I was on a national job board site recently and read a statement from a job seeker complaining about this one particular large staffing company with offices in 24 states around the U.S. And then a bunch of other people chimed in from other parts of the country with similar sentiments. This may not be a particularly new phenomenon, or a new criticism, but I’m not seeing the play here.
Here’s where it started. With a guy from Houston who writes, “I scored high on all of the computer tests, spent my time registering and going over my job requirements with them, etc. I called them everyday for job openings that would pop up on their website that I was a perfect match for. Not once did they return my call to coordinate an interview with an employer for an appropriate job. They called me for a couple of one day temp jobs, one of which was at a movie theatre..?? – jobs I was way OVER QUALIFIED for! This went on for a couple of months and I went the direct hire route. Recruiters and temporary agencies in Houston leave a lot to be desired.“
Fair enough. The next person to add to the thread replied from Colombia, South Carolina, with something slightly more pointed.
“ALL temp agencies and staffing agencies are a complete waste of time. They make it seem like they have a position for you and then you never hear from them again. What exactly is their purpose, to torture people looking for work with their sick games? One of my theories about staffing and temp agencies is that they only post fake jobs to lure people in to fool their corporate office into thinking that their particular office is actually getting assignments and have a large amount of agents in their database. This is done just to keep their location open. It is all just one big scam.”
“ALL temp agencies and staffing agencies are a complete waste of time. They make it seem like they have a position for you and then you never hear from them again.”
One big scam? Not a very flattering portrait of the industry. Then there was this, also from the Houston area.
“I overheard from another agency they are forced to put fake adds online to try an (sic) stay competitive.”
A similar statement was made by a woman from Knoxville, Tennessee.
“THEY ARE ALL FAKE! THEY ARE A WASTE OF TIME. EVERYONE OF THEM!”
And then another one, also from Knoxville, after this job seeker filled out an application for a job she felt she was qualified for, scored well on a series of tests, and was told to wait until they got in touch with her.
“I went to a different temp agency and asked the girl about this other job. She told me it was a fake and they only put it on the net to attract customers.”
“I went to a different temp agency and asked the girl about this other job. She told me it was a fake and they only put it on the net to attract customers.”
Someone from Lawrenceville, Georgia had this to say.
I know for a fact recruiters have relatively small base salaries. They must perform in order to earn commissions on their sales and/or fill jobs; however I also agree that many of these ads appear to be fake. I believe that these recruiters merely utilize the info on resumes in order to try to make sales calls on perspective businesses. They may call with the pretense of verifying a job reference but they are more motivated by trying to get to a decision maker – meanwhile they could care less about the individual who is looking for work. Why else would they not place highly qualified individuals?”
I could go on, but you get the idea. So my question is this, and maybe I am late to the party with it, and this post. My curiosity is piqued though. Do staffing firms – either large or simply local – routinely, as a matter of course, post ads for jobs that don’t exist? Have you done this yourself? Know of a competitor who does? Is the size of your database a significant selling point to new clients? Maybe you could elaborate on how rampant you think this “fake ad” practice is, what the potential gains are, as well as the downsides.
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
“Do staffing firms – either large or simply local – routinely, as a matter of course, post ads for jobs that don’t exist?”
ABSOLUTELY! I read this article title and laughed thinking it was a funny sarcastic joke and the article would be about why Staffing firms should stop doing this.
MOST jobs posted by staffing firms DO NOT EXIST. It’s just an advertisement to pull in more resumes.
Staffing firms should not be allowed to post job ads. They should only be allowed to hunt you from a resume database.
But of course job boards will take money from paying staffing firms.
