This post was penned by Andy Adams, a Sr. Account Executive with CareerPlug, whose background includes extensive recruiting experience.
Here at CareerPlug, we recently read an article that provided some great tips for job seekers and employers alike. For employers: what not to do when posting jobs. For job seekers: what to look out for to spot unethical recruiting practices.
Employers – These unethical practices could spell disaster:
Posting Fake Jobs
It may seem like a great way to build up your candidate database, but unless you explicitly say that it is a proactive posting for future openings…don’t do it. In most cases, you will collect resumes and never get back to these candidates. The number one frustration of job seekers is lack of communication after filing an application. This can lead to candidates having a bad taste in their mouth about your company. Next thing you know, when you have an actual opening, your best candidates aren’t interested in talking to you because they never heard from you when they actually applied.
Being a Jack of All Trades, Master of None
Trying to be everything to everyone typically does not work. Have a specialization in the types of roles you recruit for. In organizations where this is not possible, as a recruiter or HR person, you must be an expert in hiring. Work with hiring manager to write a compelling job description…rely on their expertise and be a partner. And demand the same from them. You should all be working towards a common goal, not in-fighting over writing a job description because you’re busy.
On the flip side of things, candidates need to be aware of these things as well in order to be successful in their job search:
Spotting a Fake Job Ad
Fake job posts are not always easy to spot. Sometimes they look completely legitimate until you talk to a recruiter and can’t get any information. There are a few tell-tale signs though. Be wary if a job post doesn’t list any details around the company, location, etc. Also, if a job description is so broad and poorly defined, it could be a catch all for building a candidate pool…and if it is a real post, the company doesn’t know what they want to hire, so RUN!
Work With a Specialist
When working with a recruiter (whether corporate or agency), work with someone that specializes in your skillset. If you are a financial analyst, try to make sure you are speaking with a finance recruiter. Again, in smaller organizations, hopefully the recruiter has worked closely enough with the hiring manager to vet the skill set and is just gauging for culture fit, etc. before passing you on to the finance manager for a technical interview. The point here is, if you work in finance, software development, or sales, would you want the janitor to be responsible for you getting hired?
There are plenty of more tips out there, but these are a few that can help candidates be more efficient and companies improve or protect their reputation in the market place.
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