Can I ask recruitment consultants a question?

[sleepychunky]

I don't have any contacts irl so here goes. I am leaving a job which I only started earlier this year. It wasn't the right fit for me and their expectations didn't match my reality. No hard feelings, but I'm now looking for another role. I found this job (the one I'm leaving) through a recruitment agency. The same agency is advertising a job I'm really interested in and would like to apply for. The problem is that it is exactly the same consultant handling this new job who placed me in my current role. So my question is, if you are a recruitment consultant, would you feel negatively towards me if I applied? And I know that my current employer has already been in touch with them (presumably to start the process around finding my replacement), so I don't know what they will have said about me that might influence things (to be clear, I didn't do anything bad). Basically how confidential are discussions and how much of what my current employer has told them would be shared with potential new employer? Would really like to apply but feel very awkward in this situation!

I’m no expert but recruitment consultants are scum and they wouldnt give a shiny shit whether you were a good fit for the new job as long as the new company thought you were long enough that they got paid.

Recruitment typically works on commission. That alone means they would earn extra if they placed you for interview and you were appointed so I’d be really surprised if they would have a problem with it.

I am not a recruitment consultant but wanted to reply quickly because Christmas is so near. You have a perfectly good story to tell. Sometimes, jobs just don't work out because the fit isn't right. In your shoes, I would talk to the recruitment consultant today to get on the front foot and express your interest in the new job. They make their money by placing candidates so have to keep both employers and candidates on side.

When did you start?
If you were there long enough for them to earn their whole commission (which might be tied to starting/probation period/something else) they should be happy to place you again

i work in recruitment and it can be tricky as you might lose the relationship with a client as they can view it as you ‘poaching’ their staff however it’s not the case and if you want to go for the job you should apply. The consultant might be able to backfill your role as well as get you a new job so win for everyone. Your employer might never need to know that you went forward for the job or how you get it.

Theres no hard and fast rules on these things and so dependent on individuals and how they feel but from your perspective as a candidate, if you want the job go for it, that’s the only part you have control over and whether you get it or it causes an issue for the consultant and client relationship that’s not for you to worry about. If you want to leave the job for whatever reason you will leave and your employer needs to handle that one way or another.

I've been there 8 months - my probation was extended, which at my age and with my experience in the industry was massively humiliating. So I don't know if that will have affected commission.

And it would seem that you won’t pass probation? Is that why you are worried about what they may say?

If you don’t pass your probation, the company will inform the recruiter in all likelihood anyway. Chances are there’s already been discussions because the recruiter who’s have been in contact to ask how their placement is working out

Personally, I think the fact that your probation was extended is going to be the biggest issue because the recruitment consultant might be wary about placing you somewhere again.

This

the recruiter will know you didn’t pass probation already

Will they care though as long as OP is good enough to impress the interviewers to be selected and last long enough at the new job for them to get their commission?

Recruiter won’t know she didn’t pass her probation. But usually recruiters will have a 3 months period for rebate so that the candidate needs to be there that long to hang onto their fee. Recruiter will be fine to put you somewhere else…. Speaking as a recruiter of 18 years. Hello to all the delightful people slating us 🤣

Recruiter will pick up phone and ask how placement is going

and likely in commission that once probation passed and made permanent - an additional payment

But usually recruiters will have a 3 months period for rebate so that the candidate needs to be there that long to hang onto their fee.

the op had her probation extended and is still on probation at 8 months

the recruiter will know

Depends on the info from the employer doesn’t it? At 8 months and still on probation and op appears to think that won’t pass after extension, I am guessing it won’t be glowing

At least you are honest about it 😀

Surely, recruiters are interested in putting forward candidates who interview well. They don’t care if they are actually good at the job.

@nattalie18unless it’s a straight perm role we will know.

You don’t understand how the commission structure works

True, but @Nattalie18 would

Would what?

not care about how they’d fared in previous placement, just as long as interview well?

that’s a rather different interpretation to me

@Nattalie18 didnt read that the op had failed her first protection and so was on an extension and had now been there 8 months and still on probation. So @Nattalie18 would have known because no commission at 3 months mark

If I were the consultant, I’d be embarrassed that I set someone up in a job that wasn’t right for them.

You are obviously not suitable to work in recruitment if you have any such scruples.

Would know how the commission structure works