Job seekers should just not be so naive.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Sadly, no, the post about fake jobs wasn’t meant to be sarcastic or comedic. As I have stated many times, I do not come from a staffing background, and things that might be well known to someone who has spent years in the business are new to me. The more threads I read about this though, the more I came to think this in fact may be a pervasive thing. But then again, given how wrong (bordering on fraud) that is, there was a part of me that wanted to not believe it. So I posed the headline and the post somewhat rhetorically, wondering if someone would respond and say, in so many words, “Duh, of course staffing companies post fake jobs to pull in resumes. Now tell me something I don’t know.” And that’s kind of what happened with the very first comment. Thanks Jenn, although your affirmation wasn’t something I was necessarily hoping to receive. .
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Supply & demand… If the firm doesn’t have people in stock, the company can’t get an immediate worker. I’ve experienced it from both sides of the resume.
Even when a legitimate job has been filled, the firm will keep the job open to continue to collect applicants to boost their supply.
I think it’s a grey area, but agree it’s likely a common practice.
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David, I agree but the practice isn’t exclusive to staffing companies. At Tempworks Software we have a career section that lists jobs we recruit for with videos and such to help people get an idea only as to what the work and environment are like. But the truth is that at any one time we are not always recruiting for every kind of position described.
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Continuing to collect applications after a job has been filled, and broadly describing positions that may or not be open at any particular specific time. Yeah, there may be shades of grey in there, but by no means would I consider that a shady or fraudulent business practice.
IT firms are probably always looking for Java developers, just as local TV stations are constantly looking for reporters and producers. There are certain positions that turn over frequently, where there is a lot of movement, and you have to be smart about having some bench strength.
What I was reading about, and questioning, is something much different, i.e., deliberately posting – and interviewing for – a position that simply does not exist.
Gregg, you might in fact harvest a resume and bring someone in for an interview in anticipation of a future opening. I think it’s perfectly legitimate to say to someone looking for work, “I don’t have anything for you right now, but I did want to meet you and I will absolutely keep you in mind for the future.”
Figuring out the nuances of this subject is kind of an interesting discussion. At what point does it shift from grey to something else?
I am still relatively new to the staffing field, I have advertised for a position or skill set that I did not at the time have openings for. Normally it was to fill job orders I was anticipating getting or i was sourcing “A+” candidates for marketting purposes. (primarily marketing the applicants to potential clients, not using their resume as a “marketing call list”)
This post now has me thinking is this ethical. I try to be up front and honest with all my candidates even to the point of encouraging strong candidates who I don’t have immediate fits for or who’s skill lay out side of my niche (light industrial/skilled labor) to register with multiple agencies. Am I doing the rich thing here or am I fooling myself?
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“Yeah, there may be shades of grey in there, but by no means would I consider that a shady or fraudulent business practice.”
Completely disagree. It’s fraudulent to job seekers. It’s a direct lie. It’s a waste of time.
If you post an advertisement to collect a resume – it should say so. Don’t hide behind a fake open job.
Something like: ***This is not a real open job. This is simply the type of job you may be contacted for if you submit your resume***
Sounds reasonable?
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No, unreasonable.
When you regularly hire and advertise for people with specific profiles, it is not reasonable or helpful to job seekers to put in the disclaimer David is suggesting. It’s true however that corporate career sites are often lazily maintained.
We are talking here of the lengthy process of recruitment into full-time positions, not ordering hamburgers at McDonalds. The hiring cycle is subject to all manner of random events. The reasons for not hiring in a given month could range from absence of the hiring manager to budgetary haggling. In our case it’s often an on-boarding issue as we may not have a mentor available to get a new employee however talented up to speed.
In any case the issue of job seekers bumping into job ads that from their perspective are for jobs that don’t exist is not isolated to employment agencies.
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“In any case the issue of job seekers bumping into job ads that from their perspective are for jobs that don’t exist is not isolated to employment agencies.”
It’s true that sometimes ads remain online on company career sites even though the job may have been filled – but it’s a mistake and unintentional, and not done to trick a job applicant.
Staffing firms post ads for jobs that don’t exist intentionally, to get resumes. That’s wrong. It’s dishonest. Why not post a disclaimer?
