unbelievable that somebody would react like this in their "professional" capacity!)

damnyanks

Rabidlamb wrote:

A few years back I was unhappy with my pay & sent out my CV to all the usual suspects. Anyway, after my first interview I was offered a job with a huge 35% increase on what I had been then earning (came from a very low base). I asked for everything in writing which duly arrived. I then told my employer I was leaving & gave verbal confirmation to the recruitment guy that I was accepting their offer.

I was very suprised when my employer came back & offered me a 50% increase to stay. After weighing up the pros & cons in my head I decided to stay & rang the recruitment guy. The new employer wasn't going any higher so I believed that was the end of it.

The next day the recruitment guy rang back & b*llocked me out of it for using him as a pawn in the negotiations. By the end of the conversation it he was shouting saying "he would remember me".

I'm just wondering if anyone else ever suffered similar abuse.

He probably had big plans for the commision he was going to get. Oh well

aCA

Something similar happened to a friend of mine a couple of years ago. He went for an interview for a job Dublin, but before he got any response he got offered another job overseas and accepted it.

The day after the agency guy contacted him and told him he had got the first job. My friend explained that he had got another job, the agency guy got all anger and started shouting etc. He even used the line "You'll never work again in this town!"

loodles

Thats crazy! I was in the same position a few yrs back and when I told the agency she was very nice and wished me the best and mails me every couple of months to see if my job is still going well. Her sales pitch has worked and next time I look for a job I will use her again.

pow wow

It happened to me once in England, and I was only bowing out of an interview not a job offer. The guy from the agency rang me up and HURLED abuse at me, using the F word etc. and it really shook me up. But that's the only time...

I did bow out of a contract before I was due to start here in Cork and although the consultant rang me up to try and get me to reconsider there were no raised voices. I think some people just have bad tempers, it's not the norm. Highly unprofessional.

nesf

egan007 wrote:

go on name n shame.....

OP, do not name and shame. The rest of you don't encourage people to do it since we have no way of verifying claims which complicates things a lot when actual companies and/or people are named.

Saint_Mel

Happened to me once in Dublin and they were fairly p!ssed off
and had a go at me over the phone, but eventually wished me
the best of luck with my decision.

I had a change of mind due to the type of work though, not the money.

rick_fantastic

yeah i got all that sh1`t for a couple of agencies. the whole you'll never get another job in IT if you dont take this one.

my personal favourite was "i cant believe your leaving this (tech support in hp) job to go back to college. your wasting your time. sure you'll only end up on the same money if you do honours degree......"

i actually laughed in her face at this comment i couldnt help it....

although i got one back when apply for a job thru agency and the company im now working for and me mutually agreed to cut them out of the deal and i went to work for them directly instead of thru the agency.... in your faces recruiters

whitelightrider

loodles wrote:

Thats crazy! I was in the same position a few yrs back and when I told the agency she was very nice and wished me the best and mails me every couple of months to see if my job is still going well. Her sales pitch has worked and next time I look for a job I will use her again.

Ditto loodles. I told the girl that I'd been dealing with for about 6 months that I was taking another job and she was really nice about it. Wished me all the best and keeps in touch at least once a month about upcoming jobs and training.

nice1franko

A very similar thing happened to me.

Came back from Oz and was looking for a job. Sent an email into my old boss and he says he'd be in touch but after a few weeks I never heard anything back. So went to an agency, got an interview and a few days letter the agency rang to say I got the job.

A couple of hours later my boss rings and was all apologies and he forgot about it until one of the lads in the office just asked him if I coming back.

Anyway, he offered me 5k more than what the other place, plus a few other benefits like matching 5% in your pension, 25 holidays a year (21 in other place) so I accepted.

I rang the agency and holy jesus the bollicking I got off her. All this crap about me wasting her bloody time and the amount of effort she put into getting me the job and my boss obviously thought a lot of me when he forgot me and all this.

