Why recruiters go to Hell!

The ever-present question about mortality and the life thereafter becomes more relevant with oncoming age and being a recruiter…and no this is NOT a religious or spiritual perspective here, rather the reality of an occupational hazard in the life of a hospitality recruiter…

Well, where do I start and where does it all start?

The client’s brief:

In most cases a client has a specific idea of what his new employee should be all about and that is not restricted to the following: – age range, (some countries in Asia now have age limits for obtaining work permits, others prefer younger over older to keep a balance in the team) issues of male/female and nothing in-between for reason of cultural sensitivity.

Singles only, or married but no children, school fees, etc. are some of the other issues that are a key factor in hiring a new employee. Nationality has also become a factor for obtaining a work permit; Work background, education (a degree is necessary in some cases) and so on, – none of it is ever publicized and stays confidential between client and recruiter.

A client has the right to say what he wants, and it makes life easier for a recruiter when he goes through his database and can select and choose suitable candidates and start making the first contact.

The candidate:

So far so good, most recruiters will also advertise to see who is new and available on the market, there just might be someone out there looking for a change.

A potential candidate applies in good faith for a position, based on the limited information provided in an advertisement, information that is, in today’s politically ‘ubercorrect’ society, allowed saying none of the facts that a client has in his brief.

And that’s where the real tragedy begins for the recruiter. Some outstanding candidates apply and you can’t tell them that they are too old (past the age range), have the wrong nationality or background, not to mention the client only wants singles candidates because they are less expensive!

When a candidate applies and then wants to know why he was not considered, the recruiter must produce ‘white lies’ because he cannot tell the candidate the true reason for his rejection.

A recruiter in today’s world walks a tightrope between honesty and political correctness.

A situation that has been created over the years by people who wanted to help employees has in many ways, created a monster that works against employees and the time they have invested in applying for a position that they clearly cannot fill.

The recruiter must use his own judgement, deciding what he can and cannot say, and with that in many cases, gets a step closer to hell – so many things he cannot say but wishes he could!

What is the way out of this situation for a candidate? First and foremost, registration with a quality recruiter is the first step. The first action for the recruiter is to check his database where all the information is sitting and search can be tailored to include the smallest detail to find the perfect individual.

Have a resume that is clear and detailed (without being a novel) and includes all relevant information that is important – nationality, regional preferences, language skills, all this helps the recruiter to find a suitable individual without the candidate having to go through the process of a new application. Sometimes all it needs is an email expressing interest in a job!

Initial job interviews are often limited to phone or video interviews for geographical reasons and the client has the right to get as much information to come to an educated decision about the applicant’s suitability, and that includes bon-fide references.

The recruiter

The recruiter is, and will always be, the filling in the sandwich between client and candidate, nothing will change that, so they will always be standing at the gates of hell.

Clients wanting a candidate with a luxury background but only willing to pay a YMCA wages or candidates whose only experience was working as shift leaders in McDonalds and believe they can be F&B Managers or GM’s are also part of a recruiters nightmare.

Having said all that, this recruiter has been around for many years and at times he realises that he has helped many people to find a job where they are happy and content.

Maybe this will be a redeeming factor working in his favour and will help to escape the fires of hell, or at least spend a few less years in purgatory!

About the author

Karl Faux is a veteran Hotelier and Managing Partner with Elite Search – a leading hospitality recruitment firm.
For more information about Karl and Elite Search visit www.elitesearch.com.au and The Elite Hotelier elitehotelier.net