what's your opinion on this?

icecream-guy · June 15, 2016, 07:58:18 AM

So I got cold called for a job oppy by a recruiter in early May, crappy company, good customer, contract work, good pay, close to home, good oppy

Had a phone interview setup for May 6th, which got delayed by the customer for OBE, and eventually had one May 20th, which went very well.
planned for an on site interview shortly thereafter. Recruiter has been very slow, sometimes 2-3 days to get back to me after I leave VM or texting
(reason for the two weeks between phone interview schedules).

the recruiter stated that he is very busy. been emailing my availability to the recruiter and didn't hear from them for like two more weeks
I got connected to one of the interviewers via linked in, whom I phone interviewed with, he said the hiring boss was on vacation.
(never got this info from recruiter)
finally got a call from the recruiter last Friday who wanted to talk to me, called back went to voice mail, never responded back until Tuesday
recruiter wanted to know if I was willing to do a phone interview, and what my availability is.

Now I ain't really looking for a new job just yet, but do field interesting ones, and this certainly is, but I'm very turned off by the recruiter.
I've got "one leg over the fence" thinking about running away, I'm tired of the crappy recruiter. but I still have thoughts about pursuing the oppy.

what do you think? follow up or run away?

ps. recruiter just called and want's me to now go on site for in person..

very frustrated...

deanwebb · June 15, 2016, 08:12:43 AM

Sounds like the recruiter could use a secretary... Go ahead and show up for the interview, if all goes well, you have an opportunity to consider in the form of an offer letter. If not, oh well, it was practice for the next interview.

Maybe all the other recruiters are even more messed up than this one... who knows?

routerdork · June 15, 2016, 08:48:47 AM

I've had a few recruiters like this and it drives me crazy. If the job and technology are worth it to you stick it out.

NetworkGroover · June 15, 2016, 11:11:33 AM

While I'm on board with you regarding crappy recruiters, try to separate them from the job since largely, they don't represent them.. they're just a glorified HR secretary.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but make sure you do everything in your power to screw over (by that I mean negotiate your pay) that recruiter so he makes as little money as possible (If it's that kind of pay structure). The whole pay rate vs. bill rate issue DISGUSTS me... I'll never work in another place again where I find out that the bill rate is > 2x what I'm getting paid... ridiculous. And fact of the matter is.. he can act like he cares about you, but he doesn't - he cares about his monthly commission.

If you can't tell... I view recruiters 80%+ as sleazy sales people. I worked in internal IT at a govt staffing agency and heard the conversations these tools would have with each other. I just called one of them out yesterday for some crap they pulled: www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6148499932148944896

deanwebb · June 15, 2016, 11:29:41 AM

Yeah, I never know anybody else that can fill that role for you except friends of mine that are legitimately looking for work and said it's OK for me to refer them to recruiters...

If you could share some of those recruiter convos, I'm pretty sure we'd love to hear them.

NetworkGroover · June 15, 2016, 01:42:56 PM

Quote from: deanwebb on June 15, 2016, 11:29:41 AM
Yeah, I never know anybody else that can fill that role for you except friends of mine that are legitimately looking for work and said it's OK for me to refer them to recruiters...

If you could share some of those recruiter convos, I'm pretty sure we'd love to hear them.

Oh man I wish I could remember them word for word.. sometimes I was literally disgusted. Just a total disregard for their well-being after the money comes in, and bragging about big of a delta they suckered someone for - that delta between the bill rate (What the contracted company is charging the one who contracted them) and the pay rate (what you actually get paid) is what they get paid a percentage of every month. So there's clearly an incentive to pay you as low as humanly possible.

Now, all that said, it isn't alllll negative - there are SOME good recruiters who actually care. They are just few and far between your typical sales guy sleaze ball, and they are also unfortunately surrounded by and not supported by the culture where to most, you're just another head in their money farm.

icecream-guy · June 15, 2016, 02:07:41 PM

Quote from: AspiringNetworker on June 15, 2016, 01:42:56 PM
Quote from: deanwebb on June 15, 2016, 11:29:41 AM
Yeah, I never know anybody else that can fill that role for you except friends of mine that are legitimately looking for work and said it's OK for me to refer them to recruiters...

If you could share some of those recruiter convos, I'm pretty sure we'd love to hear them.

