Has anyone else who’s applying for jobs been bombarded with cold calls, emails and text from talent angencies with reps who can barely speak English?

41 Comments

1. Zofia JaneczekOctober 6,2023 at 4:23PM UTC

   Unfortunately, because of the holidays around the corner you're going to get more scams. Scammers somehow know when the economy is bad and they ramp up their efforts because people are looking for work. Try a filtering app for your phone as that will probably block a lot of them out. I've certainly applied for many jobs already and gotten quite a few scammers and I've flagged some job postings because they were not legit on sites like Indeed. Besides changing your phone number, I don't know of any other way around this. You can always leave your number off your resume too, however a recruiter will not send an email when it's easier to pick up the phone and call. This may jeopardize your chance of getting a job quicker.

2. AnonymousOctober 7,2023 at 3:15PM UTC

   Be careful about the phone filter, especially when applying for jobs. Just be prudent about how you answer questions and know when to hang up. The Scam/spam filters block a lot of legitimate call centers (for example, the university where I go to school and work, doctor's offices, etc.). If you utilize one of these, rather than block the call, make it go to voicemail without ringing. Just keep an eye on your voicemail and check it frequently. Don't use it if you can't set it up that way, or never check voicemail.

3. Drea RahmingOctober 6,2023 at 4:32PM UTC

   Yes, I have its a bit off putting and not to be rude its just hard to communicate effectively and these conversations lead to nowhere

4. AnonymousOctober 6,2023 at 4:46PM UTC

   If you're using any of the job boards and not applying directly on the company website, your resume goes everywhere. Read the fine print. It's like signing up for a pdf on IG only to be spammed from 3rd party vendors!

5. AnonymousOctober 6,2023 at 5:05PM UTC

   It used to be in the old days when it was Monster and CareerBuilder as the primary job search sites, when I would update my resume on either, I would get endless emails wanting me to sell insurance. No. That's not me. Bye.

6. AnonymousOctober 7,2023 at 12:22AM UTC

   I get recommended for security at the mall and anything else absurd. Annoying

7. Teena JonesOctober 7,2023 at 1:29PM UTC

   WOW its not just me. Thanks so much. I just shake my head.

8. AnonymousOctober 7,2023 at 4:47PM UTC

   And it's aggravating because all you hear are "jobs are out there, try harder."

9. Teena JonesOctober 7,2023 at 1:28PM UTC

   Yes this happens. The candidate pool is low for specific jobs. Your skills are probably in high demand but the particular recruiters who are calling are perhaps scammers and others are in desperate need to fill a position and hoping your are in desperate need to take any position.

   While there is a new scam game going on I was harassed several times people sending links to my email demanding I rush and sign into a teams link. When going through the interview process you never speak or see anyone they just send a list of questions and statements and two questions stand out:

   8b) Do you have a credit card? I am not sure why this is an interview question.

   10) What bank you do operate with to see if it tallies with the company's official salary payment account?

   These are onboarding questions not interview questions. When I inquired as to why I was being presented with these questions at this stage the individual became agitated and stated if I was not going to follow the process and be compliant the interview was over. Me this is a scam and I don't give out my financial information without.

   The next time I received the link I emailed back I believe this is a scam. The emails were coming from reputable companies however, be ware they are phishing scams.

   Thanks for your post!!!

10. Lorraine HerreraOctober 8,2023 at 2:38PM UTC

    Exactly!! When is scammers usually have some economical component. I also hear recently about them offering a remote job and they would send you some money, a check or card and once you have the equipment they take the funds, not sure how that works.

    The point is that a serious company won’t ask for money for application, they will provide the equipment and normally you don’t have to provide your bank account or SS number until the enrollment that is usually the first day of work. The recruiting company doesn’t need any of that information.

    Ignoring all recruiters could be losing opportunities, just important to be aware of the signals.

11. AnonymousOctober 7,2023 at 2:59PM UTC

    I get this all the time, too. It is generally emailed because I don't have my phone number in any profile online. Most, if not all, are scams. They generally want me to sell insurance or do "wealth management," which is not in my experience profile or skills. The last time I got a call, I asked the person what in my resume/profile gave them any indication that I was qualified for the job. They hung up quickly, most likely because they knew I wouldn't follow their script or be an easy mark. They probably didn't even have a copy in front of them.

    This is one reason why you must also check the company's website before applying to verify it is legitimate. Once you start putting information into an application form, it is hard to get anything back. Some have fallen for scam companies with application forms that only collect data they can sell. Worse, others have gotten through an interview process and given out personal information required for hire only to have their bank accounts and identity compromised.

    General rule of thumb: if an opportunity seems too good to be true, trust your gut because it probably is.

