We polled almost 200 mining job candidates and found out how they feel about one of recruitment’s poorer practices, misrepresentation.
Should recruiters ask a candidate’s permission before putting their name forward for a job?
That was the simple question we asked in our regularly monthly poll in February 2020.
The response was a resounding yes.
Almost 200 people took the time to reply, with 77.8% insisting mining recruitment companies should gain approval from a jobseeker before recommending them for any position.
Why it’s time to stamp out this poor recruitment practice
Forwarding a candidate’s resume to a prospective employer without first getting approval is a common industry practice. Our poll found that almost half of all respondents (49.5%) had experienced a recruiter forwarding the information without prior approval.
When Mining People first opened its doors 25 years ago, it was one of several ironclad promises we made: we would never submit a candidate for a job without asking first.
After all, the candidate may not be interested in the role. Or they may specifically not want to work for that company. The pay rate might not be enough. The manager might be someone they don’t respect. The roster might be terrible for them. There are any number of reasons a candidate might not want their name to go forward for a particular job.
More than anything, we simply consider it a professional courtesy – both to the jobseeker and to the mining company concerned.
But, and this is one of the reasons the recruitment industry gets a bad name, sometimes while we take the time to have that discussion with the candidate, a less ethical recruiter jumps right in.
Now, in the minds of the mining company’s human resources team, that other recruiter represents the candidate. It’s first in, best dressed. So then we have to call the candidate and say we can’t represent them. Usually, the candidate is either confused, furious or horrified.
Sadly, these poor practices often win for the recruiter, so there’s no incentive for them to behave ethically.
Candidates are demanding ethical recruitment practices in mining
Hopefully, these results from the Mining People Polling/Media Centre will give some recruiters pause for thought.
Why? Because the responses to our survey are pretty conclusive: jobseekers don’t like this practice.
Of those candidates who had experienced a recruiter forwarding their details without permission, 82.3% said the recruiter was in the wrong. Of those who had not experienced it, 74.5% said recruiters needed to get permission first.
Happy candidates are the lifeblood of the recruitment industry. Extending them this simple courtesy should be a no-brainer. Our jobseeking respondents seem to be of one mind. It would be great to get recruiters and mining employers on the same page too.
Do your own research to gain a competitive advantage
You can use the Mining People Polling/Media Centre to commission your own, targeted research, with results provided exclusively to you. Please contact us if you’d like to know more.