Employment Headhunters & My Privacy Rights

[Yuri]

Have a question

...3 weeks ago I submitted my Resume in response to a Job Posting from a Mississauga Employment headhunter. Subsequently I have called the Headhunter X3 times (she never returned any of my calls) and forwarded X2 e-mails, hoping that she would at the very least respond back, she never did.

I have now e-mailed the Headhunter asking to remove my Resume from their database, citing their non-professionalism...to date no one has responded assuring that my Resume was deleted from their database.

Do I have any "rights" concerning assurances that my "private & confidential" information as contained within the Resume be protected and/or deleted from questionable Employment Headhunters.

 

[tboy]

I don't know the specifics of your resume or the situation but it could be that you're just not what they are looking for. Often agencies get inundated with information on people they just don't have any interest in. This is not to say that you're "no good" it is just that many specialize in a particular field. So don't take the lack of response personally.

Where was this job posting?

Did you do any reseach on the headhunter before sending in your resume? (at least look them up in the phone book to see if they were legit?)

If they are legit, and you haven't heard back from them your resume was most likely tossed out as being unqualified or not what they were looking for.

I'm not exactly sure what confidential information you had on your resume but one has to be careful these days as to what information they pass around. For one thing your SIN number shouldn't be on it. The only time anyone needs your SIN is if you make it to a secondary or tertiary internview. Other than your name address phone and email (and job history of course) there shouldn't be anything on it that you should worry about.

 

[bananaman]

To be honest, the way in which you were treated is completely normal and usual when dealing with headhunters. The don't sound any different from any of the firms I have used in the past, all the way from the smallest firms to the largest in the world.

What's the big deal anyway? You're looking for a job and a recruiter has your resume. If a search thay are conducting matches your skill set they will contact you. If not, they won't. They don't have the time to respond to the thousands of calls and emails that job seekers send to follow up.

Using head hunters is a lot like throwing darts in a dark room. You throw, but you never really know if you connect.

 

[Yuri]

To be honest, the way in which you were treated is completely normal and usual when dealing with headhunters. The don't sound any different from any of the firms I have used in the past, all the way from the smallest firms to the largest in the world.
.

Great, after being in the Financial Services field for 18 yrs, nice to know that other professions treat perspective clients in the same manner. I left the Banking Biz as I found that field to be populated & comprised of "money hungry gouls" who only responded to Clients if they reveived the "scent" of money coming their way to pad their books and rationaize bonuses. Seems the Headhunting field operates in the same manner, as they are paid by the Recruiting Firm, why waste time on "deemed marginalized prospective Clients". ?????
What a world we live In

 

[mmouse]

Headhunters are a waste of space. I've applied to countless jobs through them and never once got a reply. With a couple of the bigger companies I did an experiment where I customized my resume and application so it EXACTLY matched the job posting, I mean I lied but my application must have looked like their dream candidate. Again, no reply.

Meanwhile, these companies have called me back for other jobs that I am not qualified to do. What a bunch of tools.

 

[tboy]

1) Headhunters only get paid once they place a candidate and they remained employed for x number of months. All the screening etc they do beforehand is gratis unless they place someone.

2) Their payment varies with the position being filled but in my experience it was equal to 3 months salary of the position being filled

3) They are professionals, remember it is their business to weed out the BS from the real. If someone submits a phoney resume that seems too good to be true, they will be able to tell the difference.

4) You have to remember: even with headhunters for each position there are probably 1000 + candidates and if they are a respected agency, they probably already have people's resume's on file for every position that comes up. If you've sent in a resume one of many things will happen: They will keep you on file if they think you are placeable, if and when a position opens up they think you're qualified for they will contact you, and if they don't think you're placeable, they will shred your resume.

 

[TheNiteHwk]

There is only 8 hrs in a day...

They maybe got hundreds of resumes for that postion you applied for. Of course they are only going to get back to those that they think are worthwhile. Headhunters are paid by commission. Why should they waste time responding to something that just cost them money and time and get no return. If I was them I would do the same.

 

[mmouse]

I realize they are working for commission, however as nip says they are usually completely ignorant about the industry and skills they are recruiting for.

In one case I got a call from some guy from one of the big agencies about some job. About half of the skills I had, the other half I didn't. He made some "suggstions for improvements" to my resume, and I made the ones I felt comfortable with. The guy kept on calling me back every day for a week to keep adding this, adding that, which eventually I did. My resume was now filled with lies but what the hell, I figure he's got more to lose than me when his client gets sent crappy candidates.

I'm now of the opinion that any company that uses these kind of recruiters must be stupid and I don't want to work for them (unless they pay shitloads of cash )