Receuitment agents and their responsibility to job seekers

Anonymous

January 5,2023 at 6:25PM UTC

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Receuitment agents and their responsibility to job seekers

I wanted to find out what is best practice for recruitment agents? The reason being is that I got a job through an agent, a fixed job contract. However, from what I have gathered from my colleagues at the company is that the company has a high staff turnover rate. The person I replaced left because of this; and because his salary was cut. Last year a few colleagues had salary reductions. I also learnt I won’t be growing in my career and experiencing the full compliment of services: from project management and tender analysis and adjudication; I have been hired to do just drawings. This disadvantages me as I rely on a portfolio and in interviews I have been asked how much experience do I have in project management, site management and BIM co-ordination.

My question is ultimately when a recruitment agent helps you get a job surely this is information they need to have and give to us as job seekers, or is it about their commission for placing a person and their job is done?

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AnonymousJanuary 8,2023 at 5:05PM UTC
They are probably just like any other high-commission jobs. Some good agents work to get you placements at places doing the type of work you specify. Other agents will do anything to earn more commissions. There are also two types of companies that use recruiters. Some companies will specify the exact qualifications needed. Other companies will inflate the duties to get better or over-qualified consultants. It's hard to tell which it is in this case. Do you know anyone who has used the same recruiter? Did they have a similar experience?
AnonymousJanuary 9,2023 at 8:11PM UTC
I think it was a combination of both. Qualifications and certifications were requested. In terms of other aspects of my career field: they have other people doing that aspect so I’m purely there to do the designs and submissions to council and so forth but no experience as leading the team.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 9,2023 at 2:45AM UTC
A recruiter's job is to present you with an opportunity and answer whatever questions you have so you can decide if that is the right opportunity for you.
The interview process is a two way street. You are supposed to be asking questions.
What did the recruiter say when you asked about the turnover rate? What did the recruiter say when you asked about the potential for advancement? What did the recruiter say when you asked about the specific day-to-day responsibilities?
You said you were hired "to do just drawings". Did you know this before you accepted? If not, why not?
AnonymousJanuary 9,2023 at 8:07PM UTC
I asked these questions and for some he didn’t have answers. I think maybe they gave him a vague description of what they needed and they gave him qualifications and registrations that I needed to fill.
during the interview I mentioned what I wanted to get out of this job; I guess they were desperate to get someone in that my specific questions related to the job description they answered what sounded as a closer for me to accept the job offer.