Can there be a single consultant in the country that has not suffered as a result of the actions of some unethical recruitment agencies? These agencies feed off the genuine companies in the industry while contributing nothing.

A staff member at company A, who has never registered with a recruitment agency, is contacted and encouraged to consider a post at company B, for which the agency will receive about £5000 from company B. Company A now advertises its new vacancy and is approached by the same agency with a suitable candidate.

If the candidate is indeed suitable and is offered the post, the agency will receive another £5000 from company A for filling a post that would not have been vacant but for the agency’s involvement in the first place.

The agency has therefore engineered a situation, obtained two fees and contributed absolutely nothing.

Individuals registering with agencies presumably realise that the agency will receive a fee for placing a candidate, but I wonder if they realise the level of the fee can be as much as 20% of their salary. Candidates expect that registering will minimise the hassle of applying directly but, by so doing, they may be depriving themselves of an enhanced starting salary.

I am aware that my comments do not apply to all recruitment agencies, but the honest and ethical agents need to act against the renegades that are causing unnecessary discontent in many workplaces.

I am happy to be corrected, but it appears to me that while bodies like the Recruitment and Employment Confederation have a form of ethical code between the agency and the registered person, they give little consideration to the activities of the agency towards the firms that take their candidates and pay their fees.

GA Goodwin CEng FCIBSE, director, SI Sealy and Associates, Stockport

Source

Building Sustainable Design