Is the image of recruiters still salvageable?
- They don’t let on.
- They send you job offers that don’t fit at all.
- You feel like a number, not a human being.
- Everything lasts endlessly.
- They promise things they don’t deliver.
Sound familiar? These are not new complaints; recruiters have been struggling with a poor image for years. For anyone who has ever applied for a job through an agency, these frustrations are painfully recognizable. But what is really going on?
What goes wrong?
Professionals complain en masse that they never hear back from the recruiter after a job application. On the other hand, you hear from people who are fine in their positions that they are stalked by recruiters who keep pushing. Resulting in miscommunication and frustration.
To get a better idea of this, we posted a poll on Linkedin. What turned out? The vast majority of participants (59%) indicated that recruiters don’t think in their best interest.
That’s pretty extraordinary for an industry that has no reason to exist without candidates!
Tired of the subject?
Unfortunately, despite multiple calls for substantive responses, they barely came in. Perhaps everyone is just tired of the issue. Many have shared their frustrations before without seeming to improve. After repeated disappointments, the motivation to voice your opinion once again may diminish considerably.
Another possibility is that people are cautious about giving criticism because they don’t want to affect their job prospects. If you are looking for a new job, it may feel awkward to share negative experiences with recruiters. I would sincerely regret that. Rather honest answers that we can do something with, than political politeness!
The pain points of professionals
From the feedback we did receive, a clear picture did emerge. A few responses:
- “I feel like I’m just a resume. No one makes an effort to get to know the person behind the resume.”
- “Everything is online these days. Practical, I get that, but I miss the real contact. Especially in challenging jobs like managers, coaches, mediators and trainers. In sales it can work well. But still … it’s during the real contact that the click happens.”.
- “At my age, I am apparently suddenly no longer fit to work, despite my knowledge and experience. Companies don’t do business with each other, people do.”
Obviously, the preference is for personal contact, person-to-person, beyond the CV.
– Paul Bettonviel
Is the image still salvageable?
In any case, we are going to try very hard to do that. Let’s face it: we too are not perfect. While we certainly have a distinctive approach, we too make mistakes. That’s why we took another look at our services for professionals. We are going to make them the same promise as our clients: the prospect of a successful working relationship with unconditional guarantee. For which we will monitor our candidates’ interests better and encourage personal contact even more.
Contact Paul
Fields marked with an * are required
