4 Signs You're Dealing With A Bad Recruiter

Written by: Lauren Riley | Bubblejobs

Recruiters have a pretty mixed reputation amongst job seekers – on the one hand, they can find you the perfect job and talk you up to your ideal employer, but on the other hand, there are the bad eggs who only care about their commission and are pushy and uninterested in your own goals.

While most recruiters are passionate about their industry, there are always some that are more hassle than they’re worth.

With that in mind, here are the top 4 signs you’re working with a bad recruiter:

1. They Don’t Listen To What You Want


Normally when a recruiter contacts you, it’s in regards to a particular role they’re working on that they’d like to put your CV forward for.

If the recruiter is trying to convince you to apply for the position after you’ve said you’re not interested, they’re almost definitely not the ideal person to be working on your future.

Also, if they keep coming back to you with irrelevant roles even after you’ve told them specifically what you’re looking for, it may be time to get rid!

2. They Don’t Offer Advice


Sometimes you’ll go for a job via a recruiter and you won’t be successful – that’s just the way of life – but if you’re getting radio silence once you’ve got the news – it may be a good time to look for a new recruiter.

A useful recruiter will follow up with you, give feedback from the employer and offer up ways you can improve on future application.

Don’t waste your time chasing a recruiter who doesn’t care about your personal development – it will become clear that they’re only interested in their commission and it’s not worth putting your future in their hands.

3. They’re Impossible To Get Hold Of


One of the biggest red flags when it comes to identifying a bad recruiter is how easy it is to get in contact with them.

If they regularly say they’ll be in touch and don’t get back to you, or you leave messages and send emails and get no response, then they’re clearly unreliable and should be given the boot.

Obviously there are times when there’s a good reason that they’ve not been in contact, but if you start to identify a pattern emerging, it might be time to consider asking for a replacement recruiter.

4. They Don’t Understand The Sector Or Your Background


This is a big problem – especially in a large and complex industry like digital. A good recruiter will know their sector inside out (it’s their job, after all!) and will know which roles you’ll be more suited to than others.

A bad recruiter will assume that because you’ve got skills in one area of digital, that you must be a fit for every digital role they’re working on across the sector – and this couldn’t be further from the truth!

If a recruiter keeps suggesting irrelevant roles that you’re not qualified for or have experience of, or if they seem pretty clueless when talking through your skills and background – give them the boot!