Recruiter posing as market researcher

[super]

Some of you may have heard this one before, but it was a new one on me:

<answer phone>

"Hello, this is xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx from <name of wellknown recruitment firm>"

"Uh, huh"

"We are market researchers and have been tasked by a firm in <area not far away> to find out what kind of roles their industry are recruiting for at the moment. We were told that your firm has a vacancy for <list of skills we aren't recruiting for>."

"Errr, which firm did you say you are from?"

"<same name given again>. We do research and advise companies on these topics"

"Oh, because your name sounds just like a firm of recruitment agents I know"

"... err... well... you could call us recruitment agents as well, I guess, well ... actually, yes... we are recruitment agents"

"No, we can't help you, goodbye".

Outright lies from what I can tell.

[DodgyAgent]

Some of you may have heard this one before, but it was a new one on me:

<answer phone>

"Hello, this is xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx from <name of wellknown recruitment firm>"

"Uh, huh"

"We are market researchers and have been tasked by a firm in <area not far away> to find out what kind of roles their industry are recruiting for at the moment. We were told that your firm has a vacancy for <list of skills we aren't recruiting for>."

"Errr, which firm did you say you are from?"

"<same name given again>. We do research and advise companies on these topics"

"Oh, because your name sounds just like a firm of recruitment agents I know"

"... err... well... you could call us recruitment agents as well, I guess, well ... actually, yes... we are recruitment agents"

"No, we can't help you, goodbye".

Outright lies from what I can tell.

He should have stayed with the script well done on out witting him.

[BrilloPad]

Some of you may have heard this one before, but it was a new one on me:

<answer phone>

"Hello, this is xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx from <name of wellknown recruitment firm>"

"Uh, huh"

"We are market researchers and have been tasked by a firm in <area not far away> to find out what kind of roles their industry are recruiting for at the moment. We were told that your firm has a vacancy for <list of skills we aren't recruiting for>."

"Errr, which firm did you say you are from?"

"<same name given again>. We do research and advise companies on these topics"

"Oh, because your name sounds just like a firm of recruitment agents I know"

"... err... well... you could call us recruitment agents as well, I guess, well ... actually, yes... we are recruitment agents"

"No, we can't help you, goodbye".

Outright lies from what I can tell.

name and shame.

[expat]

He should have stayed with the script well done on out witting him.

Dodgy draws attention to an important point here, for those of you who haven't got it: an agent on the phone to you, in a contact that you didn't initiate, is likely to be going through a script which is designed to lead at the end to you doing something that he wants. If your wants are not exactly the same, break the script before it gets to the end (how I wish I could do that with Indian call centres too, but they are too stubborn).

[DodgyAgent]

Dodgy draws attention to an important point here, for those of you who haven't got it: an agent on the phone to you, in a contact that you didn't initiate, is likely to be going through a script which is designed to lead at the end to you doing something that he wants. If your wants are not exactly the same, break the script before it gets to the end (how I wish I could do that with Indian call centres too, but they are too stubborn).

If you are pretending to be someone you are not (headhunting researchers especially) then the trick is to have a script/story and stick to it no matter if the person on the other end has worked out who you really are. If someone asks you an awkward question it is simply a case of "sorry I dont know the answer my job is to research"

[Liability]

If you are pretending to be someone you are not (headhunting researchers especially) then the trick is to have a script/story and stick to it no matter if the person on the other end has worked out who you really are. If someone asks you an awkward question it is simply a case of "sorry I dont know the answer my job is to research"

Ive noticed that in the past 4-6 weeks, alot of my calls have been " we are specialist head hunters" when they are not....any reason for this?

[Kess]

Ive noticed that in the past 4-6 weeks, alot of my calls have been " we are specialist head hunters" when they are not....any reason for this?

Probably to massage your ego and make you feel special and important - and thus more likely to tell them whatever they want to know. Did these "specialist head hunters" then proceed to ask for 2 references, past manager's names etc.?

[DodgyAgent]

Ive noticed that in the past 4-6 weeks, alot of my calls have been " we are specialist head hunters" when they are not....any reason for this?

The word "headhunter" is the most abused word in the recruitment industry.
If they are after names they will not announce that they are headhunters. What makes me laugh is when I see advertisements and next to them I see

"so and so executive search consultancy". If they are a true headhunting/search organisation what on earth are they doing advertising?

[Bob Dalek]

Agents lie, cheat and spiv their way through life? I am shocked.

[DodgyAgent]

Agents lie, cheat and spiv their way through life? I am shocked.

So speaks the voice of "honest god"