So after much of this (and me using about 20 euro of my credit) I said listen, I'm not taking a worse job so you can get your fuuckin commission. I'm sure it's happened to you before and it'll happen again so if you dont like it then why dont you get yourself a new fuuckin job.

She was quiet then and I says look it, two of us are losing our tempers here. I appreciate the work you've put in and meeting me and all but I'm going to take the better job. good luck.

The more I thought about it after the angrier I got though. I wouldn't take any jip, not for one second, from any of them ever again.

Raiser

.........thieves, liars, cheats, murderers, recruitment consultants, kidnappers, rapists, terrorists, con-men, wife-beaters..........

- Some of the people I always do my utmost to avoid in my own best interests.

digitally-yours

Yes i will have no harm in naming and shaming them.

If they did so then they are responsible for their own actions

anyone reading can make up their own mind if they agree with it or not.

run_Forrest_run

Raiser wrote:

.........thieves, liars, cheats, murderers, recruitment consultants, kidnappers, rapists, terrorists, con-men, wife-beaters..........

- Some of the people I always do my utmost to avoid in my own best interests.

here here.

KTRIC

Dont get me started about those f*ckers.

Tom Dunne

Is it that time already? *checks calendar*

I didn't think we were due an agency bashing thread for another week or two.

DonkeyStyle \o/

nice1franko wrote:

so if you dont like it then why dont you get yourself a new fuuckin job.

That's gas, well said

Dudess

KTRIC wrote:

Dont get me started about those f*ckers.

Heh heh. I couldn't have put it better myself.

tom dunne wrote:

Is it that time already? *checks calendar*

I didn't think we were due an agency bashing thread for another week or two.

I see your point but if you haven't experienced sh1t from recruitment consultants, believe me, this degree of bashing is warranted.
If you have, you've the patience of a saint.

Jumpy

Rabidlamb wrote:

A few years back I was unhappy with my pay & sent out my CV to all the usual suspects. Anyway, after my first interview I was offered a job with a huge 35% increase on what I had been then earning (came from a very low base). I asked for everything in writing which duly arrived. I then told my employer I was leaving & gave verbal confirmation to the recruitment guy that I was accepting their offer.

I was very suprised when my employer came back & offered me a 50% increase to stay. After weighing up the pros & cons in my head I decided to stay & rang the recruitment guy. The new employer wasn't going any higher so I believed that was the end of it.

The next day the recruitment guy rang back & b*llocked me out of it for using him as a pawn in the negotiations. By the end of the conversation it he was shouting saying "he would remember me".

I'm just wondering if anyone else ever suffered similar abuse.

Why have you not taken it to this guys manager? If he was even sarcastic to me I would have had him strung up by the goolies, if he shouted I would be demanding a written warning with the threat of possible action if I was not placated. Do not let tards like this get away with anything.

Tom Dunne

Dudess wrote:

I see your point but if you haven't experienced sh1t from recruitment consultants, believe me, this degree of bashing is warranted.
If you have, you've the patience of a saint.

You mean you haven't read my thread on the recruitment agency that shafted me? And then, three months into my job, after the commission was paid, rang me to see if I would be interested in moving?

The recruitment agency sounds like 'pays' and begins with the letter 'H'.

mikemac

Raiser wrote:

recruitment consultants,

Always cracks me up to hear them call themselves recruitment consultants or recruitment executives.

When I think of consultants, I think of some in medicine or maybe management who are experts in their fields, have years of experience and command top salaries.
Sure any graduate can become a recruitment consultant, a totally inflated job title.

Dudess

micmclo wrote:

Always cracks me up to hear them call themselves recruitment consultants or recruitment executives.

When I think of consultants, I think of some in medicine or maybe management who are experts in their fields, have years of experience and command top salaries.
Sure any graduate can become a recruitment consultant, a totally inflated job title.

Very good point.

Rabidlamb

Jumpy wrote:

Why have you not taken it to this guys manager? If he was even sarcastic to me I would have had him strung up by the goolies, if he shouted I would be demanding a written warning with the threat of possible action if I was not placated. Do not let tards like this get away with anything.

