Tag: recruitment

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Using CHATGPT During an Interview Will Increase Your Chances of Gaining a Job Offer

Recent research has found that using AI during an asynchronous video interview (AVI) will increase the chances of a job applicant gaining a job offer.

The use of AI in various fields has been a game-changer, and recruitment is no exception. One of the most interesting applications in this domain is how artificial intelligence, particularly tools like ChatGPT, has started impacting job interviews.

Asynchronous video interviews (AVI), in which a candidate responds to pre-recorded questions, have become a common selection method for organizations. This format allows candidates to participate at their convenience, without needing a real-time interviewer. However, the increasing accessibility of AI tools raises questions about fairness, integrity, and cheating in these interview settings.

The recent study “ChatGPT, Can You Take My Job Interview? Examining Artificial Intelligence Cheating in the Asynchronous Video Interview” delves into these issues, investigating how AI impacts candidate performance and perceptions during AVIs.

The Rise of AI in Job Interviews

The recruitment industry has seen a significant transformation with the advent of AI. From automating candidate screening to enabling predictive analytics for assessing future job performance, AI is reshaping the way companies hire talent. One of the latest concerns involves AI assistance in interviews, especially in AVIs, where nervous candidates may feel tempted to use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate their responses.

As discussed in previous articles, asynchronous video interviews have grown in popularity because they offer flexibility for both candidates and interviewers. Candidates record their answers to pre-set questions, and interviewers can review them at their convenience.

This format is handy for high-volume recruitment (global organisations, businesses opening new branches, companies with regular staff turnover IE hiring students) and geographically dispersed applicants. For highly skilled or paid roles, AVIs form the initial part of the recruitment process to reduce the number of human interviews (a cost-saving technique) for applicants who wouldn’t have made the cut.

Research Objectives: Exploring AI Cheating

The study by Damian Canagasuriam and Eden-Raye Lukacik provides the first examination of how AI cheating in AVIs can influence interview outcomes.

Specifically, the researchers sought to understand whether using AI tools like ChatGPT improves a candidate’s performance and how it affects other key factors, such as honesty ratings and procedural fairness.

The study was based on a pre-registered experiment involving 245 respondents from the online research platform Prolific. These participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions:

1. **Non-ChatGPT Condition:** Candidates responded to interview questions without any AI assistance.

2. **ChatGPT-Verbatim Condition:** Candidates read AI-generated responses word-for-word.

3. **ChatGPT-Personalized Condition:** Candidates provided their résumé or contextual information to ChatGPT and modified the AI-generated responses before using them.

By comparing these groups, the researchers aimed to measure differences in overall interview performance, response content, delivery, perceived honesty, and procedural justice.

Key Findings: AI Boosts Performance but Raises Ethical Concerns

One of the most notable findings of the study is that candidates who used AI assistance, particularly in the ChatGPT-Personalized condition, received significantly higher scores on overall performance and content. This suggests that AI-generated responses are generally more articulate and well-structured than human-generated responses, potentially giving AI users an advantage in the interview process.

The high scores suggest that the cross reference of the applicant’s resume against the contextual information (the job spec) creates more relevant answers. The two of the three rules for a successful interview outcome are 1) identify the job criteria and 2) be a self-promoter.

However, the study also found some drawbacks to using AI in interviews. While AI-assisted candidates performed better in terms of content, their response delivery ratings (i.e., how well they communicated their answers) were not significantly different from those of the non-ChatGPT group. This indicates that the AI-generated content did not necessarily make candidates appear more convincing or engaging in their delivery.

These findings relate to research into impression management – your interview identity, where tonality, body language, word choice, humour, confidence, rapport, and communication style in general, impact the likeability factor influencing the employer’s view of the candidate’s credibility. The third rule of a successful interview is 3) communicate with confidence.

More importantly, both AI conditions received lower honesty ratings than the non-ChatGPT group. This suggests that interviewers or evaluators were able to sense the lack of authenticity in AI-generated responses, even if they couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.

