Do Recruitment Agencies work for jobseekers?

Mac89

I have been in contact with a girl in one of Dublin's supposedly 'most successful' recruitment agenices for almost a month now.

I applied for a position online and was immediately contacted to come in and meet with her. We arranged a meeting and I was told that there were two roles which I would be very suited for and that my CV would be sent to both.

I was told they would contact me either way .. whether i was succesful or unsuccesful. There was only a handful of CV's sent into both companies so I was told that I would have a very good chance of getting some positive feedback.

Anyway it has been almost two weeks now since this meeting and I have heard zilch from the recruitment company.

It was all guns blazing there the first week they contacted me and now not a peep from them.

Ive become very skeptical about the whole process of trying to get a job through them.

Has anyone had any similar experiences!? What are your thoughts on the way they operate? Any success stories!? I know they dont like when ppl name companies on this so even if you could just share your experiences on the whole process rather than naming and shaming!!

Mrs OBumble

Mac89 wrote: »

I know they dont like when ppl name companies on this so even if you could just share your experiences on the whole process rather than naming and shaming!!

A big +1 on this suggestion!


To answer your question .. they work for employers, because employers are the ones who pay their fees.

You always need to keep this in mind in your dealings with them.

That said, most jobs I've had in the last five years has been through an agency, some well paid jobs and some not. Overall, though, the agency ones were better.

Mac89

they did seem quite professional .. just a tad concerned that they have not contacted me yet as it was agreed there would be feedback either way.

Magicmatilda

In my experience there are some good agencies and some not so good.

They are paid a fee based on a percentage of your salary if you are placed by them, therefore they work for employers. More so in this economy where prospective employees are thick on the ground.

Either way I think in the current climate its up to you to drive your own careeer and I would be questioning why you haven't called them?

Mac89

I take your point and I have emailed her to ask has there been any feedback, this was last week. The reply I received was that the firm in question had not given her any feedback on any CV's yet and she would let me know as soon as she got any news.

I dont want to seem like a complete nag and start ringing her asking the same thing. Or maybe I should, hard to know!!

Mac89

Mac89 wrote: »

I take your point and I have emailed her to ask has there been any feedback, this was last week. The reply I received was that the firm in question had not given her any feedback on any CV's yet and she would let me know as soon as she got any news.

I dont want to seem like a complete nag and start ringing her asking the same thing. Or maybe I should, hard to know!!

Recruiters spend half their time chasing their clients so understand compeltely when candidates chase them.

Calling everyday is prob overkill but every 3 days or so is fine. Make sure you ask questions to find out where you stand:

"Have they interviewed anyone else?"
"Did they give you a timeline?"
"At this stage should I look at other options?"

It's not the recruiters job to find you a job, it's their job to make money and this is the bottom line.

Eoin

As the others have said; they don't work for you, they work for the employer. In fact, I think it's illegal for them to charge candidates for job searching on their behalf. At least, that's what an agent said here a while ago.

On another note; I've never gone down the route of just picking one or two agencies. No matter how big or professional they are, they're not going to have all the available jobs. And one of those jobs they don't have could well be with a smaller agency and is an ideal match for you. I got my current job through an agency I had never dealt with, but I responded to a vacancy they posted on irishjobs.ie

Also remember that they can only give you feedback when they get it themselves. We're currently recruiting, and it can be very slow at times for the feedback to be collected from people who are screening CVs, conducting interviews etc. Unfortunately, it's always going to feel a lot longer for the candidate than the employer.

murpho999

Well I have been looking for jobs for the last few months and my experience of agencies is generally poor.

Like the OP, I have applied for jobs online and then had quick call-backs from agencies and then it's a flurry of activity for a few days as I go to meet agencies etc. Then it all dies down.

The dying down part happens after meeting agency or being sent for an interview.

I had an interview 3 weeks ago for a job, interview went well but have heard nothing back. I appreciate that its not the agencies fault but they should be chasing up more to get feedback, not just for me but to know for themselves so they know more about what type of candidate they are looking for.

In the last week alone, I've applied for about 5 jobs. 2 of these are through agencies ringing me, so lots of activity again and now the last couple of days I hear nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if it's me.

Oranage2

Mac89 wrote: »

I have been in contact with a girl in one of Dublin's supposedly 'most successful' recruitment agenices for almost a month now.

I applied for a position online and was immediately contacted to come in and meet with her. We arranged a meeting and I was told that there were two roles which I would be very suited for and that my CV would be sent to both.

I was told they would contact me either way .. whether i was succesful or unsuccesful. There was only a handful of CV's sent into both companies so I was told that I would have a very good chance of getting some positive feedback.

Anyway it has been almost two weeks now since this meeting and I have heard zilch from the recruitment company.

It was all guns blazing there the first week they contacted me and now not a peep from them.

Ive become very skeptical about the whole process of trying to get a job through them.

Has anyone had any similar experiences!? What are your thoughts on the way they operate? Any success stories!? I know they dont like when ppl name companies on this so even if you could just share your experiences on the whole process rather than naming and shaming!!

Ha im having the same, applied for one job on Monday and a calls and emails every day since. Offered jobs i didn't apply to or really have enough experience for.

It seems very weird. Also the recruiter keeps putting down my current job and salary saying her job is better and ill be makin more in a job she's got lined up.they seem kinda dishonest and will say anything to you If i was unemployed i wouldn't be holding Much faith on them gettin me a job.

cladda1112

just would like to say my partner got work in a factory through a recruitment company after he lost his job nearly a year back. Min wage and crap conditions but its a job. Anyway a job was advertised in another factory for something he did all his life with better money. When he applied for it was told that they were recruiting through this same recruitment company. He then contacted this recruitment company and they refused to put his cv forward for the job as told them they had a loyalty to the factory he was with. And also as much told him he should be thankful for a job even if it was min wage. So where do You go! They refuse to put his cv forward for any job and 90% of factorys jobs are recomended through recruitment companies.

sanna

Since I was made redundant 2 yrs ago Ive worked mainly through Agencies doing temp work while looking for a perm or long term contract role.

You do have to keep in touch with them, they aren't going to remember you if you haven't spoken to them in over a week, you want your name to be in their heads when a role that suits you comes in, but also Ive found out that this time of year is quiet with agencies and in the run up to Christmas dont expect to hear much from any of them. Unless the same happens as last year for me, I got calls from all I'm signed with when the snow hit as I live near town, so the ones that were out far were stuck and as a last resort they called me despite not having much communication with them over the the yr!

Mrs OBumble

cladda1112 wrote: »

He then contacted this recruitment company and they refused to put his cv forward for the job as told them they had a loyalty to the factory he was with.

He should find a way to make sure that the HR of the factory where he wants to work hear about that: I'm picking they won't be impressed.

cladda1112

Justmary he did that through a friend that was working in factory and HR just said that it was there policy to recruit through a recruitment agent and that they could not interview anyone that was not recomended. Anyways they are getting people much cheaper by recruiting this was so i dont think they care.