Applying to company you have interviewed at previously

engiweirdo

So situation is; 2 jobs in my field appeared online today in my local area, both with same recruiter and were a good skills fit for me.

I applied for both and got a response from recruiter saying "Oh sorry they're both with "X", I'll keep you in mind for other roles". Now "X" is a large employer who I unsuccessfully interviewed with for a very different role about 3 months back through the same recruiter.

So I asked had company "X" explicitly said no to me for any role in the future and was told the interview feedback was "they didnt feel I was a good fit for the team".

Now maybe I have this wrong but surely they should just forward the damn application, I wouldnt have thought one try the disbars you from ever applying to the same company again. I mean apart from gross misconduct at interview, what a bizarre way to conduct hiring in a small city.

Its kind of a moot point as when they told me who the company was I bypassed the recruiter and applied directly to the company anyway. Seems like very weird behaviour to me, just wondering what others opinions of this carry on are.....

seamus

Recruiters aren't working for you, they're working for themselves.

If they don't smell a commission cheque from you, they're not going to spend the time making interview arrangements. It's really that simple.

Yes, she probably should put you forward but she doesn't think it's worth her effort.

engiweirdo

seamus wrote: »

Yes, she probably should put you forward but she doesn't think it's worth her effort.

I find this bit funny. I went out of my way not to specify gender. haha

seamus

Women are far more likely to start a message with an apology than men are. "Oh sorry they're both with 'X'" doesn't sound like the response you'd get from a man.

I actually didn't realise that you didn't put the gender until you said it

Different role = different team = should be no reason not to be throwing your hat in the ring. You could even use it to your advantage in an interview scenario.

finisklin

Apply direct through the company website if advertised. That way no bulls*it to contend with through recruiters.

whoopsadaisy

Recruiters need to add value somehow to their clients' recruitment process; if they're not adding value, the client will recruit directly.

I'm new to working in the recruitment industry. My job is to know my client and give them what they want beyond what's written on a standard job spec. To know which "requirements" they'll be lenient on, and which are an absolute must. To understand the team / company structure and how much emphasis they'll place on "culture fit". Ideally I want to give my client their perfect candidate - it reflects better on me, and they then feel they are getting value for money (agency fees can be chunky enough). I can't submit every candidate who believes they might be good for the role, I have to be somewhat selective. But I do believe it's unfair not to explain this to the candidates.

It is situation dependent as well. I have some clients whose requirements I know inside out and I know they will not budge on them; I can tell by looking at a CV if the hiring manager will like them or not. I have some clients who flat out will not consider a candidate whose been rejected previously, regardless if it was for a different position, with a threshold of 6-12 months before they'll accept a reintroduction.

The recruiter should have told you if their client won't accept reintroductions from unsuccessful interviews, or if, as you said, the client had explicitly said we won't review this person's CV again for X reasons.