Are recruiters/headhunters scumbags in general?

[nublikescake]

To put it nicely, my experience with these people has been less than positive. So many times, they just drop the conversation after initiating it for no good reason. I can only assume that they find better candidates. How about a final email, douchebag? Just for closure. They also initially give you false hope by giving the impression that you are the best candidate and that the job is almost in the bag but then leave you at the drop of a hat when they find other similar candidates for the given position. My biggest gripe has to be the way they communicate (or don't).

Just this morning I had one of these low-lifes email me for a position. I replied with my resume and mentioned my current hourly rate which turned out to be significantly higher than what he was offering. I was still interested in the position so I asked him if they would support employee professional development? The d-bag didn't even get back to me. WTF is this shit? It was a 6-month contract opportunity too so it's not like I was going to leave mid-way only because I would be working at a lower pay.

I feel that in a way, these mofos are worse than salesmen because you can't really go and punch one in the face when they pull their shit on you.

/rant

 

[Mike Gayner]

The entire HR industry is nothing but a big fucking joke. People inventing the need for their own jobs. HR are probably my most hated of all professionals.

 

[zerocool84]

It's because you don't tip them.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Incompetent, yes, but not all are scumbags.

Cisco strung me along for almost two months, several phone conversations (including one very lengthy technical interview), two on-site interviews (one 5+ hours long, another 3+ hours long), dining with the team I would be working with, etc. After all that, there was a sudden, convenient, "hiring freeze" followed by silence for about two or three weeks before I finally contacted them to ask them if anything has changed (regarding the hiring freeze) and they said they hired someone else.

Another, more polite, tech company booked my flight, hotel and rental car under the name of the HR person that was interviewing me. Glad I got to the airport early to correct that snafu. Might end up working for them if they offer enough cash.

A certain major chip company is arranging for me to fly out to interview with them soon, we will see how well they stack up against the others.

I prefer the companies that tell you to fuck off after about a week or two than the ones that just remain silent. Closure is good.

 

[Zeze]

I don't understand the hatred towards them.

Yes they are shady, but take them as what they are and use them. You also have the luxury of using them as expendables.

 

[x26]

The entire HR industry is nothing but a big fucking joke. People inventing the need for their own jobs. HR are probably my most hated of all professionals.

Yep!!!

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[gophins72]

just take it for what it's worth.

i view them like real estate agents, they are generally looking for the quick placement but if you find a good one, one you like, then keep in touch with him.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Yes, they are used car salemen for humans

 

[Scotteq]

It's HR's job to cover the company's ass in light of the myriad of work related regulation. The rest of their functions are secondary to that.

You would be wise to remember that they're not necessarily there to "help" employees, except insofar as doing so benefits/protects the company.

 

[Gibson486]

It's all about finding a good one....

Just last week, I had this guy saying my background fit perfectly with a position. Turns out that could not be further from the truth. It was the quickest phone interview I have ever had.

Him: "So, do you have experience in the medical field"
Me: "No...my experience has been in consulting and design, but not in the med. field"
Him: "Oh....well...tell me about your floor production experience"
Me: "Ummm...I do not have any...what gave you that idea?"
Him: "Well....I thought you had that experience..."
Me: "What would make you think that?"
Him: 'well....I wish you the best of luck...*click*"

 

[dr150]

Incompetent, yes, but not all are scumbags.

Cisco strung me along for almost two months, several phone conversations (including one very lengthy technical interview), two on-site interviews (one 5+ hours long, another 3+ hours long), dining with the team I would be working with, etc. After all that, there was a sudden, convenient, "hiring freeze" followed by silence for about two or three weeks before I finally contacted them to ask them if anything has changed (regarding the hiring freeze) and they said they hired someone else.

Cisco has had unofficial hiring freezes in the US for a long time.

They only hire internally or higher-up execs from other firms.

They interview a lot of people to have a catalog list of backups, but they generally won't hire that many from that group.

My wife's division DESPERATELY needed to REPLACE the workers that left Cisco for higher pay elsewhere, but they WEREN'T replaced ("budget issues?!"...how many billions in cash do you have?!). You basically had every employee do the work of 3 or 4 (as if it wasn't super lean already), with too many thumb twittling execs. People got burned-out and thus the turn-over from the sweatshop--with no replaceables! :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

Consider yourself lucky that you don't work for the sweatshop that is Cisco!

 

[Juddog]

I mostly hate it when they're ultra vague about what the position offers. Just put the salary range up front and it will eliminate half the bull$hit from the get-go and not waste everybody's time.

I hate interviewing for an hour, only to find out much later on that the position pay is utter garbage and I wouldn't even applied had I known it was so low.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Consider yourself lucky that you don't work for the sweatshop that is Cisco!

