Recruiters, head Hunters, and other rude folks

dmccormack

dmccormack

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
10,945
Location
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Display Name
Display name:
Dan Mc
So I've made it clear I'm interested in moving on from current position (long commute, uncertain organizational future, etc).

At least every other week I get recruiters or placement types calling or emailing. My filters are pretty well honed so I don't waste time talking about potential work in Djibouti for $30k/annum plus free cell phone.

But this sequence is becoming more common:

Recruiter: "You seem like a great fit! What is your expected rate again?"

Me: "Well, same as what I'm making now at least..."

Rec: "Great! Can I have you talk to Vice President of Super Galactic Licchtenstien?"

Me: "Sure"

Recruiter: "Great! I'll set something up!"

30 minutes later....

Rec: "Are you free for a phone call at 6 PM?"

Me: "Sure"

6 PM: Ring, ring, Hello, Nice to meet, yada, yada...

45 minutes of grilling later...

VP: "Clearly you have lots of expereince with X, Y, and Z and would be a great fit for our super-galactic team! When can you start?"

Me: "Well, professional courtesy, yada, yada -- two weeks..."

VP: "Great! I'll have Rec give you a call!"

Three days later...

Me: "Hello? Is this Rec? What's going on with super galactic...?"

Rec: "Well, are you willing to take 45% less in salary?"

:rolleyes2:


​
 
There are better recruiters out there than that and I'd probably fire that one if it happened again. I guess though that taking big pay cuts to get employed is "the new normal."
 
PittsDriver said:
There are better recruiters out there than that and I'd probably fire that one if it happened again. I guess though that taking big pay cuts to get employed is "the new normal."
Click to expand...

I haven't encountered one yet. :rolleyes2:

I had one series of interviews, took a day off, drove to the site, met with the tech team, etc.

Post interview got a call : "They want you to start ASAP!"

Great!

"We'll call with details tomorrow..."

Two days later .. "What was your rate again?"

Hunh?

No joke -- they offered a 30% reduction.

After I had made clear I was interviewing for my current rate or better only.

Who does that? :confused:
 
They waited two weeks hoping that you got stupid and quit your job thinking you had a new one in the bag and now will be desperate enough to take the big cut...

It is precisely that type of crap that left me self employed for the past 40 years... Yes, there were lean times when the warm, embracing arms of a corporation looked really good but I hung in there... In the end it was people I knew who stayed with the paid job who got the boot when the big crunch came (1998-2000 and again 2008) and who then discovered to their horror that their promised retirement fund had suddenly become emaciated or disappeared altogether...

That they lived better than I during their good years of expense accounts and paid vacations doesn't mean much when they now find jobs pay half of what they were used too - if they can find one - and that they will not be retiring in this lifetime...
My best advice is if your skill sets will allow you to start your own business (less than you are making now, so what!) I would urge you to go for it...

denny-o
 
Dr. O said:
My best advice is if your skill sets will allow you to start your own business (less than you are making now, so what!) I would urge you to go for it...

denny-o
Click to expand...

It's actually a good idea, though I had two previous self-employed times (94-97, 99-2001) and did well.

Then I got stiffed for $40k on a big project and lost the business. Took several years to dig out of that hole (yeah, sued and settled for 8k -- two years later).

I'll consider it.

:thumbsup:
 
PittsDriver said:
There are better recruiters out there than that and I'd probably fire that one if it happened again. I guess though that taking big pay cuts to get employed is "the new normal."
Click to expand...

True as to the former. Not necessarily true as to the latter. Good recruiters - retained search - will try to size you up early and make sure that compensation expectations are in the ballpark. After all, many retained recruiters get compensated based on the salary & ability to actually place someone. I know of one retained firm that offers a "guarantee" to the company in which the recruiter doesn't get full pay unless the candidate stays at least a year....

Taking big pay cuts is not the new normal. People move for a variety of reasons.... for those that are completely unemployed, however, it may make sense to take a pay cut to get back in the work force & move after a year or two. Companies that play the "pay cut" game are just asking for high turnover.
 
wsuffa said:
Taking big pay cuts is not the new normal. People move for a variety of reasons.... for those that are completely unemployed, however, it may make sense to take a pay cut to get back in the work force & move after a year or two. Companies that play the "pay cut" game are just asking for high turnover.
Click to expand...

