Sometimes you post something on LinkedIn thinking it's just another day, another thought... and suddenly it explodes. That happened to me recently, and wow, did it open my eyes to something I've known in my gut since starting Rogue: People are fed up with traditional staffing BS.
That LinkedIn post going viral (by my standards anyway)? It wasn't just engagement metrics. It was thousands of people saying "enough." It was hiring managers tired of being sold mediocre matches. It was candidates fed up with being treated like inventory instead of humans chasing their dreams. The old way isn't the only way. You don't have to accept practices that treat you like a number. You don't have to work with recruiters who won't be transparent.
Here's the thing: I've been in those traditional staffing trenches. I've sat through the trainings where they teach you to "maintain candidate control" (gross, right?). I've been handed the metrics sheets and told to prioritize activity above all. I've watched good recruiters get crushed under the weight of metrics that have nothing to do with actually helping people find their dream jobs.
That's exactly why I created "Staffing Exposed" - because someone needed to pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes. Because knowledge is power, and you deserve to know what you're dealing with.
Let's talk about what's really happening.
Staffing Exposed:
The purpose of this content is to let you know what to look for in case you get connected with the wrong recruiter. To be clear, these do not apply to every staffing agency recruiter. There are some wonderful recruiters with the best intentions out there...even though they are still taught these as “best practices. We need to change our expectations of what a staffing recruiter/agency can do for you.
If a staffing recruiter talks to you about a contract position, it is in their best interest to pay you as little as possible…and never have you convert. They’re better off to replace you after 6 months than give you up.
When a staffing recruiter asks where else you’re interviewing, they’re likely using you as a lead to find new business and companies to solicit other candidates to.
Staffing recruiters are trained to post “shell positions” of open jobs online to drum up additional “inventory” (aka you).
Feel like your staffing recruiter is calling you every 90 days or so? That’s because they’re maintaining ownership in their internal database.
Sometimes, a staffing recruiter might interview you or discuss a job not because they think you’re a good fit, but because they need to hit internal metrics.
Did a staffing recruiter call you “just to catch up” with no noticeable purpose? Yeah, their dials are being monitored and they have to hit their calls or else they’ll get in trouble.
Staffing recruiters are taught over and over and over on the importance of “Candidate Control.” The less autonomously you make decisions, the better.
Yay! An offer came through….but now is your staffing recruiter hounding you for an answer without giving you time to process? That’s because they get in trouble if they can’t immediately accept on your behalf.
Be very apprehensive about where you post your resume. Some staffing recruiters will download your resume and submit it to their client w/o ever talking to you. AFTER their client expresses interest, they will give you a call about it. And if you don’t answer and/or aren’t interested? “Oh, that candidate is no longer available for this opportunity. “Ummm, as if you were ever available for that opportunity…But hey, they get to hit their metrics!
Some staffing recruiters will talk to you about a position, say then will submit you to their client, and then never will. Why do they do this? Because they don’t want another staffing agency submitting you. It’s about them, not you.
If a staffing recruiter won’t tell you the name of their client…RUN. Very, very rarely are they not able to disclose the name. Much more likely…they don’t want word getting out that that position is open. If a recruiter isn’t willing to be transparent with you, why should you be with them?
Hiring Managers, have you ever received a call from a staffing recruiter right after your employee gave their notice? What luck! Or….they totally just recruited your person out and are looking to make money off of the replacement.
When talking to a staffing recruiter, you should always ask what the range is for the role. If the recruiter doesn’t tell you, chances are their interests lines up with the client. They might be hoping that you are willing to take less than the market value.
You might get “first dibs” at a new job if your staffing recruiter is also the account executive. & if your recruiter is in competition with the account owner? You might not get submitted at all. It creates a zero-sum game where you end up exploited.
IMHO, as a hiring manager, you should always check references yourself. IF the staffing recruiter does get them on the phone (BIG IF, often they can be taken via email), it’s highly likely the answers are doctored. Why? Their interest is in the short-term gain of making a placement…not the long-term fit. Plus, they’re more interested in using the reference to get new business, not ensure the right fit.
A staffing recruiter might be calling your references to find more candidates for their open roles…even if that is for the same position they discussed with you.
Managerial references are often used as leads to sell their services to hiring managers…rather than actually getting a reference for you.
As a candidate, if a staffing recruiter ever asks you for the right to exclusively represent them (not just for their client(s), but to the exclusion of working with another agency for other roles), they do not have your best interest in mind.
Pay attention to how a staffing recruiter interacts with you – Are they organized? Communicate professionally? Do they seem on top of things? How they interact with you is a reflection on how they will represent you to their clients.
Look at the staffing recruiter’s LinkedIn profile for some clues. Short tenure? They’re likely striving to hit very high metrics and facing immense pressure. Long tenure? They know how to survive in the industry…and that in itself might be a red flag.
Here's what gives me hope though: Every time we expose these practices, every time we pull back the curtain, people realize they're not alone. And more importantly, they realize they have power.
You have the power to:
Demand transparency
Set boundaries
Take time with decisions
Choose who represents you
Walk away from sketchy practices
Change doesn't require everyone to agree. It just requires enough people to say "no" to practices that don't serve them. Every time you decline to work with a recruiter who won't be transparent, every time you push back against rushed decisions, every time you choose to work with people who respect your autonomy…you're creating change.
That's what going rogue really means. Not just accepting the status quo because "that's how it's always been done." Having the courage to demand better. To know your worth and stand firm in it.
Because here's what I know for sure: The industry changes when enough people refuse to play by the old rules.
And from my inbox these past few days? We're way past "enough."
#gorogue