Just because jobs sometimes remain open on a company career site by accident, doesn’t mean it’s Ok for staffing firms to post fake job ads.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Gregg you’re just making excuses. it’s messed up to post fake jobs! I agree with David. Tell people what they’re really applying to. Why scam people?
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I’ve worked in the staffing industry for nearly 10 years. As in any other industry there are good companies and bad companies. Unfortunately people have a bad experience and now every staffing company is bad.
Yes, we put up job postings without a specific job in mind. However, we clearly state that they are general postings. The truth is, when a client calls with an order, we fill it from our database and not from a posting. We rarely have time to put up a posting for a specific order.
It sucks that there are unethical companies out there who forget that they are dealing with real people. But it is definitely not fair to the other staffing companies to say that all are bad. I often tell candidates to do their research before they approach any staffing company.
And, as always, no staffing company works for their candidates. We all work for the client.
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“Yes, we put up job postings without a specific job in mind. However, we clearly state that they are general postings.” Really? Can you show us an example?
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XYY company is currently recruiting Forklift Operators and Order pullers in the Fairfield area. Due to increased hiring at several of our clients, we are seeking candidates with the following skils:
List skills….
Something like that Jarrod.
I don’t have a ‘specific, hard start date opening’ in mind when I posted that, however I regularly and consistently place those candidates.
When I get the call from my client, I have 24-48 hours to have someone ON THE JOB. I don’t have time to post a job, wait for resumes, call candidates, set interviews, interview, do references/drug/background checks and have them to work in that period of time. I have to go to my pool of previously registered candidates.
Moreover, a job posting on a job website can cost anywhere from $100 – 500 (depending on the site, buying power, etc.) for a 30 day posting. Why would I want to dump $200 on a posting that will get me one candidate, 2 days after my competition already filled the job? Doesn’t it make more sense to build a pool of candidates for the jobs I know will be coming in?
When I get that out of the ordinary job order, I generally go out and FIND my candidate, not wait for them to find me through a posting. Again, it’s a matter of time: I can make 20 phone calls in the time I write, post and wait for 1 response on a posting.
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Well said Kimberly…some good firms are out there. The actuality in our firm is that what we have open today my not be open tomorrow and what is not open today…may in fact be open tomorrow. We try to remember our product is one that “walks, talks and has feelings” unlike a car or a TV. Temp staffing is hugely different than direct hire in this sense mainly because jobs open and close so fast. I tell potential candidates this even if when they apply the position is still open, by the time we complete the process, the job may be filled.
Please note: When I see an “attitude” by a candidate…my advertised job just became “filled” whether it did or not! I will not send someone who comes in with a chip on their shoulder. If you are applying to a staffing firm, my advice is to understand you are becoming an employee of the staffing agency…not their client. Approach your interview that way,be dressed for an interview, explain your strengths/skills in detail, and treat it as if you would any other job interview.
Too many times applicants arrive barely awake, unshowered or just annoyed that they are even there at all. We are given many many reasons daily, why we will not send someone to a client. So if you have had this experience…perhaps you should ask yourself if you approached the interview and presented yourself in the most positive light? If not, that may well be the reason the job has suddenly become “filled”
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Very good points, Pamela!
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I am from a small staffing company and i can guarantee you we post as few jobs as possible to avoid the influx of unqualified resumes. I would say for every job, 1 out of 50 resumes actually has the qualifications.
Furthermore, we get more calls from, for example, a disgruntled career mail clerk that applied for an IT help desk position that requries 2 years help desk experience, for which the candidate does not have, but INSISTS he can do. No, you can’t, you do not qualify.
Many candidates just don’t get that just because you do good work in one are, doesn’t mean you can do anything.
