Pushy recruitment agencies

[Rainysummersday]

I know it’s their job and ultimately they are trying to get me a job, but AIBU to be fed up with this pushy recruiter?

Here’s the context: I’m being made redundant and have been panic applying for jobs like mad. I’ve felt I can’t be picky as I need a job, and applied for thinks I wouldn’t have if I was comfortable in work and could apply for things I wanted.

A recruiter contacted me about one job and set an interview up very quickly, which I was grateful for of course. He then called me after the interview, and then the next day asked if I could go back for a second interview in two days time. I said I didn’t know if that day was okay for me and he said ‘well you need to go as that’s the the day they want you’. I rearranged my plans as I need a job. The recruiter then called me the next day to ask if I was researching the company and sent emails afterwards.

On the morning of the interview he sent me texts and called me afterwards again. The interview was ok, but I was starting to feel pushed by this recruiter.

Meanwhile, I was asked to go to another interview after sending my CV. I went to keep my options open and job 2 is definitely more my sort of thing plus it’s nearer to me. They said they’d let me know in a week, but I felt quite certain they’re going to offer me the position.

Two days after the interview, the recruiter called me and said the company want to offer me a position. I was flattered of course, but said I would like a bit of time to think before accepting. He said ‘you need to let them know now, I will let them know’, and went off the call. I then received an offer email from the company along with forms to fill in.

I felt awkward, as to be honest, I’d rather have the second job, but they hadn’t let me know yet so I didn’t want to definitely turn down job 1. The recruiter called me at 8pm the next day asking why I hadn’t sent all the forms back. I said I’d been really busy working things out with my current company. He then started pushing me for a start date, saying I should start in 2 weeks. I said that may be a bit soon for me but he continued pushing and said I should aim for that in order to keep the company happy. I find this weird as my notice is four weeks, and would be if I was to being made redundant.

I’ve bought some time and said I will need the weekend, but tbh I’m dreading this recruiter calling me at 8am or something tomorrow, as he keeps texting me this weekend to ask if I’ve done the forms. I’m also worried about what he will do if I pull out of this job for job 2. His pushiness is also making me feel really wary about this job. Am I an ungrateful brat or is his behaviour a bit much?

ALSO: I am currently In negotiations with my current company about my redundancy package and told the recruiter I need to work that out. He says I should just forget about the redundancy pay and start a new role. I am not prepared to do that as I’ve been treated badly by my current job and am entitled to redundancy money.

It sounds like he doesn't care about you one bit and is just seeing dollar signs.
I'd google the CEO of his company and email him/her and ask them to call their fucking dogs off.
Contacting all eve & weekend is highly unprofessional at the least.

He ABSOLUTELY gives not one tiny shit about you. He works on commission and all he wants is the close. Just like any other commission-based sales person. State YOUR terms. Tell him directly (the only language he will understand) to back off while you make a decision. Be that blunt. They are taught to be 'your best friend' until it comes to closing then they are relentless. Don't fall for this. It's a nasty selling strategy (he's selling, just like a car sales person is selling). Me personally, I'd tell him to fuck right off, but then I'm not easily cowed...he'd never have gotten this far in the first place 😡

Hope your job situation works out, good luck OP xx

They work on commission and he’s a salesman.

That’s all there is to it.

Tell him he’s being too pushy and that you made him aware that you needed time to sort other things out.

Hopefully job 2 will offer you a position soon.

I have worked in recruitment, and helping you prepare for an interview is perfectly reasonable and what I would have done.

However, accepting a job when you have not given him permission to do so it out of order. He can not push your start date and should be working with you to ensure that you can get the best package from your current employer and a start date that works with it too. That is if you want the job!

Most candidates have a few job interviews going on at the same time, and my clients were ok about waiting a few days to hear after an offer had been made. The only problem about asking them to wait a couple of weeks is that they may loose their second choice, and then the employer is back to starting the recruitment process over again.

I would complain about this consultant. I bet his boss does not know that you have not accepted the job. Look on LInkedIn and send a message complaining. They will be worried you will tell the company about their behaviour and should back off.

Standard agency recruiter I am afraid, all many of them see is £££. Agency recruitment is quite ruthless and he is probably getting pressured by his managers to close the deal as well.

Socan the agency or the company do anything if I tell them I’m accepting another job instead? Is there anything against me legally?

I think you need to be clearer. You are not ready to accept the position and will not be returning the offer letter unless you make a decision that you want the job. The delay may mean you lose the job and you accept that, but you obviously expect the recruiter to communicate to the client that you are considering it, with an expected answer to be given by X date. I would also contact the client directly with this information.

The recruiter does sound pushy.

And watch out the redundancy - many companies won't give it if you have accepted a new job as you are therefore re-employed. Tread carefully there. Hope it all sorts out.

I have been in Sales for over 20years but have never done Recruitment, it’s far too hardcore for me
It’s very high pressure target focussed and especially in the early days people can be sacked for not hitting targets in a single week
This Recruiter will have put you in the pipeline and will probably be under immense pressure to get a result
Obviously not all companies are like this but some are - I gave friends who work in Recruitment and also who own Recruitment companies, staff turnover is very very high
Do whatever YOU want OP, they are not working for you they are working for the Employer ( and themselves) and don’t really care about you other than to hit their target and earn commission.