Honesty is a crucial factor in job interviews, and a dip in perceived integrity could negatively impact candidates who rely heavily on AI tools. Four out of the sixteen interview identities are formed when a candidate is perceived as knowledgeable and/or experienced due to the content of the (AI-prompted) interview answer but delivered with poor communication, including the ‘indifferent interview identity’.

Furthermore, candidates in both ChatGPT conditions rated the interview process lower in terms of procedural justice. This indicates that even those who used AI felt that the process was less fair, potentially because they were aware that they were not fully representing themselves. This dissatisfaction with the process may affect their overall perception of the employer and could lead to negative candidate experiences.

Implications for Employers: Fairness and Integrity

For employers, these findings raise important questions about the validity of AVIs as a selection tool in the age of AI. If candidates are using AI to improve their responses, it becomes difficult to determine whether the interview truly reflects the applicants capabilities or if it’s a reflection of AI’s language generation prowess.

Employers may need to reassess their reliance on AVIs and consider whether these interviews can accurately assess a candidate’s potential. In addition, AI detection measures may become necessary to maintain the integrity of the process. Tools that can identify AI-generated content or discrepancies between a candidate’s résumé and their interview responses could help mitigate AI cheating. However, these measures could also introduce new ethical concerns, such as privacy invasion or over-scrutiny of candidates’ personal data.

Moreover, interviewers may need to be trained to focus more on qualitative aspects of the interview, such as authenticity and emotional intelligence, rather than solely on the content of the responses. This shift could help ensure that interviews continue to assess the human qualities that are essential for many roles.

Implications for Job Seekers: The Ethics of AI Assistance

For job seekers, the temptation to use AI tools like ChatGPT in interviews is understandable, especially when facing tough competition. This is especially true for anxious interviewees who may look for a shortcut to help boost their morale during the recruitment process.

AI can help candidates craft more polished and compelling answers, improving their chances of success. However, the study highlights the potential risks of relying too heavily on AI. There are other AI tools that can help job seekers prior to the job interview including Linked-In interview preparation AI tool which helps prepare candidates for job interviews by measuring not only the content of their interview answers but also the applicant’s communication style; filler words, word count, and sensitive phrases.

One key concern is that interviewers may perceive AI-generated responses as dishonest, even if they can’t explicitly identify the use of AI. This perception could harm a candidate’s reputation and lead to lower ratings in areas like integrity and trustworthiness—qualities that are often critical in hiring decisions.

Additionally, candidates who use AI tools may experience feelings of guilt or dissatisfaction with the interview process. If they feel that they are not accurately representing themselves, they may question whether they truly deserve the job, leading to imposter syndrome or a lack of confidence in their abilities.

For those who choose to use AI assistance, the challenge lies in striking the right balance between leveraging AI for improvement and ensuring that their responses remain authentic and personal. Candidates should view AI as a tool to refine their communication, rather than as a crutch that does all the work for them.

A mix of AI assistance and a human mock interview could give the greatest advantage to a job applicant.

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Broader Ethical Considerations: The Future of AI in Recruitment

The rise of AI in recruitment presents a broader ethical dilemma: To what extent should AI be allowed to influence the hiring process? On the one hand, AI can help level the playing field by providing candidates with tools to express themselves more effectively, especially for those who may struggle with language or articulation. On the other hand, if AI-generated responses dominate interviews, the process may become more about evaluating AI’s capabilities than assessing the candidate’s own skills and personality.

There is also the risk that over-reliance on AI could lead to a lack of diversity in responses. AI tools like ChatGPT are trained on large datasets, which may not fully capture the nuances of individual experiences, particularly for underrepresented groups. If AI-generated responses become the norm, there is a danger that interviews could lose the diversity of thought and perspective that is essential for innovation and problem-solving.

Employers and candidates alike will need to navigate these ethical challenges as AI continues to evolve and become more integrated into the recruitment process. Clear guidelines and transparency about the use of AI in interviews could help maintain fairness while allowing candidates to benefit from AI tools in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, their own abilities.

