In a talent short market candidate ownership can become a point of contention during a recruitment process, as let’s face it, it’s highly competitive out there and good candidates are hard to find. Sending unsolicited CV’s from recruiters is a practice that gives recruiters a (deserved) bad rep. It’s often done without the candidates consent with the intention of gaining the advantage and having candidate ‘ownership’ with a first in first served mentality. The RCSA is playing a crucial role in reigning in this behaviour and we support the effort they are putting into implementing an industry wide standard code of conduct.
Here at Assemble we find that when clients are sent an unsolicited CV, both candidates and employers are often unaware of the actions they can take to halt this behaviour. It’s important as both a candidate or a client, you understand what good practice is from a recruiter and how to draw the line, with a few simple guides you can have a positive experience working with multiple agencies if this is your preferred way of working.
As an employer, receiving unsolicited CVs and floats from recruiters can be a real mine field. Our advice is to remember you have the balance of power in this process. For example, if you have a trusted working relationship with a recruiter and are sent a CV of a candidate that you have already received from an agency you don’t work with, you are fully within your rights to say no to the agency who you have no relationship with, and move forward with your preferred recruitment partner.
As with everything, there is a right and a wrong way to do things and we want to make it clear that there is real value in a CV being delivered to you as an employer when it comes from a trusted partner who is genuinely saying, ‘there is value in you looking at this person’. As recruiters, we all need to be respectful of both candidates and employers so when we are doing this, it’s ensuring we are delivering value with the best interests of the candidates at heart.
Candidates who choose to work with multiple agencies to assist in their job search, need to set clear boundaries and expectations, something critical to having this process work smoothly.
When engaging with a recruiter, be clear from the outset that you only want to be represented by them to specific employers you have directly discussed and agreed to. This will avoid duplicate representations or them ‘spamming’ your CV to employers in order to gain candidate ‘ownership’ and eliminate any messy conversations with employers down the line.
A common challenge when a candidate is working with multiple recruiters is; you have spoken to a recruiter about a specific employer and given permission for your CV to be sent, but then find out that the employer has already been presented your CV by another recruiter. At this point, we recommend you specify in writing which recruiter you wish to be represented by and outline that you had not spoken to the other recruiter about the specific business, your preferred recruiter can help with this. This action showcases to the employer that you are considered in your job search and are ensuring you have the best representation in the market.
In a market like this, great employers are always on the lookout for great talent . As partners to our clients, the Assemble team can add immense value by giving businesses direct access to impressive and hard to source talent. Our promise is that we do this in a considered way, delivering value to both our clients and candidates.
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