Recruitment Agencies

JibberJobber.com has an article on recruitment agencies and how they invariably leave job seekers feeling somewhat shortchanged.

This is because the entire recruitment process is skewed in favour of recruiters that pay the bills.

John Doe came to the Gulf having left a career in one of India’s best and most professionally run hospitality chains. When he got here, he was shocked by the unprofessional manner in which the organization was run. That salaries were not paid regularly was another matter.

Another John Doe came here only to find he was being paid half of what his peers in the industry were getting. John Doe’s boss bragged to us how he had got a replacement at half the cost of the former hire.

I heard John Doe’s boss has recruited 2 more people from the same recruiting agency based in Bombay. Quite likely they are recruited at atrociously low salaries. Very likely, the recruiting agency head knows next to nothing about the companies he is hiring for, the prevalent salary levels in the country or working conditions.

This is particularly hard on people seeking jobs in foreign countries or cities since they are not privy to local information or working conditions.

Information in the Middle East is notoriously scarce. Most organizations here are family run, often managed in the same autocratic manner as their countries are run. Expats have no way of checking out the credentials and working conditions of the company they are about to join.

Now if only recruitment agencies were more proactive and offered job seekers more information about companies they are applying for. Job seekers would be willing to pay for such a service, I am sure.