Conclusion: Navigating the AI-Assisted Future of Recruitment

As AI becomes more prevalent in job interviews, both employers and candidates will need to adapt. Employers must find ways to ensure that interviews remain a reliable measure of a candidate’s potential, while candidates must carefully balance the benefits of AI assistance with the need to remain authentic and trustworthy.

The future of recruitment will likely involve a combination of human judgment and AI-enhanced tools. The challenge lies in ensuring that this combination enhances the process without compromising the values of fairness, diversity, and integrity that are essential for effective hiring.

Source:

Canagasuriam, D. and Eden?Raye Lukacik (2024). ChatGPT, can you take my job interview? Examining artificial intelligence cheating in the asynchronous video interview. International journal of selection and assessment. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12491.

Delaney, C. (2021). What Is Your Interview Identity. MX Publishing.

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The Science of Job Interviews: Insights from Scholarly Research

Employers understand that job interviews are the critical component of the hiring process, serving as a key mechanism for employers to assess candidates’ suitability for a position.

The fact that no-one employer has found the perfect processing that results in the hiring of their first-choice candidate has led, over the years, to extensive research.

This research has been conducted to understand the intricacies of job interviews, from the structure and format to the biases and perceptions that can influence hiring outcomes.

We have collated the key points from a range of academic research on job interviews, providing hiring managers with the insights into how the major findings from scholarly articles can be optimized for better hiring decisions.

1. Introduction to Job Interviews

The Role of Job Interviews: Job interviews are designed to evaluate a candidate’s skills, experience, and cultural fit within an organisation.

The interview, 1-2-1, panel interview, or more recently video interview – the traditional question and answer job interview format, are used across various industries and at all job levels, for part or full time positions, and for low-level to high-level job roles.

Types of Job Interviews: Interviews can be structured (formal), semi-structured, or unstructured (informal).

Structured interviews, where each candidate is asked the same set of questions and scored against a pre-written scoring criteria, are often found to be more reliable and valid predictors of job performance compared to unstructured interviews.

2. Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews

Research on Structured Interviews:

  • A comprehensive review by Huffcutt and Arthur (1994) found that structured interviews are significantly more reliable than  a unstructured recruitment process.
  • The structured interview reduces the variability in interviewers’ ratings and enhance the objectivity of the hiring process.
  • McDaniel et al. (1994) conducted a meta-analysis showing that structured interviews have higher predictive validity for job performance.

Advantages of Structured Interviews:

  • Consistency: All candidates are evaluated using the same criteria, often using as coring system, making the process fairer.
  • Reliability: Structured interviews provide consistent results over time.
  • Legal Defensibility: They are less likely to be challenged in court as they adhere to standardized procedures.

Challenges with Unstructured Interviews:

  • Bias: Unstructured interviews are prone to interviewer biases, such as halo effects or similarity-attraction biases.
  • Inconsistency: Different interviewers may focus on different aspects of the candidate’s responses, leading to inconsistent evaluations.

3. Biases in Job Interviews

Gender and Racial Bias:

  • Research by Koch, D’Mello, and Sackett (2015) highlights the persistent issue of gender bias in interviews, where women are often rated lower than men for the same qualifications.
  • Studies on racial bias, such as those by Bertrand and Mullainathan (2004), demonstrate that candidates with ethnic-sounding names are less likely to receive callbacks for interviews, indicating a systemic bias in the hiring process.

Strategies to Mitigate Bias:

  • Structured Interviews: As previously mentioned, structured interviews help mitigate biases by standardizing questions and evaluation criteria.
  • Training: Interviewer training programs can raise awareness about unconscious biases and provide strategies to reduce their impact.
  • Blind Hiring: Removing identifiable information (e.g., names, gender) from applications can help ensure candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications alone.

4. Applicant Reactions to Interview Formats

Perceptions of Fairness:

  • Research by Bauer et al. (2001) shows that candidates perceive structured interviews as fairer and more job-related than unstructured interviews.
  • Fairness perceptions are crucial as they can influence a candidate’s willingness to accept a job offer and their overall view of the organization.