At the time I thought I'd only be looking for another b*llocking, just from someone in a nicer suit & a posher accent. Now time has past & the big fat pay rise has softened the initial anger.

I'm not sure if he'd even remember me now if I went job hunting again. I dont know how good their records are in that regard. I remember another recruitment agency ringing me once about the "ideal job" for me, it was with the company I was leaving who had just advertised my position. That's great professionalism.

Dudess

Jumpy wrote:

Why have you not taken it to this guys manager? If he was even sarcastic to me I would have had him strung up by the goolies, if he shouted I would be demanding a written warning with the threat of possible action if I was not placated. Do not let tards like this get away with anything.

Damn right - how dare those little cu*nts behave like that?! When I saw the thread title, I presumed the OP meant "abused" as in "messed around" (to which I, among no doubt many others, would have replied "yes"). I didn't for a second think the OP meant "abused" as in literally "abused"!

razorblunt

I only used the recruitment agencies twice, when I changed colleges I needed a job just to get the fees together so thought this would be quickest.

Went for an interview with one that said they'd get me an interview with some telesales crowd, got home that day and another place that I previously went for an interview offered me a job and I took it, rang the agency and they said no bother, asked if I'd mind telling them where it was that I was going (I said yes, it's private) and they wished me well.


The second time I started with a warehousing firm but after my first day relised it was too far away to travel 5 times a week and costs of petrol alone wouldn't make it feasible, so I told them it's not for me. The girl from the agency ****ed me out of it saying I'm after embarressing her and that I wouldn't get paid my day's wage and if I didn't return my safety gear she would invoice me for them or something. So I said right you'll get them when I get paid.

I still have them at home somewhere!

jhegarty

Raiser wrote:

.........thieves, liars, cheats, murderers, recruitment consultants, kidnappers, rapists, terrorists, con-men, wife-beaters..........

- Some of the people I always do my utmost to avoid in my own best interests.

I take it your never bought a house because I don't see estate agents listed....

edit:
sorry , reread it and see it now second from last.....

mental07

Haven't been abused, but good Jesus some of these "recruitment consultants" are among the snootiest, most condescending people I've ever met. They're generally women too (so am I, before anyone attacks me). I have met some lovely helpful ones too though.

Raekwon

I'm really surprised that flash harry hasn't joined this thread to defend his much mangled 'profession' :rolleyes:

Dudess

Yeah I posted a thread entitled "Question for the recruitment consultants" (the "lovely" recruitment consultants to be more specific - could you get more enticing?!) in which two episodes of major incompetence were detailed. 96 views but no reply yet.

seamus

I know two good recruitment consultants, and people like this are both in the majority and the bane of real recruitment consultants. Most of them are glorified salespeople, and treat candidates more like products who'll get them commission.

On the other hand, candidates do a lot of messing around from time to time. The people I know, I've heard complain about candidates screwing around - saying that they're free at a certain time, and then half and hour later, "Oh no, I'm just after agreeing to go on the piss in Kerry, I can't attend the interview you just spent 20 minutes setting up.
People who look after temps also go a bit mad - temps just deciding that they don't want to turn up to the place they've been booked into, or fecking off for a week despite telling the agency that they were available.

So while any bollocking is inexcusable, it may just be that they've had their fill of people actually acting the prick that day.

Dudess

I just took a look at the list of recent bannings. Was happy to see this comment from Beruthiel to a recruitment company that posted an ad:

Beruthiel wrote:

If you wish to pimp your business, pay. BTW, recruitment agencies are scum

Gotta love her!

Ibjiba

seamus wrote:

I know two good recruitment consultants, and people like this are both in the majority and the bane of real recruitment consultants. Most of them are glorified salespeople, and treat candidates more like products who'll get them commission.

On the other hand, candidates do a lot of messing around from time to time. The people I know, I've heard complain about candidates screwing around - saying that they're free at a certain time, and then half and hour later, "Oh no, I'm just after agreeing to go on the piss in Kerry, I can't attend the interview you just spent 20 minutes setting up.
People who look after temps also go a bit mad - temps just deciding that they don't want to turn up to the place they've been booked into, or fecking off for a week despite telling the agency that they were available.

