Lunchtime Links: If you really need a job, you could try Hays, Robert Walters and Michael Page

Well, I have experience of trying to use two of them here in Tokyo. The conclusions:

1) Its hard to believe the people at Michael Page even receive a salary for their incompetence. They have NEVER deigned to meet me (I have around 10 years financial industry experience). They just send an automated e-mail saying they were in contact with more suitable candidates or sth of that nature. And trying to get feedback? That is like squeezing blood out of a stone.
2) Hay's, well I had one of them call me, supposedly about a FM position I had applied for, but she suddenly switched, saying I was not suited for it and started talking about completely different kinds of positions that have nothing to do with my career!

In addition to the above incompetence, recruiters in Japan in general (I am not referring to the two above agencies, but rather a Japan-wide problem) routinely discriminate against older candidates without you knowing anything about it. When I challenge them, they say they cannot go against the wishes of their client. However, Japan has in fact passed an anti-ageism law!

My feeling is that employers are using agencies to provide themselves with a buffer (because they find it troublesome to deal with candidates directly who will accuse them of discrimination!)

Well, the job hunt continues...

If yr mid-career, don't use em,set up yr profile directly on the target firms career-site & apply directly.We all know there is downward pressure on recruiting costs at the IB's (& others) so the view is 'Why should we use a 3rd-party when we reach out directly'..Strongly agree with Ricky, that's been my exp also,all talk & never get their foot in the door, just ask them who's PSL's their on & note for future ref. Various 'researchers' (1st jobber grads typically) do the leg-work of trawling the web for potential candidates so they hit their 'target' of a minimum number of candidates for each role & that's when the calls start. You can tell straight away that many don't know the diff. between and ADR & a VCR as they ask the same dumb questions each time & have never worked in line-roles so they are square-hole/square-peg mindset. They clearly don't talk to each other even though their all using the same local candidate data-base, doh! Regardless, this new market will dictate who the real players are in-future, I expect to see more niche-recruitment picking-up market-share personally per the massive changes taking place per new regs.

Quite agree Recruiter.A job is a job - just because it's 'intellectually undemanding' doesn't mean the people doing it are any less intelligent then others, they just see an opportunity to earn more money in a shorter period of time and get back to a life of leisure!
Good on 'em I say, and before you ask, no I am not a recruiter.

I rhetorically ask....why would anyone want to go and work for Hays, Robert Walters or Michael Page?

In my experience, large recruitment companies are complacent over their perferred supplier status and struggle to fill the more technical / niche market requirements. The customer services and delivery rate is generally far better among boutique and specialist agencies.

Hey we may our job may be, intellectually undemanding, have no substance and be all cliche... but if someone's willing to pay us over 250K year in year out then why not?