12. AnonymousOctober 7,2023 at 5:06PM UTC

    Oh, yes! I had two message me last week with “app manager positions.” I said thank you, but I’m not looking - and what about my profile suggested that I have any experience managing app technology? Funny enough, I never heard back, lol.

    My other favorite was the recruiter who called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested in the position. When I said I wasn’t, and wasn’t searching, she DEMANDED contact information for my friends, so that she could call them about the job. The audacity was breathtaking!

13. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 11:48AM UTC

    Who can say if they're scams, the mindset that 'reps who can barely speak English', doesn't mean that they're scams. Do recognize you're bringing in such a bias, I work with ALOT of recruiters from diverse ethnicities and they are amazing & are treated with such ' you must be a scammer'. AND we are a GLOBAL American rooted company who find diversity important to lead in the market share. Ask for their agency name, due your research and if so block.

14. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 2:12PM UTC

    Oh please, I doubt your recruiters are barely fluent in the language if the people they are recruiting.

15. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 5:40PM UTC

    I feel sorry for you, and wish you to be better. It’s true.

16. Lorraine HerreraOctober 8,2023 at 2:30PM UTC

    Thank You!! And in my experience when people say a person with an accent “barely speaks English” of speaks “broken English” (I hate that expression with my life) is because that person has so much bias that as soon as they hear an accent they stop listening. I know because it happens to me all the time, I can see how the person is disengaging from the conversation. The weird thing is that they think they don’t have an accent themselves and everybody has one, God!! I’ve been living in the south for almost a decade and I still have trouble understanding some people and I’m fixing the way they conjugate in my brain. Because we all have an accent, they would know that if they were able to speak other languages or even if they relate more often with people out of their area. I’ve had people talking with me, knowing me and one day they ask what I do for living, when I answer they say surprised “wow you are smart”. I’m not even from a foreign country, I’m from PR and I’ve been asked multiple times if I’m here with a work visa. People need to stop judging other people that literally speak more languages than them, solely based on bias.

17. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 12:08PM UTC

    Yes and often times they claim it’s a contract position for some odd amount of months. And the position they’re contacting me about usually makes no sense based on my resume. If they don’t reach out to me directly on LinkedIn first then I usually won’t even entertain it. But even one or two have slipped through on LinkedIn but you can usually tell by their profile they’re not a true recruiter.

18. AnonymousOctober 9,2023 at 10:38PM UTC

    I've been getting a lot of requests on LI lately about franchise opportunities. I'm looking for non-profit management. What makes them think I would entertain opening up a franchise somewhere?

19. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 12:36PM UTC

    Sometimes I get random texts that they want to interview me, turns out it’s scammers. Be careful with those text and call scams. Most employers send emails or call, the accents are kinda sus not gonna lie so I would be weary and cautious as well.

20. GirlBossanova934974October 8,2023 at 12:51PM UTC

    All the time! This has been going on for well over a decade. Recruiters who don't want to be bothered looking for candidates themselves often contract with these lower tier companies. The lower tier companies are paid a small fee for very candidate who signs a "Right to Represent Form" or RTR. To be honest in over a decade, signing RTRs has never got me a single interview so I ignore these people. The outside world agrees with me. So the latest dodge these people use is to change their names to common American names so you think you are dealing with regular staffing agency.

21. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 3:15PM UTC

    I agree. I was getting a lot of calls/emails that i am guessing were overseas companies. All were pushy about the right to represent. I did some research and found out they were paid by how many resumes/ people they could get, unlike a recruiter that gets paid when you are hired.
    They usually sound like they are reciting from a script vs trying to engage in a conversation. And when it’s a voice mail they sound like they are trying to recite it as fast as possible.

22. GirlBossanova934974October 8,2023 at 9:14PM UTC

    Wow! You must have talked to the same people.....LOL!

23. Chrissy Regan SmytheOctober 8,2023 at 12:54PM UTC

    It would be nice if these recruiters would actually read my resume, then they'd understand I am not "a perfect candidate" for their open position or that my skill level is beyond entry level pay.

24. Debbie ManningOctober 8,2023 at 1:27PM UTC

    I've been recruited for on-site positions thousands of miles from where I live. These "recruiters" should invest in a map.

25. Lorraine HerreraOctober 8,2023 at 2:12PM UTC

    I got the job I have now from a recruiter that contacted me like that, through linked in. Is the best job I’ve ever had and totally perfect for my specialization in my profession. At the beginning I was skeptical because the same day I received that contact, my work bestie that was also applying received one from the same company, we though was a scam but decided to accept the call. He offered an interview directly with the company immediately so I accepted to see if it was serious. The company was legit, a company with good reputation that was expanding to my zone and purchased a small firm in my area. The job was direct hire, they just used the company making the contact for recruiting purposes. Like someone else said, many companies are hiring those services because they have the time to search for candidates and follow up, can be more dedicated than an HR personnel that has a whole company to run. Be aware, some are scam, but some are serious. A serious one won’t ask anything that would cost you money, pay for service, buying your own equipment up front, etc.