So while any bollocking is inexcusable, it may just be that they've had their fill of people actually acting the prick that day.

It is very true that there are scums and angels on both sides. I appreciate that being a recruiter is hard work: people don't show up for interviews, change their schedule and minds. However, as a recruiter you are running a business. A business based on humans, and what is rule no 1 when dealing with humans? They are alive = Things will change in their life = You have to accept changes. If you don't realise this you are in the wrong business, no matter how big commission you just lost.

seamus

Ibjiba wrote:

They are alive = Things will change in their life = You have to accept changes.

I think one of the big problems is that there's a misunderstanding or a loss in communication between the two parties.

Many recruiters think, "I am this candidate's agent, it's up to me to get them a job". Whereas most candidates think, "A recruitment company is just another place to send my CV". I know myself from starting out job hunting that recruitments agents only seemed to care if they had something for me. I mailed CVs to them as if they were just another job ad (which often they are), and I went to meet the recruiters, with the impression that they were only representing me for a single job (and often they were).
Now of course I know that I could contact a decent recruiter that I know and be reasonably confident that they could find me a decent position without trying to sign me up to some crap.
If recruiters put out their stall at the start and said, "I want to find you a job, give me your CV, we'll have a chat about what you want. Then leave it to me", then they may get more candidates who are happy to take more of a back seat and be available when asked.

Of course, recruitment suffers from the same thing that the housing market did. Almost any candidate in the current economy can find a job without fuss. So you have a whole pile of salespeople taking advantage of the "I don't care, so long as I get my commission" environment. Estate Agents had the same thing for the last few years - no craft, just people who opened the door, and asked, "Well do you want it or wha?". Now all those people are losing their jobs. So I don't think we'll see a more candidate-friendly environment until the jobs market becomes more competitve again.

flash harry

Raekwon wrote:

I'm really surprised that flash harry hasn't joined this thread to defend his much mangled 'profession' :rolleyes:

awww did you miss me????

seriosly only saw this post despite reading and responding other ones lately........

Some people are unprofessional muppets and will always be no matter what profession they're in, recruitment or not. Anyone dealing with you in the manner outlined in unacceptable in any area of life BUT you need to take action not just say it here........

As for naming and shaming on here, I personally dont agree with it - we've all heard a story be told by 2 different people and you can often be left wondering - was that the same incident??

Someone said we cant expect better candidate treatment until the market shifts - actually candidates are in such short supply you should be getting champagne, caviar and the red carpet treatment from recruiters. Believe me your a potentially valuable resource.

If you say one thing and do another, or commit to something when told all the facts, it's unprofessional - it's a 2 way street.

Rant nearly over, I had a guy apply for what was basically his dream job, ideal location, company he was desperate to join, good money etc He didn't show up for an interview I had arranged for him c.2 years ago and never returned calls etc, complete radio silence. I simply told him, honestly, that my clients pay me large sums to get them the best people and that his behaviour then was not in line with this.

Cork

Yep - recruitment agencies are beyond useless.

They like holding onto your CV. I have cut off contact with them and they keep ringing me to send in an up to date CV.

They never delivered for me. Found them arrogant and clueless.

I was also told many of the jobs they advertise are not genuine and they act as "CV catchers".

nesf

seamus wrote:

I think one of the big problems is that there's a misunderstanding or a loss in communication between the two parties.

Many recruiters think, "I am this candidate's agent, it's up to me to get them a job". Whereas most candidates think, "A recruitment company is just another place to send my CV". I know myself from starting out job hunting that recruitments agents only seemed to care if they had something for me. I mailed CVs to them as if they were just another job ad (which often they are), and I went to meet the recruiters, with the impression that they were only representing me for a single job (and often they were).
Now of course I know that I could contact a decent recruiter that I know and be reasonably confident that they could find me a decent position without trying to sign me up to some crap.
If recruiters put out their stall at the start and said, "I want to find you a job, give me your CV, we'll have a chat about what you want. Then leave it to me", then they may get more candidates who are happy to take more of a back seat and be available when asked.

