Too many recruitment cowboys?

6 September 2007

1 minute read

Does the financial services recruitment industry need a shakeout?

With recruiters such as Robert Walters posting record profits for the first half of this year, the jobmeisters of this world have being doing rather well out of banks' recent appetite for staff.

But as the number of recruitment companies has seemingly grown faster than coal-fired power stations in China, has the industry fallen foul of dodgy operators? Have you come across any nefarious recruiters or recruitment practices (anecdotes but no names please)? Or do financial services recruiters get an undeservedly bad press?

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

Jo
John
23 May 2011
4 Years on and the "recruiters" are still as worthless as they were in 2007.
I stoped useing recruiters because they are a waste of time and are usless. I have had MUCH better results going directly to the employeer.
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Ve
Very Aware
7 November 2008
What all of you out there in the supposed 'prestigious' financial sector dont realise is that no matter what you think of recruiters, agencies or recruitment in general -- at the end of the day WE are the ones who give you the opportunity to begin with, leaving me to believe your comments are futile and and bitter. Possibly because you've had a bad experience with an agency in the past (didnt get a call back... aww booboos) or whatever the matter may be.
Think of how you got your got job in the first place, if you didnt require any sort of service to begin with and were given the job on your looks the fact you may be articulate, your education or you were one of those - "i know people who know people"... then good for you.
Think twice before you pass judgment on the people who are there to help!
Maybe if you stopped moaning about us, and appreciated the service we offer, or fundamentally the food we put on your table, you would have a different stance on recruitment.
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ba
banker
30 October 2008
lots of wild cards in the game until mid-this yr. see a lot will be let go as we enter the doomstay for the next few yrs.
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Re
Rec73
2 October 2008
hacked off.....time to relax buddy!
Just find someone who is good and ignore the rest....it really is that simple! Ask for a recommendation from someone you trust who has secured a role through an agency, and build a relationship with that consultant.
re: the passport issue....every consultant has a legal obligation to check that their candidates are actually eligible to work in the UK. Checking the passport is the most effective way to do this
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ha
hacked off
2 October 2008
Unfortunately recruitment consultancies can only be described as scum. They make up ghost job ads to collect CVs for a database, live by buzzwords that they dont understand, are apprently all "preferred suppliers" all talk about the "other cowbly firms" etc etc, dont call you back blah blah. All apprently understand the Front Office environments and play 18 holes with John Mack, Greg Coffey and Bob Diamond 3 times a week. Oh and every clown who works at the firm is their top biller.............
Some idiot a few months back actually wanted a copy of my passport to REGISTER with the firm! Not once i secured an offer - to REGISTER. Maybe I should have posted my american express card and pin with it too together with my mother's maden name and the deeds to my house?
Others just want to know the names of other people in the firm youre in. When I suspect this I will deliverately send them on wild goose chases as Im now senior management and dont give a monkeys.I'll get other mates to play the game and continue the goose chase.......
That said, SOME headhunters are worth every penny. But those you could count on one hand with a couple of digits to spare...............
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