I very much doubt it. What concerns me is that he has clearly made you feel that you HAVE to accept this job just because it's offered ... which is plainly ridiculous.

There is no liability on you at all. You can not get into trouble for accepting a job and then saying no, even if you did.

In theory you could accept a job, sign all the paper work and change your mind and not start. The same as you can leave a job, with appropriate notice.

Yes, please keep your redundancy in mind when accepting jobs and agreeing start dates.

You don't have to accept the job. But don't let his behaviour put you off the company as they are unlikely to know what he's been doing.

This is bang out of order and proves this particular recruiter is putting themselves first harrassing you into accepting and speeding up to get their commission. You haven’t signed any contract/forms so there is nothing preventing you from going for another job or rejecting job 1 and going for job 2. If you do reject job 1 make it clear to the employer direct (for your own reputation) you are very flattered, but had not formally accepted to make sure the recruiter is the one explaining too.

I’d chronologically list all the contact the recruiter has made with you, including you hadn’t accepted yet (but he went ahead without your permission!) and send it to HIS boss stating either they discipline him and demand an apology or you will send it to their customers I.e. the job post advertisers which should spur them into action.

Also if you want your redundancy pay don’t give it up because of this idiot - if a role wants you enough they’ll wait your notice and 4 weeks is the norm!

Redundancy is stressful enough to cope without selfish, own-agenda driven sharks hounding you. Good luck OP, your skills are clearly in demand - remember you’re interviewing a potential new employer as much as they’re interviewing you!

The recruitment consultants are working for the company they are recruiting for, not you. They get paid by the company when they fill a role, so this is why they are pressurising you to take the role.

A previous poster suggested contacting the recruitment consultants boss to complain. Don't bother, the boss is probably the one pushing the consultant to close the deal. As long as their client (the company paying them to fill roles) is happy, that's all that matters for them. Unless you have specialist skills which are in demand, most candidates are fairly dispensable.

Personally, I would stop liaising with the consultant and go directly to the company and negotiate directly with them. You could text or email the consultant and say that you've been directly in contact and you agreed the a start date etc.

Up until the after offer part he sounded like he was doing his job. Preparing you for interview etc.

However, if he missed out finding out if you really wanted the job to begin with. I would never have put you forward for the role knowing it wasn't what you wanted. That would be a waste of everyone's time and your be guaranteed to leave the moment you found a role you wanted.

Unfortunately, most recruiters are target driven and these targets are unobtainable unless you are pushy and ruthless.

However, you now need to make this work in your favour.

You can do one of 2 things. Neither of which is ideal however, you need to do what is best in the Shit situation you've been dropped in:

1. Contact the company directly and advise their has been a misunderstanding on your recruiters part. You are very very interested in the position however, you are also interviewing for another similar position elsewhere and you want to get all your ducks in a row before deciding which opportunity to take.

1. This probably the safer bet. Fill in the forms and agree a start date. If you don't get another offer great, you start and seem keen. If you do get the other offer. Contact the company first and let them know that the recruitment consultant pushed you into accepting when you were still waiting for another offer to come through. Apologise but add that it was his relentless harassment that put you up against the wall. Then email the agent and say you will not be starting with his client. You have let the client know with detailed reasons why. Tell him never to contact you again and remove all your data from their records.

God...so many word errors. My phone is dying and really slow. But you get the gist.

Just to add. Don't waste your breathe threatening his boss and telling them what he's done. They will be the ones making him do this. In my formative years I had bosses making me arrass candidates until they broke. It was awful.

Let the client know he was harrasing you. The more candidates who let clients know of these shark like tactics the more room there is for us recruiters who take pride in the service we offer to succeed.

You have to be quite firm with these people unfortunately as they push you into roles quickly so they can get their commission.

A few years ago I was jobhunting after being made redundant. This recruiter saw my CV on a job site and called me in, at first she was very helpful and I told her I was looking for roles in the arts/charity sectors for £XX which she said she gets on her books a lot and agreed she could help.

But she later kept calling me about very corporate roles for less than my asking salary, and tried to sell them as ‘I’ve met the team and they’re really fun and girly and go out drinking a lot - you’d have great fun’ (!!!)

In the end I had to send her a very direct email outlining I wasn’t interested in super corporate roles (used to work in the City and didn’t like it) and as I said in our first meeting I was looking at the charity and arts sectors.

She sent me a very snotty email back saying she didn’t understand what I wanted and she was trying to help. And that my CV wasn’t as good as i thought so i should lower my expectations. It became abundantly clear she was just trying to shoehorn me into any role so she could nab the commission.

I ended up getting a role in a charity for 3k over my asking salary (without her help) so I suppose my CV wasn’t so bad after all.

My point is they are essentially most interested in getting their commission and hitting their targets so they might streamroll you along the way, I know it can be tough as they’re very pushy at times but you need to be as firm as possible and clear about what you need. Good luck OP!

If you want to complain you can always complain to REC as long as the agency is a member

Complain about an agency