Candidate Experience:

  • Chapman and Zweig (2005) found that a positive interview experience can enhance a candidate’s attraction to the organization. This includes clear communication, respectful treatment, and timely feedback.

Impact on Diversity and Inclusion:

  • Structured interviews can support diversity and inclusion efforts by providing a level playing field for all candidates.
  • Studies like those by Ployhart and Holtz (2008) suggest that when properly implemented, structured interviews can help organizations build a more diverse workforce.

5. Behavioral and Situational Interviews

Behavioral Interviews:

  • Based on the premise that past behavior predicts future performance, behavioral interviews ask candidates to describe previous experiences related to job competencies.
  • Taylor and Small (2002) found that behavioral interviews are effective in predicting job performance and reducing biases.

Situational Interviews:

  • Situational interviews present candidates with hypothetical scenarios and ask how they would handle them.
  • Latham and Sue-Chan (1999) suggest that these interviews are particularly useful for assessing problem-solving skills and judgment.

Comparative Effectiveness:

  • A meta-analysis by Huffcutt, Conway, Roth, and Stone (2001) indicates that both behavioral and situational interviews have strong predictive validity, with slight differences depending on the job context and competencies being assessed.
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6. Technological Advances in Job Interviews

Video Interviews:

  • The rise of video interview platforms has transformed the recruitment landscape. Research by Chapman and Webster (2003) highlights the convenience and cost-effectiveness of video interviews, though they may present challenges such as technical issues and reduced personal interaction.
  • Covid impacted the commonality use of video interviews which are now viewed as the norm.

AI and Automation:

  • AI-driven interview tools are increasingly being used to assess candidates’ responses and non-verbal cues.
  • Studies like those by Chamorro-Premuzic et al. (2016) emphasize the potential of AI to enhance objectivity, though ethical considerations and transparency are critical.

Virtual Reality (VR) Interviews:

  • Emerging technologies like VR are being explored for immersive interview experiences.
  • Slater and Sanchez-Vives (2016) suggest that VR can provide realistic job previews and assess candidates in simulated environments.

Conclusion

The familiar question and answer type Job interview remains a fundamental part of the hiring process, with ongoing research continually enhancing our understanding of best practices to support hiring managers to recruit the most suitable candidate.

Structured interviews, awareness of biases, positive candidate experiences, and technological innovations are key factors that contribute to more effective and equitable hiring decisions. By incorporating insights from scholarly research, organizations can improve their interview processes , leading to better hiring outcomes and a more diverse and competent workforce.

References

  • Bauer, T. N., Truxillo, D. M., Paronto, M. E., Weekley, J. A., & Campion, M. A. (2001). Applicant reactions to different selection procedures: Are applicants more favorable to face-to-face interviews?
  • Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination.
  • Chapman, D. S., & Zweig, D. I. (2005). Developing a nomological network for interview structure: Antecedents and consequences of the structured selection interview.
  • Huffcutt, A. I., & Arthur, W. Jr. (1994). Hunter and Hunter (1984) revisited: Interview validity for entry-level jobs.
  • McDaniel, M. A., Whetzel, D. L., Schmidt, F. L., & Maurer, S. D. (1994). The validity of employment interviews: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis.
  • Taylor, P. J., & Small, B. (2002). Asking applicants what they would do versus what they did do: A meta-analytic comparison of situational and past behavior employment interview questions.
  • Koch, A. J., D’Mello, S. D., & Sackett, P. R. (2015). A meta-analysis of gender stereotypes and bias in experimental simulations of employment decision making.
  • Chris Delaney (2021) Book: What is your interview identity
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How Recruitment Has Evolved with the Internet

The Evolution of the Recruitment Process

The evolution of the internet and how it has quickly grown has changed the way we search for jobs as well as hire people – websites such as The Recruiter are excellent for finding job roles. The entire career process has been changed forever, thanks to the help of the internet. While technology has not changed anything about what we need to do when we go about getting ourselves a job, everything in that respect has stayed the same. However, it has changed what we do to complete those steps. Gone are the days of paper CVs and waiting until the interview process to get to know the applicant or employer.