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It’s unfair to limit this practice to just staffing companies and quite honestly, I don’t see it much with staffing companies. We are too busy with real jobs to bother posting fake jobs and then have to deal with the hundreds of responses and candidates berating us for feedback and follow up. I personally believe the worst offenders are the Big 5. Have you noticed how their ads are EXACTLY the same with just the city changed by a few miles? Have you noticed how their ads dominate the boards in many areas/specialties? Have you ever tried to post a SINGLE job on one of the boards and 15 minutes later, a Big 5 comes in and posted 50 jobs right on top of yours (pushing it to page 5)?
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I’ve been working for my staffing service for a year now, so I can still remember being on the other side trying to apply for jobs. Our office does not place fake ads. We have general recruiting ads on our website that inform people that we regularly have administrative jobs in a particular region. These When an ad is posted on Craigslist, CareerBuilder, etc., it’s for a job that actually exists and one that we have to fill ASAP. Occasionally, we forget to take down an ad, but we never leave it up intentionally just to bring in more candidates. Also, we do not work on commission, so my efforts to fill jobs are based on my desire to make clients happy, find jobs for people, and keep our business up and running. I make the same hourly pay regardless of how many assignments I fill.
With that said, I agree completely with Carrie. One huge issue that we are having now is the number of unqualified candidates applying for some of our listings. We actually posted a recent blog about this. It’s a really tough market out there right now, so there are TONS of people applying. With the influx of resumes, chances are good that we will have many qualified candidates. Our clients will not want to consider someone with limited or no experience in the field when we have presented them with candidates who possesses every skill requested.
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I am amazed reading thru this string of comments. Amazing to me what we will all justify in our minds as being ‘right’. Myself, not to be excluded, this topic is making me look at everything we are doing. It’s a sobering reminder of how vastly different business can be run and how our industry can be easily tainted.
I came into the staffing business in 2000, and I was never trained to place FAKE ads, I was trained to work hard and build a brand and a business. I have a strict rule, never place an ad unless you have an order and to have an order you need a signed credit agreement and an account opened. Does my staff have to work a bit harder, possibly yes. But is it worth knowing that we are not “denting” our reputation, YES. It is worth it knowing that applicants trust us and know that we work hard for them. YES
At the end of the day, how a company is managed and run is dictated from upper management and ownership. So the practices of the employees and staff are often a direct result of what they see management doing.
As long as there is money to be made, (some) people will go to any length to make it. I prefer sleeping well at night, not that others don’t… They just live by a different standard. We can debate the ethical behavior and right and wrong of it and some will argue “its business”. At the end of the day, my staff knows we are here to be servant leaders first and foremost. That starts with serving others and doing what’s right. In the end, we are successful at it both morally and monetarily and we don’t have to justify the behavior and means in which we did it!
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Any recruiter that says they never place a fake ad is full of crap. But they will have a million creative ways to justify it. While a posting “may” go up as a legit job at first, the staffing agency gladly will let it linger on the internet well after it’s been filled. Then gladly accept your resume and waste your time interviewing your for….???? Yes, nothing.
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I’ve been looking for work for 2 months now and when I see a job ad saying a company is looking for someone to fill a job role, I apply because I need a job. I think hard about my skills and whether I can transfer them into other roles, and I prepare myself to do exactly that.
I put work into fine tuning my CV and cover letter, I budget what little money I have to allow for transport costs and I make sure my clothes are laundered and pressed in case Im called in for an interview.
If I do manage to get an interview appointment, I spend hours preparing and doing my absolute best to make sure Im presenting myself professionally and with integrity.
I have no income and no financial support from anyone, I live very carefully knowing that if I dont budget well enough on what I have left from my redundancy payment then I lose everything and I dont have much, just a house. I dont rely on anyone for help and I do my best to remain a contributing member of society.
To all you recruiters who think its ok to waste my time and treat me like cattle stock, I would have more respect if you were upfront and honest and at the very least, state in your job ads that you are just collecting CV’s for your database. At least then I could make an informed decision on whether I want you to have my information or not.