Of course, recruitment suffers from the same thing that the housing market did. Almost any candidate in the current economy can find a job without fuss. So you have a whole pile of salespeople taking advantage of the "I don't care, so long as I get my commission" environment. Estate Agents had the same thing for the last few years - no craft, just people who opened the door, and asked, "Well do you want it or wha?". Now all those people are losing their jobs. So I don't think we'll see a more candidate-friendly environment until the jobs market becomes more competitve again.

From the people I know working in the area it really depends on who the candidate is unfortunately. The "better" consultants are moved into areas where there aren't many potential candidates and not that many jobs either where personal relationships are key and you can't afford to give the candidate crap.

The worse ones are in areas like entry level sales or IT where potential candidates and jobs are a dime a dozen and you don't need to worry about screwing over a candidate because there's another 10 near identical CVs on your desk to "step into the gap".

It's a similar division across sales in general. The best people handle the areas where individual relations with clients are key, the worst people are forever consigned to dealing with the masses where pissing off the occasional person isn't going to hurt business.

Anna23

SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME....it was in march and I decided to stay with my current employer, the agency said that I should never contact them again as they will never be dealing with me after I SENT about 4 people to them and they got jobs for them and comission!!!

After trying to explain my reason for staying and seeing I cannot get him to understand me, I just hung up, and hope to never hear from them again!

Johnny Volume

90% of them are duplicitous smug tossers

chris85

Johnny Volume wrote: »

90% of them are duplicitous smug tossers

Excellent first post there, resurrect a thread that is a year old. Bravo.

AARRRGH

chris85 wrote: »

Excellent first post there, resurrect a thread that is a year old. Bravo.

Haha... true.

Johnny Volume

chris85 wrote: »

Excellent first post there, resurrect a thread that is a year old. Bravo.

Was that sarcasm entering the room? The thread may be a year old but the underlying theme remains. Is there a school that specialises in back peddling and squirming? I have spent the last number of weeks dealing with these sub human entities.

krd

jhegarty wrote: »

I take it your never bought a house because I don't see estate agents listed....

edit:
sorry , reread it and see it now second from last.....

Wouldn't it be terrible. If someone deeply frustated,,,started fire bombing Estate agencies and recruitment agencies.

Recruitment agents are by far the sleaziest. As well as a multitude of dirty tricks, they have "unwritten" internal racist, sexist, and ageist policies.

Estate agents, a group, who it could be said about, have never so little for so much money. They basically do absolutely ****all and collect big.

BostonB

Johnny Volume wrote: »

Was that sarcasm entering the room? The thread may be a year old but the underlying theme remains....

You could have given a "done to death" subject a new twist, just to be different. Very old news at this point.

After a while dealing with them, it will be like water off a ducks back. You'll just become professional and ruthless with them. They are just background noise that you need to learn to filter.

BostonB

When you've got middle men in any deal this kinda stuff always happens.

inforfun

One got an email of a recruiter asking for salary ideas fater he had seen my CV.
Gave him a figure, about 10% more than i earn now.

His reply:
I am doing this job for 7 years now but no way in hell i can get you that salary based on that CV.

Fair enough if he cant see me getting that kind of money. But use normal language and don't start to insult me.

Well, i hope he and his company enjoy the amount of emails they receive lately.

BostonB

Very petty.

Gone West

Still, recruitment consultants and agencys are the scum of corporate Ireland.
And its fantastic that they are feeling the pinch from the "recession".

And yes, I have been abused by a couple. Pushy f*ckers. If I tell them I want x position, they will keep pushing y.
"C_L" were the worst for it.
wait, thats too obvious... "_P_" thats better.

BostonB

If you consider how they make money, how they operate makes sense even if you don't like. Some people want hand holding, and take it all personally when your just another number among countless others.