The internet has even opened up new doors for those who are in self-employment, making their business run far more efficiently. It is not shocking to see that most people tend to do their job searching online now, as it offers many more benefits than traditional job seeking.

dealing with criticise

Research

Before you even start applying for jobs you are able to research and get to know the company, to make sure that the company offers the right working environment for you. Often, people will look up the company on social media as well as their company website to find out what they need to know. Not only that, but it will also help you with having knowledge on the company before the interview so that you can be prepared to impress them.

Before the internet job seekers would have had to research companies by relying on other people’s knowledge of the company as well as spending many hours sifting through newspapers and magazines to find out the information that they require.

Interviews

The traditional face-to-face interview is now not the only way to carry out an interview, employers are now able to interview potential candidates via video – such as Skype calls or pre-recorded videos. The employer is now able to send across questions for the applicant to answer in a video, which offers time-saving benefits for both the applicant and employer. This is especially great for those who are trying to get themselves remote work to work from home.

Connecting with the Company

Before the internet to get in contact with the company you would have had no other option but to either ring them, turn up at their offices or write them a letter. These days job seekers are able to get in contact much quicker thanks to email.

You are also able to get connected with companies through their social media platforms or a blog (if they have one). Thanks to the internet, the options are endless when it comes to getting in touch with a potential employer.

Make an Impression

Back in the day, potential candidates would have had to wait until the face-to-face interview before making any sort of impression on the employer. Often, the interview would have been the first time the employer took a look at the applicant’s CV but now they are able to have a thorough look at their digital CV online as well as applicant’s online portfolios.

 Digital CVs

As mentioned above, job seekers are now able to upload their CVs online. Not only does this allow for employers to read through them but it also allows recruitment agencies as well as the company to directly come to you first, approaching you to speak about a job opening that may be of interest.

Various CV websites are tracked by recruitment agencies who will often ring up the job seeker when they can see that they are actively looking for jobs. Not only can they ring you up about a job opening but agencies will often phone to discuss meeting with you to help you with your job search.

But to land a great job you need to showcase your skills off perfectly and make an impression, if you need help with writing up a CV then sites like UK Top Writers may be perfect for you.

Enhance Your Skills

For those who are looking to enter a new career or are not quite qualified enough for the job role that they are looking at applying to, it is now possible to cheaply learn those new skills that you need. Job seekers are able to now complete short online courses for very reasonable prices as well as learn certain skills through watching online tutorial videos. You no longer have to wait to enrol once a year at local colleges, instead, you can have a pick from a wider range of courses that may not be available in your local area.

Start a Campaign

Why wait for there to be a job opening, why not make the job come to you? With the help of the internet, it is now possible for people to start their own job campaigns online to help land themselves the job of their dreams. People are now able to post and share on social media platforms to help them get hired.

For more tips on how to land yourself the perfect job, search Huffington Post as they may have the ideal article full of tips for you!

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5 Characteristics That Will Make You A Great Recruiter

Are you worried every time you are making a recruitment call? Do the candidates keep snubbing you? Does the hiring manager get tired of the countless resumes received from you? Now is the time to change all that.

Here I will give some useful tips of the profession that will help you be a sought-after recruiter and be an expert in the field.

According to Wikipedia, recruitment is the overall process of attracting, selecting and appointing suitable candidates for a certain job profile. Recruiters according to their functioning can be either in-house, independent or associated with some recruiting agency. Recruiters are usually involved with the whole process of recruitment.

Recruitment process is not just about calling a person to find out the availability for a required profile. There are lot of things that have to be considered before making out a call to the right candidate.

If you do not do your research before contacting a candidate, then you may end up wasting a lot of precious time and the position may not be filled up in time, which will decrease the productivity of the team.