Oh man I wish I could remember them word for word.. sometimes I was literally disgusted. Just a total disregard for their well-being after the money comes in, and bragging about big of a delta they suckered someone for - that delta between the bill rate (What the contracted company is charging the one who contracted them) and the pay rate (what you actually get paid) is what they get paid a percentage of every month. So there's clearly an incentive to pay you as low as humanly possible.

Now, all that said, it isn't alllll negative - there are SOME good recruiters who actually care. They are just few and far between your typical sales guy sleaze ball, and they are also unfortunately surrounded by and not supported by the culture where to most, you're just another head in their money farm.

it ain't all kitties and flowers on the other side, my wife just gave up on her new recruiter job, she was being told one salary to offer, to get people interested, then she took the paperwork to her boss and she was told they couldn't pay that much, and that she'd have to call the recruit back and try to convince them to accept a lower offer, she did like 3 or 4 of these, lost all her finds, and then told her recruiter boss to eff off. because it was just a waste of her time.. no getting people jobs = not getting paid.. she just laughed when I told her about the lack of engagement my recruiter person is doing. It is a rough business.

speaking of which, following a couple of yours feedbacks, to get out there are try, since it's good practice, when I got out of my meeting an hour later and texted back.."good deal, send me the details"... haven't heard back since... kinda hard to go onsite if you don't know where to go, nor who to ask for.

NetworkGroover · June 15, 2016, 04:54:58 PM

Quote from: ristau5741 on June 15, 2016, 02:07:41 PM
it ain't all kitties and flowers on the other side, my wife just gave up on her new recruiter job, she was being told one salary to offer, to get people interested, then she took the paperwork to her boss and she was told they couldn't pay that much, and that she'd have to call the recruit back and try to convince them to accept a lower offer, she did like 3 or 4 of these, lost all her finds, and then told her recruiter boss to eff off. because it was just a waste of her time.. no getting people jobs = not getting paid.. she just laughed when I told her about the lack of engagement my recruiter person is doing. It is a rough business.

speaking of which, following a couple of yours feedbacks, to get out there are try, since it's good practice, when I got out of my meeting an hour later and texted back.."good deal, send me the details"... haven't heard back since... kinda hard to go onsite if you don't know where to go, nor who to ask for.

Oh I know - this speaks exactly to my point. Sounds like your wife experienced the culture I was referring to. Turnover where I worked was regular, and the only people that seemed to last were the particularly shady ones. Bait-and-switch tactics like that, among other things, ugh...

icecream-guy · June 16, 2016, 11:28:03 AM

innerview went well, shorter than I had hoped, and not very technical, but the guys that I was interviewing with seemed to like me a whole lot. and the fact that I live close is a bonus. Manger said he had a few more interviews to do and would be making a decision fairly quickly. so it really wasn't much practice, other than making sure my suit still fit, and honing my personality and politeness skills, and practicing my sitting posture. I think I need a new suit, mine are like 30 years old. do suits even go out of style?

deanwebb · June 16, 2016, 11:41:30 AM

In IT? Suits never go out of style. We only wear them when we want to show that we are serious about getting a job.

icecream-guy · June 16, 2016, 11:53:20 AM

Quote from: deanwebb on June 16, 2016, 11:41:30 AM
In IT? Suits never go out of style. We only wear them when we want to show that we are serious about getting a job.

I Been calling 'em WIF suits for a long time,

Weddings
Interviews
Funerals

That's about all they are good for to me. Usually worn in some sort of formal business process.

NetworkGroover · June 16, 2016, 04:47:09 PM

Yeah... pretty much. Glad it went well for you.

Nerm · June 20, 2016, 10:42:59 AM

My experience with recruiters has been similar and just plain bad honestly. With that being said if you like the opportunity I would at least look down the rabbit whole and not let a bad recruiter get in the way.

icecream-guy · June 20, 2016, 02:14:14 PM

Quote from: Nerm on June 20, 2016, 10:42:59 AM
My experience with recruiters has been similar and just plain bad honestly. With that being said if you like the opportunity I would at least look down the rabbit whole and not let a bad recruiter get in the way.

my thoughts were that the recruiter is probably going to get someone the job, either way they will make their money, so I may as well be the one getting the offer..