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Tech Recruiters Defend 'Blacklists,' Lack of Feedback, Screening Techniques
Nerval's Lobster (2598977) writes Remember when executives at Apple, Google, and other firms "fixed" the market for highly skilled tech workers by agreeing not to steal each other's employees? That little incident made a lot of people think about the true modus operandi of corporate and third-party tech recruiters. Dice sat down with some of those recruiters, who talked about everything from "no poaching" tactics to the "blacklist" that exists for candidates who make boneheaded mistakes in interviews. The bottom line? Recruiters seem to pass the blame for some of the industry's most egregious errors on "junior recruiters and agencies," while insisting that their goal in life is to get you a job. How does that align with your experience?
I run a recruiting company. And, I am genuinely sorry to hear such criticisms. There is always an exception and loads of different perspective. On the other hand, most people looking at career transitions lament the lack of response they get from technology-centric recruiting platforms like Monster, DICE, and Linkedin (there are a great many). Several years ago, the process of almost any online application realized a 90%+ non-response rate and job seekers were more frustrated by that silence more than anything else. From what I'm hearing from candidates its not getting much better - and, this includes hot hiring areas that include IT development, Accounting, and even Actuaries. In my organization we certainly like to make money. However, we typically earn it by understanding our clients and caring about candidates finding a terrific cultural fit. In fact, we guarantee our placements for a year. That requires solid work and great results. That benefits all three elements - the company, the candidate, and the recruiter. - Cork