What it takes to be a great recruiter? This is a question that comes to every person in the profession when there are so many limitations in the area of their expertise. If you look at the traits of successful recruiters from different industries, you will find they all have the same skills and characteristics when it comes to recruitment. Here I will discuss five of the important characteristics that can help you to be a great recruiter:

Excellent Networking Skills

1

Time and again you should realise that since you are in the ‘people business’ you should know how to build up good relationships with people. Try to build quality relationships based upon quid pro quo; professional give and take activities help in the long run to build a solid network of professionals. If you help the candidates or the hiring manager to get the perfect match, it will provide the recruiter with loyalty and commitment.

Great Influencing Ability

2

Whether it is face-to-face, telephonic or via email, all successful recruiters have amazing influencing skills. You will find that their personality has a charismatic touch, through which they achieve to make the candidates to think about the interview offer.

Good communication skills are of the utmost importance if you want to succeed as a recruiter. You cannot care to make one wrong move while having a conversation with the potential candidate.

Embrace Technology

3

It is understood that recruiters are not necessarily technology nerds but a good understanding and the acceptance of technology is needed to become successful when it comes to hiring people who are advanced in that field. As online assessment and interviews are needed for outstation candidates, it is also important for recruiters to adapt to their capabilities regarding the use of technology.

Honesty and Confidence Goes Hand in Hand

4

What every candidate wants from recruiters is that they be transparent about the job profile they are hiring for. Any dishonesty on your part and they will vanish at the first hint. It is important to maintain the relationship which will offer you a good network of professionals in the future. And with honesty, comes confidence; if you are confident enough that it is the right job profile for the confident you should be able to describe it flawlessly.

Good Listeners

5

To be honest, all candidates want their requirements to be fulfilled before accepting any job interview, so you have to be good listeners as well. If you do not get what the person is looking for from the position you will ultimately make the wrong person turn up for the interview, which will issue deep misunderstanding and eventually lose the trust of both the recruiter and the candidate.

If you have got the above characteristics rightly, your recruiting career will be a lot easier than you expect, and catapult you in the right and successful direction.

Author Bio

Hasib

Hasib is a foodie and an avid reader with the same voracious appetite. He is interested in the current trends in job market and time to time writes about employment and career related topics.  Reach him @ twitter, LinkedIn

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Why Do You Keep Recruiting the Wrong Employees?
	


	
	

		
Some research has shown how companies can spend over 35% of their profits on recruitment.


This is a staggering amount to be spent on recruitment cost, with a large amount of that spend, being spent on the time it takes to interview applicants, shifting the hundreds of job applications received and the cost of advertising vacancies.


You first need to ask yourself how much are you spending on recruitment cost? And how many new employees leave or are sacked?


Asking the wrong interview questions 


Many companies ask the wrong type of questions at the job interview, which results in the wrong applicant being offered the position. Many businesses state they have an interim period and if the new employee doesn’t meet the standards they can get rid of them. Often this doesn’t happen as the employer puts the mistakes made down to the employee being new. The cost of re-recruiting is also very high and can put employers off the thought of re-advertising a position.


Many interviewers ask the wrong question, they ask age-old questions including “have you experience in X.” Some interview questions will help you understand the applicant’s knowledge of your sector, but what is more important is how the employee is motivated and what stresses the employee, because we can all agree that a motivated employee work rate is increased.


Readers of this can relate, as we have all been in one job where we work well, but when you have started in a new company in the same position your work rate drops. But why does this happen?




Motivated employees have a higher output 


We are all motivated and stressed in different ways, some employees need to be organised and planned, and others need variety and creativity to stay motivated.


Employers first need to understand their job role and company.


Are you looking for a pro-active or re-active employee, as both have benefits and negatives?


Do you require a problem solver or a goal setter as these employees work completely different to one another?


Do you need an employee who is motivated through praise or an employee who is internally motivated, as work rates can increase both of these two types depending on the job role?


Understanding the job role 


First you need to breakdown the job role and how your company operates, including your management style. Do you require a proactive or reactive employee? Would you prefer a goal-orientated or problem solver? Will the applicant need to be motivated externally or internally? Do you want some to follow procedures or would someone who can take the initiative? Will the job be repetitious or will the duties change through the working year?


By knowing exactly what you require, you can ask job interview questions that pull out a persons motivational and stress states.


