Have you recently expanded your business? It’s likely that you need some help building your new team. Many businesses struggle with hiring challenges after expansion as it can be difficult to find qualified talent when you’re preoccupied with other matters. To simplify the hiring and onboarding process, think about working with a recruitment firm to build your team. Recent data indicates that there are 20,220 employment and recruiting agencies in the US, and these agencies help organizations to save time by handling the initial screening process. By screening CVs, conducting first-round interviews, and negotiating offers, these firms can streamline the recruitment process and enable internal HR teams to focus on the final stage of hiring.
Each recruitment firm has their own method to find candidates, and they use specialized screening strategies to ensure that job seekers are qualified for roles. However, some agencies are also using questionable hiring practices which could result in a high turnover rate, damaged business reputation, and a negative impact on company culture. To avoid repercussions from poor recruitment processes, be on the lookout for these shady hiring practices while working with a recruitment firm to build your team.
Charging Job Seekers
If you’ve never worked with a recruitment firm before, you’re probably wondering about the costs of their services and how they’re paid. Many agencies get paid on a contingency basis, meaning that they only get paid if the candidate that they placed is hired. This motivates them to find the best match for both the talent and the organization rather than just collecting fees, and this is a clear advantage for your business. Other firms prefer the retainer payment model, wherein you’ll pay them a certain amount to start the search process, and the remaining fees will get paid upon the final placement. Note that legitimate recruitment firms only charge businesses or employers, and job seekers should never be required to pay fees.
If the agency has a reputation for charging job seekers, you may want to consider working with another firm since it’s likely that they’re running a scam. This is one of the recruitment red flags that every business should be aware of, and this scam involves asking job applicants to pay a certain amount to supposedly cover the costs of training materials, equipment, or background checks. Not only is this unethical, but it also creates barriers for employment since fees can prevent low-income candidates from accessing job opportunities. According to the FTC, a typical victim of an employment scam can lose up to $2,000. With job scams expected to be more prevalent in the coming years, it’s important not to contribute to the problem and avoid hiring recruitment agencies that prey on vulnerable job seekers.
Altering a Candidate’s Resume Without Their Consent
Some recruiters edit resumes to enhance readability, emphasize a candidate’s relevant skills, or to translate niche job titles into industry terms that most hiring managers are familiar with. However, it is important to alter a resume with the candidate’s consent as doing so without their knowledge is considered to be unethical and dishonest. Also, doing minor edits, such as including specific keywords or adjusting the layout is perfectly fine. But padding the resume with skills or experience that the candidate does not have could have an adverse effect since it can be damaging for both your business and the job seeker.
You can determine if the recruiter made significant and unethical alterations on a resume by contacting the candidate’s previous employers, or doing a background check to verify their employment history. Ask in-depth questions during interviews, such as what they did to overcome certain challenges in their previous roles. If they struggle to provide details or if they seem surprised about the nature of your questions, it’s likely that their resume isn’t accurate or it was altered without their consent.
Pressuring Candidates to Accept the Job
It was mentioned earlier that most agencies only get paid if their candidate gets hired. As a result, some recruitment firms pressure their candidates into taking the job even if they’re still considering other offers. Creating false urgency by imposing a deadline on job seekers can be damaging because it destroys trust between the candidates and employers. This can also lead to poor decision-making, and businesses can miss an opportunity to find the best people for certain roles.
To prevent a recruitment agency from creating false urgency, establish a realistic timeline for the entire recruitment process. You should also demand transparency by requesting details about their hiring process, and set up regular meetings so you’ll know if they’re hitting the milestones for each stage of the process.
Building a team after business expansion presents some challenges, so think about working with a recruitment firm to find the right people for your company. Remember to vet the agency to ensure that they follow proper recruitment practices, and create a safe and positive job search experience for candidates.
Curious what the best business coaches in the world would recommend for your growth? Find out here.
