Don Straits - Dragon Slayer

Carl Bradford, executive recruiter and principal of the Bradford Consulting Group, National Practice Director for The Adler Group as well as Certification Expert for Lou Adler’s Recruiting Method, conducted a comprehensive survey of job seekers in October of 2008. This was a very professional survey which compares and contrasts the way job seekers from different parts of the country perceive the ethics and professionalism of the recruitment industry. I asked Carl if I could share some of the results with other recruiters, job seekers and career industry professionals here. While the complete survey results are confidential, Carl graciously agreed to share an overview of the results with everyone.

Among the highlights of the survey:

• Grouping many responses together; the most profound and overwhelming result was a strong frustration with working through recruiters - both independent and in-house - "Car salesmen in nicer suits" - "gate keepers- one more hurdle to get over"
• "It seems people are slow to respond to inquiries about job opportunities. As an HR professional, I am appalled by the lack of responsiveness of my fellow HR folks as well as how slow things move. That is not how I operate and it can be very frustrating. Maybe it has something to do with he economy...I don't know."
• "Hands down the most frustrating part of a job search is the unprofessionalism and lack of common courtesy among recruiters and hiring managers. You apply for a position or in many cases they reach out to you first and schedule you for an initial phone screen, which often takes up to a 1/2 hour then say the next step is to present your information to hiring manager. If you are not selected you never hear back from them nor do you receive a response any follow up inquires. I have also gone on a formal interview and have the same thing happen. Just flat out unprofessional and rude."

Simply stated, the survey points out the need for the recruiting industry to evaluate and modify recruiting practices in order to smooth over public perception of their profession. I am certain you will find the results interesting: Job Seeker Survey Summary

After you read the survey, I’d like to open up this blog for your comments on how to reestablish confidence, trust and respect for recruiters. Recruiters, can you confirm or deny? Job-seekers, what was your experience? Or, could this be just one part of the greater evolution of individual ethics in business?