PS. The interviews I managed to get were from companies who did their own recruiting. It makes me wonder how much time have I wasted on job ads from recruitment companies where I never even had a starting chance. Its about time the recruitment industry was regulated by a government body.
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While not 100% foolproof, here are some tips I have learned along the way to help minimize the time wasted by recruiter encouters…
First, if a recruiter seriously thinks they can place you in a position, it’s pretty clear from the get go. They answer your questions directly and quickly. And I suggest you ask a healthy amout of questions to test this out…what is the name of the hiring company, is this a new position or are you replacing the previous person, why did the previous person leave, how long has this job been posted, do they have any other candidates they are trying to place in the position, etc. These are legit and important questions, so if they stutter or try to avoid answering any of these, you know you are being used to fill some stupid resume collection quota they have to meet for their boss…move on.
Second, if they say they are going to submit your resume on the first call, and you haven’t talked extensively and/or they haven’t asked to meet you in person…move on. They are lying and are just trying to butter you up because you asked to many probing questions and they feel you are “on” to them.
Do you want a direct hire permanent position or are you OK with being a contractor (remember contractors don’t get holiday pay, vacation or sick time)? Decide how you feel about this NOW so you can be prepared for the “bait and switch.” This is rather common now. See you will apply for a direct hire position, interview for it and get hired. This whole process may take several weeks. You will meet with half a dozen individuals and feel all is going well. And then at the last minute, the company will have some “surprise” budget issue and turn your perm position into a temporary contract…usually for 6 months. Then when that 6 months comes up, they will just keep renewing you as a contractor, perhaps until the end of time and you die. Yes, you see they were lying. From the beginning. It was never a perm position but always intended to be contract. Like I said, you must decide now how you feel about this so when they present “the switch” you are prepared. At the very least understand the amount of money less you will be paid per year (due to holidays and not getting vacation or sick days) as well as the additional cost for health insurance through the recruiter so that you can try to negotiate yourself some kind of rate that you can live off of. For those that live paycheck to paycheck, the financial difference could be substantial enough that your annual income becomes one that you actually cannot handle the several thousand dollar difference. So again, be prepared.
Paperwork. Don’t do it. Sometimes recruiters call you in to fill out “contractor” paperwork so you can be “prepared” in case they have a job for you. Then you give your social security number and all other pertinent info prime for identity theft that sits in a filing cabinet where anyone can steal it, but will never be used for an actual job. You know why? Well first of all, after you fill it out it gets shoved away in some drawer, but by law when you actually do get hired for a job this paperwork has to be current so they can’t use this anyway. I have no idea why they go through all this, perhaps because it creates an illusion that they want to hire you? But in any event, it’s a waste of time.
Referrals. Don’t give them to soon. Why? Well you see, sometimes they don’t want you, they want to talk to your former hiring manager bosses so they can try to get them on as a client and fill roles for them. Yes oh yes, they were using you just to get to someone else because the companies you put on your resume were appealing to them. If they seem more eager to talk to someone else rather than you, well you got your hint right there what they are really on to.
Also, be aware that long gone are the old days when recruiters just posted under their company name. I have applied to several well known companies via Monster, Indeed, etc. only to get calls from the recruiter that was posting under their name. We had a funny conversation because I was confused as to how they received my info, being that I was careful not to submit to staffing agencies. They wouldn’t tell me the title of the job I applied for, or what company it was from. Actually they talked in a big sweeping circle and tried to pawn a one month contract crap garbage job on me. I think it is rude to just hang up on someone mid-sentence, but I did it and it felt great. I don’t have time to waste on recruiters anymore. And neither should you.