For one person following procedures will keep them well motivated but for another having to follow procedures can make them stress as they may know a different a better way to do it.


This is why someone you know who has a good reputation in your sector becomes your employee, instantly their performance drops, they are just motivated and stressed by the way an organisation operates.




What questions to ask 


Below is a set of questions, that you can to your interview to understand an interviewees motivation and stress indicators.


People, who are motivated and stressed in different ways, show this to us by the way they word their interview answers.


To understand if you are recruiting the applicant who will be motivated in your workplace you need to listen to the words they use, as the words indicate how they are best motivated.


Interview Question                      Motivation/Stress Pattern      Language Indicators 


                                                                        


No question                                                Proactive                  Action, Do It


                                     Re-active                  Try, Think, About It


What do you want in your  career?          Towards                   Attain, Gain, Achieve


                                                                           Away From            Avoid, Exclude, Recognise


How do you know if you                         Internal                     Knows within himself


Have done a good job                             External                    Told by others, facts and figures


Why did you choose                                 Options                      Criteria, Choices, Possibilities,


your current job                                        Procedures               Story, how, necessity, didn’t


What is your relationship                       Sameness                   Same No Change


Between your work this          Sameness with Exceptions     More, Better, Comparisons


Year and last year                                      Difference                   Change, New, Unique


Sameness with Exceptions    New and Comparisons


and Difference 



	


	





		

		
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Recruitment Agencies – A bit Tricky
	


	
	

		
Get the upper hand with a job recruitment agency


Job hunters will often turn to recruitment agencies to help secure employment and why not, recruitment agencies will search for vacancies on your behalf, give advice on your CV and facilitate between you and the employer, your start date.


There are many good agencies you should sign up to and many agencies that give the recruitment agency sector a bad name and should be avoided, below are some of the reasons why.


Tricks Recruitment Agencies:


Advertise False Vacancies 


This is a well-known recruitment trick, by advertising false vacancies, job seekers will register with the agency, and this allows the agency to boast to employers about the high level of potential employees and CVs they have on their database.


Asking for References 


The agency will ask for a reference for the “false” vacancy. Remember there is no job, the agency is looking to gain new employer contact details.


Gaining Contact Details


When you supply the agency with the company name you previously worked for, they will ask “who was your line manager, was it Mr “False Name” and the common response is “No, it was Mr “Real Name” The agency now have a new contact for a new business that they will approach.


Finding Employers 


Recruitment agencies need to find companies that are recruiting, they will offer the recruitment service and make money by charging a percentage off the employee’s wage. Agencies will often ask you to tell them which companies you have applied to; they now have new companies to contact. Once these companies’ sign up to the recruitment service you will quickly have double the competition for the position, that until you told the recruitment agency they didn’t know about.


The Perfect Job 


The phone rings and the agency tell you “I have the perfect job for you but you need to start immediately!” If your working you may be advised to take this perfect job (remember when you take a job the agency gain a percentage of your wage, the more people who take jobs the more money they earn) even when you are employed, they may even tell that this job is so good you should walk out of your present job – burning your bridges and chances of a good reference.


Wage Decrease 


Once you are offered a job, you may be told they were not able to secure the rate that you wanted. This is rubbish as they have already had discussions with the company regarding the rate of pay.


They may also tell you “there aren’t many of these jobs about I would take it if I was you” only take the job if you are happy with the wage, the recruitment agency wants you to take the job so they can earn more money, they are not interested in you as a person.


Time is Money 


If you fail one or two interviews, the agency will tell you that they will keep looking for work for you, they won’t they will just drop you. They don’t want to spend time looking for work for someone who can’t pass interviews. Really they should give you interview advice to help you pass future job interviews, but they feel …time is money.


Introduction Fee 


We all get excited at a prospect of a £500 introduction fee, recruitment agencies will offer you this fee if you introduce them to an employer which leads to a job. You will only receive this payment if you find out about the job and after you continue to ask for your fee.


Like we said at the beginning not all recruitment agencies are like this, just be aware and look for these tell tale signs.