

IT recruiters, in their own words - KiwiCoder
http://cvmountain.com/2011/08/it-recruiters-considered-harmful

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MatthewPhillips
You're paying for the recruiter's database of programmers. I get calls from
recruiters who first contacted me 5 years ago, from time to time. That
database is invaluable in most cities, where programmers are more sparse than
in the west coast. If you have to rely only on people who are applying or
putting their resume on Monster, CareerBuilder, etc. it can take a long time
to find someone competent (I've seen it first hand). But recruiters have no
problem calling up people they've placed as recently as a year ago.

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wslh
The future is dangerous! looking forward advanced recruiters could begin to
use API from sites like StackOverflow to retrieve developers with high
reputation. Yesterday I just wrote a small post about it since I needed to
recruit people for my company around my location (Buenos Aires, Argentina). If
you're interested for a responsible use :-)
[http://blog.databigbang.com/converting-excel-cells-to-
hyperl...](http://blog.databigbang.com/converting-excel-cells-to-hyperlinks-
google-page-rank-didnt-catch-this-1st/)

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gaius
SO already does that, inviting high-rep individuals to Careers 2.0.

~~~
wslh
The point is that the Armageddon will come with a zillion of recruiters using
web mashups. They don't need invitations.

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tobych
So when recruiters contact me (Python, Seattle or telecommuting), what might I
ask them to find out whether it's worth my time? I guess first I'd want to
know all the things recruiters are influenced by or tend to do that I don't
like, and see what I can ask them that would suggest they're less likely to do
those things than most.

    
    
      o Do you get paid a flat-rate?
      o What's the difference between Unix and Linux?
      o ...

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gaius
Heh, I spoke to a recruiter recently who was concerned that I had no Unix
experience. What it has on my CV is about 15 years of Solaris and Linux...

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golgo13
I got a call from one guy that said I didn't have enough TSQL for a particular
role. Never mind the 6 years of SQL Server...

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wccrawford
Cost: There's more to it than just the filtering and introduction.

Agencies we've worked with have had a guarantee clause. If the person quits
within 90 days, the recruiting company pays their salary. If they quit after
90 days, the hiring company pays them.

This gives companies a way to soften the blow of bad recruits, at the cost of
higher fees to the recruiter.

It's insurance.

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CodeMage
Just out of curiosity, what happens if the person is fired, instead of
quitting?

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wccrawford
I'm pretty sure it's the same deal... But I could see how that could cause an
integrity issue.

Generally, a company wastes enough time and money training a person that
firing and hiring every 89 days wouldn't be worth it.

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Uchikoma
I only know one excellent one, one where I could hire all developers unseen
from.

~~~
jarofgreen
Curious what you think makes them excellent - for example, do they do the
process differently in any way?

~~~
veyron
I think that IT recruiters who are more technical in nature (ie were former IT
employees) attract more competent IT people and know which candidates are
relevant to employers. As a result, the experience from the employer is much
more pleasant.