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Wow is this all true. I had a recruiter from a national chain with a local office want to see me ASAP the next a.m. but they wanted me to send along my references immediately. I had read these posts and replied to them that I’d bring my references tomorrow for our interview, and what time should we meet? Never heard from them again. Had another that seemed fine, never asked for my references, just said that they’d let me know in a few days if the receiving company had interest in me. This one was a small recruiting firm based in another state but had a local office. I waited a week, emailed, then 4 more days and called for update on the progress of filling the position. No return call and no return email. Glad I never signed paperwork with either as the job the second co described is now listed on it’s originating company’s website. So, I applied there directly.
EVERYTHING is such a scam now. I just read a report that kids are dropping out of college to save themselves from loan default. They know there most likely will be no job for them once they graduate, so, THEY ARE WISE to not incur any more debt until they see something move in this economy. My advice, if you are very young and you got that 10 to 15 dollar an hour job, don’t quit it for a bachelor’s degree right now, just wait. Take some community college courses that will transfer to your bachelor degree that you can pay cash for while holding on to your current job. Why? If you get your bachelor degree, and have no luck finding a job that will use your degree, these lesser paying jobs (like the one you gave up) will all tell you that you are now overqualified. And then, you will be run down by your loan company with no way to pay those steep loans.
Keep your current source of income and hold tight for now.
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Not only fake jobs, they start posting fake company websites with bunches of fake job positions. No body investigates it. The government does not see it. It is so ridiculous.
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I would just like to say that another issue here about candidates saying, “After the interview, they never called me back about the position.” That means the interview didn’t go well. Similar to any other employer. Just because we are a staffing company doesn’t mean we are obligated to find you a position.
I would say after I search through resumes, if I talk to 25 candidates, maybe 10 have the talent for the job (believe it or not, people lie on their resumes!). Of those 10, 5 will pass the necessary background and drug screens. If I need to fill an order for 25 people, that means I’m going to be doing about 125 calls for that job.
I’m sorry I don’t have time to call back the 100 people who didn’t qualify, but I have a job to do too. I understand you are looking for a job and I want to help, but I’m trying to keep my job and my job requires me to fill orders. My job does not require me to call back the guy who has burglary and intent to distribute charges on his background. Or the girl who said she has experience in inside B2B sales, but really had a job as a Sales Associate at target.
Our company in the last 11 months has received 56,000 resumes through careerbuilder alone…And all of our jobs are actual positions that we are filling. You honestly expect us to contact all 56,000 people? Get real. Just because you took 10 seconds to click apply on a job board, doesn’t mandate that I have to call you.
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Ya’ll are definitely corny. I have a BA and don’t have time for your fucking bullshit. Don’t pull me around with your goddamn gimmick post and then justify it just because you are making money. Truth is I am more qualified for your job than you are but won’t work it because I am better than that.
To the bitch above talking shit about people that have made mistake or don’t have experience – fuck you. B2B sales isn’t complicated, fuck outta here. You guys can keep justifying it but it’s fucked up. My education cost more than your company!
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Shit, dawg, I know what you sayzin. People be fakin job offers so they can find you real job offers and that’s just straight-up wack.
And, yo, education be spensive, and is alwayz dope. Experrrrence in da reel world by tempin and earnin be wack. Ervryone knows that hasin a BA meanz you be gettin some tight, six-figure dolla dolla billz, ya’ll.
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@Mike- Your attitude towards applicants makes me hope I never encounter you. You take the position that most people lie, and that somehow you can tell when someone is a felon, just by reading the resume.
I’m willing to bet that you don’t read all the resumes you get, it’s just not possible. Using a program to spider through what you get is fine, just admit to it and move on.
I have found when submitting my resume, that most recruiters don’t even read it, or check my listed skills. This is a numbers game now, not like when I was in staffing, and realized applicants needed work, not canned bs answers. And just so you know, it takes far longer than 10 seconds to apply, and many times there is no other way to apply but through the job board.
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What the heck kind of roles is Mike filling if 50% of the people fail the background/drug screening check? I feel he is actually the one fibbing here. And as a recruiter, if a candidate makes it to the point where you have sent them on an interview I think that yes, it would be professional to notify them that the client was not interested. We are not talking 56,000 people like he segued into, but just the people being interviewed.