I wonder if Dan is hourly or salaried? (Dan?)

If he's hourly (contracting/consulting), the's getting squeezed by the middleman.

Dan: "I work for $X."

Recruiter to Hiring firm: "We can bring you Dan for $X, plus our service retainer of 12%"

Hiring firm: "OK!"

Recruiter to Dan: "We can only do .7 $X. Can start in two weeks."

The recruiter in this model is being compensated on the agency cut... it is a maddening environment to work in. I once advertised a $100/hr consulting gig (that I was hiring), and saw my description re-posted on Monster for $45/hr. Agency (our prime) actually thought they would net over $50/hr for work, plus my 15% retainer. That really, really ticked me off.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
I wonder if Dan is hourly or salaried? (Dan?)

If he's hourly (contracting/consulting), the's getting squeezed by the middleman.

Dan: "I work for $X."

Recruiter to Hiring firm: "We can bring you Dan for $X, plus our service retainer of 12%"

Hiring firm: "OK!"

Recruiter to Dan: "We can only do .7 $X. Can start in two weeks."

The recruiter in this model is being compensated on the agency cut... it is a maddening environment to work in. I once advertised a $100/hr consulting gig (that I was hiring), and saw my description re-posted on Monster for $45/hr. Agency (our prime) actually thought they would net over $50/hr for work, plus my 15% retainer. That really, really ticked me off.

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

Salaried.

I am *very* wary of "placement" firms.

The scenario I've described has been with in-house, corporate recruiters.
 
astanley said:
I wonder if Dan is hourly or salaried? (Dan?)

If he's hourly (contracting/consulting), the's getting squeezed by the middleman.

Dan: "I work for $X."

Recruiter to Hiring firm: "We can bring you Dan for $X, plus our service retainer of 12%"

Hiring firm: "OK!"

Recruiter to Dan: "We can only do .7 $X. Can start in two weeks."

The recruiter in this model is being compensated on the agency cut... it is a maddening environment to work in. I once advertised a $100/hr consulting gig (that I was hiring), and saw my description re-posted on Monster for $45/hr. Agency (our prime) actually thought they would net over $50/hr for work, plus my 15% retainer. That really, really ticked me off.

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

Good point, and right on target. Like anything else from politicians to FBOs, there are good eggs and a few scumbags out there... But, hey, it's just business, right? :rolleyes2:
 
Rec: Will you take 35% less

You: No and if you ask me that one more time I won't take another one of your calls.

By the way what is it that you do?
 
dmccormack said:
True, but this seems SOP now, not just bad egg exception.
Click to expand...

Well, it looks like my son connected with a good egg exception. He posted his resume on Monster, got a call from a recruiter, and started his first job out of college yesterday.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I spoke with clones of your recruiter.
 
Either these recruiters are just not good at their job, or they stupid.
I have dealt with many head hunters over the years, on both sides, doing the hiring and being hired.
I have always made the salary range clear as to what we were willing to pay, and never had any surprises for anyone on either side. Made some offers at the lower end of the range and some at the upper based on skills etc..

When on the being hired side, I always said, I can't take any job for less than xxxxx.
Guess I have been lucky, that the recruiter didn't waste their time sending me somewhere where they knew the offer would be less.

I would find some different head hunters myself.
 
dmccormack said:
True, but this seems SOP now, not just bad egg exception.
Click to expand...

Maybe in your field, but not SOP everywhere. Had drinks with a friend last night that just took a job as the result of a headhunter. Salary expectations were discussed and met - no denegotiating. I've gotten calls from a few lately that were straightforward about potential compensation - in the first conversation.... there was no "let me send your info up and see if the price sticks" discussion. I know two other folks that are working with recruiters now and the negotiation has been straightforward with recruiter and company.

Agree, though, that there are a number of recruiting "sweat-shops" that use the "throw it and see if it sticks" method. Those tend to be on the lower end of the food chain, but have nothing to lose by trying the methods you mention so they seem more prolific.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top