    Also, my recruiter had an accent, because you know, foreigners also work here and many of them are in professional positions to the difference of what the stigma says.
    Actually, I’m a licensed professional with an accent too.

    Look at actual signals of scam, having an accent is not one, “barely speaking English” is not the same as having an accent, having an accent just means that person speaks more languages than you. Check your bias.

26. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 2:43PM UTC

    i agree with Lorraine on this. However to your other question on how to clean the data up on the internet. Here is a good article with multiple ways. https://us.norton.com/blog/how-to/how-to-remove-personal-information-from-internet

27. Rebecca Lee VOctober 8,2023 at 2:34PM UTC

    OMG for years!

28. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 2:50PM UTC

    You don't even need to apply! Just look at a job or post online and the emails and calls start. Good luck finding something real!

29. KathrynOctober 8,2023 at 4:25PM UTC

    I am actively searching and this happens all the time. They love to call on speakerphone and I just keep saying I cant hear you until they pick up then I get an email terribly misspelled so I call the actual agency and they are not working for them. I dont know what they get from it but it is truly annoying

30. AnonymousOctober 8,2023 at 5:18PM UTC

    Yes, this is a new scam going around. Best thing when you are looking for a new role is to only use a google voice number and then you can screen or ignore or totally block anyone who calls in. Also you can then decide and know who is calling you and from which company if you get a random unscheduled call. You will never be unprepared. Also use a specific separate email as well for your job search for the same reasons. If you don't want to do a google voice number instead remove your phone number completely from your resume and state at the top a preference for email instead of calls.

31. AnonymousOctober 9,2023 at 12:58PM UTC

    Unfortuantely, I have experienced this situation. It is like a scam.

32. AnonymousOctober 9,2023 at 12:58PM UTC

    Yet, I seem to encounter the same problem even with people that can speak English. It somewhat like a scam.

33. AnonymousOctober 9,2023 at 3:07PM UTC

    100% is an exaggeration and each side of the conversation has accents. Wish you better.

34. Janet TessierLambOctober 9,2023 at 3:17PM UTC

    Yes

35. Tracey RayOctober 9,2023 at 4:00PM UTC

    I've been getting them as well and its frustrating and annoying. They pretend to know your background then ask questions providing they did not read your resume.

36. Moni J.October 9,2023 at 4:34PM UTC

    I get them too..but what I did was I got a free Google Voice number and put it on my resume instead of my cell number..so I could screen the calls and decide if I wanted to call them back or not. Usually, it's a lot of contract jobs nothing full-time.

37. AnonymousOctober 9,2023 at 8:31PM UTC

    Constantly! They have their own recruiting firm and the jobs are usually 3+ weeks old. The jobs, I have already applied too or are contract positions. I just ignore or block the call. The Google Voice number is a great idea Moni!! I truly don't think they are in the United States. Possibly India? I don't get my hopes up anymore using them. Just has never worked out!

38. AnonymousOctober 10,2023 at 12:11AM UTC

    Yes, all the time. They pull resumes from Monster or CareerBuilder after speaking with them. I have responded and they are legitimate. I have been on one very short-lived assignment which came to an end a lot sooner than expected, but that was due to the company I was contracted out to and not the placement agency.

39. Mandy WinsorOctober 10,2023 at 12:27AM UTC

    Yes I applied for many different jobs through Indeed, Career Builder, Monster, and Zip Recruiter like almost a year ago and I am still receiving phone calls, texts and emails about jobs that almost seem to be too good to be true. I think it's important to make sure that your profile is no longer shared with the public on any job website. Just check your profile settings on any site you are on. That way only the jobs you are applying for will be the only ones with access to your resume and profile information.

    Job sites are filled with scammers so we all have to be careful what we are putting out there.

40. Tiana MumfordOctober 11,2023 at 6:22PM UTC

    Hi there I get text messages as well so far I say no thank you but it has not been a lot all you can do is block each number . Or if you have an IPhone go to the settings and not answer unrecognized calls.

41. AnonymousOctober 17,2023 at 10:54PM UTC

    Innova Solutions was the name of the staffing agency. I have since been contacted by several others and have spoken with 2 recruiters, provided them with my resume and they have forwarded it to their client where I would be placed, however, as of this writing I have not heard back.