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2010 California Code: Chapter 2. Employment Agencies; Civil Code: SECTION 1812.503-1812.5095
Section 1812.504. A job order is valid for the referral of any qualified jobseeker until it is filled or canceled by the employer, and may serve as the basis for agency advertising. The agency is required to recontact the employer within 30 days to ensure that the position is still vacant prior to any additional advertising or referral of jobseekers.
(b) (1) No employment agency shall publish or cause to be published any false, fraudulent, or misleading information, representation, notice, or advertisements.
(f) All employment agencies shall maintain a record of all advertised jobs, correlated to show the date and the publication in which the advertisement appeared and the job order number of each job advertised, retrospectively for a period of one year.
(k) Any violation of this section with the intent to directly or indirectly mislead the public on the nature of services provided by an employment agency shall constitute unfair competition which includes any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business acts or practices and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising. Any person or entity that engages in unfair competition shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each violation.
http://law.justia.com/codes/california/2010/civ/1812.503-1812.5095.html
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Marvelous piece of legislation…one of what … 943 new laws in California? Trouble is even if Gov Brown and his new tax billions were able to enforce it, you have all the Indeeds and other screen-scraping aggregators out there reposting ads.
My advice: ignore web ads and work directly with real humans, for example with reputed staffing agencies. Cultivate them. They are manned by professionals who only make money when they place you in real jobs.
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The California law applies to agencies licensed as Employment Agencies. Most, if not all staffing companies in California are not licensed Employment Agencies. Why? The Employment Agency licensing and regulations apply only to firms that charge applicants a fee.
In California we have stacks of laws that complicate life for staffing companies. Thankfully, the license requirements are not in that stack.
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I posted this question on AVVO and received the reply listed below:
I have an email from a staffing company stating the job posted on Career Builder is just a re-post and not available. Isn’t that illegal?
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 17500-17509
Per an Attorney listed on AVVO – Yes, that sounds unlawful.
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If you’re looking to point to these practices as illegal, you’ll find a lot of sources (message boards, mostly) to “verify” it. So this very well could be illegal.
However a much harder search is one I’ve tried myself: cases where a job-seeker has successfully sued a staffing firm for this (under false advertisement, etc.). Or, better yet, a job-seeker successfully suing a company that leaves a generic listing on the careers page of their website because they regularly have openings and like to have a backlog of talent, not just because they have an opening RIGHT NOW.
Lots of places do both of these things and I’m not here to say they’re right, wrong, or even “it is what it is.” I’m just stating the situation for you. No matter how often these things are acted upon in a legal realm, when they are they must not go anywhere (because I can’t find case rulings anywhere). Which tells me these practices must be hard to prove and prosecute.
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I find it harder and harder to trust any recruiter now because of the lies that comes out their mouths. There are good recruiters out there but there far more bad ones that I’ve encountered. Initially I would give them the benefit of a doubt but if I see too many red flags than it’s a no go for me.
I’ve just a had a recruiter called me like 10+ times in a day now that is a big turn off; just call me once and leave a message and I’ll get back with you. I do not like fake job ads because it wastes my time and really puts a bad image on the recruiter.
Please be honest about job ads whether if they’re fake or real.
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It is sensible for a placement agency to seek out potential candidates using generic ads. That is an upfront means for them to do business. However, what happens more often is a job is posted and reposted that does not exist at all or was filled long ago. I have been dealing with direct hire placement agencies for about a year and following their activities very closely. I do not exaggerate when I say most of them practice posting fake jobs. When I approached one of the larger agencies about a specific case, I was told that her receptionist just automatically reposted the opportunity and the agent hadn’t had time to catch up with her on the status. Four weeks later (six total), the same opportunity kept showing up on various interntet job search engines. Proof positive.
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