Wow, sorry for the position your wife is in there. One of my coworkers quit Cisco after about 6-months because he could not take them anymore, with a similar story. After hearing his rant, glad that it worked out the way it did.

I got the "sweatshop" vibe at one of their R&D centers when the tour went something like this:

Cisco: "Over there is our laundry room and showers"
Me: "Oh, you have a gym / track area onsite as well?"
Cisco: "No"
Me: "Allot of people bike / jog into work, then?"
Cisco: "No, no one bikes or walks to work here"
Me: "..."

 

[EagleKeeper]

just take it for what it's worth.

i view them like real estate agents, they are generally looking for the quick placement but if you find a good one, one you like, then keep in touch with him.

I have 3-4 that I trust.

They know my requirements and do not present anything that is way outside my range.:thumbsup:

Then the "scum" I have been exposed to, are of two types. This may be stereo typing, but...

The US English ones work for the large nationwide type headhunters (Eastridge, Robert Half,volt, etc.) Many will call you up and promise you the moon and then not follow up with you on what is happening. They are resume shopping for the future.

I had one for Half state, that even though the offer was $20 below what I wanted; that the situation would be perfect. I would get Benefits credited by the client after 3 months even though on a 6month contract with the agency. The agency benefits are vacation time after 6 months (nothing there); medical benefits (overlapping coverage - nothing there), 401K - 3 month overlap does not get me anything without a match. But the position was urgent! - turns out he was shopping to present for a contract.

The Asian English ones (India, etc) seem to think that they know what the client is going to do. Recently, I had two call me. I was under a commitment deadline and let them know. They both stated that their client would call within a 48 hour period; that they wanted to talk to me. One even initially provided a time window for the phone call.

Both times,no phone call from the client occurred; the one with the "scheduled" time would not even return a phone call. He had forgotten what he had told me on Wed afternoon that the client would call me 1030 Fri AM. He was sending me emails on Thurs and Fri Am stating that he was trying to reach the client to get a time slot for a phone call.

 

[nublikescake]

just take it for what it's worth.

i view them like real estate agents, they are generally looking for the quick placement but if you find a good one, one you like, then keep in touch with him.

True. I've yet to find that "good" agent.

 

[nublikescake]

It's all about finding a good one....

Just last week, I had this guy saying my background fit perfectly with a position. Turns out that could not be further from the truth. It was the quickest phone interview I have ever had.

Precisely my point.

 

[nublikescake]

Both times,no phone call from the client occurred; the one with the "scheduled" time would not even return a phone call. He had forgotten what he had told me on Wed afternoon that the client would call me 1030 Fri AM. He was sending me emails on Thurs and Fri Am stating that he was trying to reach the client to get a time slot for a phone call.

It's exactly this sort of hit-and-run communication that rubs me the wrong way. It's like their word doesn't mean anything to them.

 

[blackdogdeek]

in general, yes. that is why i always keep the contact info for good ones and why i only use ones recommended by others.

 

[gorcorps]

Meh, they get paid to place people not be polite. If you're not going to be placed, then why spend time dealing with you.

 

[yllus]

I had two recruiters working for me late last year when I was looking for something new - I initiated contact with both of them, as they had both been recommended by friends as the real deal. I also had a couple of people cold-call me and offer to set me up with interviews - they were all fairly unprofessional, with bad spelling/grammar and slippery with the details of the positions they wanted me to fill.

Based on my experience, it seems like there are good recruiters out there, but (like any field really) the good ones are in the minority, so seek personal references. And always remember that they don't really work for you - they get paid by the company looking to fill a role, so they're more inclined to pressure you into accepting the role at any salary rather than fight for that extra $5k/year you want.

 

[soulcougher73]

Meh, they get paid to place people not be polite. If you're not going to be placed, then why spend time dealing with you.

human decency?

 

[EagleKeeper]

just take it for what it's worth.

i view them like real estate agents, they are generally looking for the quick placement but if you find a good one, one you like, then keep in touch with him.

True. I've yet to find that "good" agent.

What field & skill level?

Some of us veterans in this arena should be willing to share our "prime hunters" with you.

 

[Stuxnet]

To answer the OP, YES.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Meh, they get paid to place people not be polite. If you're not going to be placed, then why spend time dealing with you.

Mainly because we are the product.

They may not need us this time; but next time is can be a different story. Given the option of two recruiters; I would take the one (even if unknown) that has not burned me previously.

Just like in FS/T people keep a list of bad traders;I keep a list of bad recruiters & their agencies.
If an agency calls me and that recruiter is still there; I tell them no thanks and explain why I do not want to deal with them. Morals!