Recruitment / Employment / Staff Agencies

Oh dear, this is where I may resemble a Grumpy Old Man. Bear with me though, your experience may be similar...

Over recent weeks I have looked at literally hundreds of websites belonging to employment agencies.  What a complete nightmare!

Some have sites that don't work, occasionally being "parked". Okay if the firm's gone bump or their ISP has thrown a wobbly I guess that's understandable.

Yet more have e-mail addresses on them. Great. However when you click on them they don't open your Outlook, and worse still, some won't even allow you to cut and paste them.  Not fun if it's some trendy named outfit with odd spellings and more syllables than brain cells.

It must really be neck-and-neck in the recruitment business these days. There are so many market leaders! Come on guys, you can't all be number one!  It's like marketing hyperbole, there clearly is an arms race going on here. It's the same with their ability to reinvent themselves. Unique. Innovative. Revolutionary Concept.  Please, spare me.  You're not, with respect, a uniquely innovative market leader with a highly advanced recruitment "solution" if you have a website that you type your name into and upload your CV on. Trust me. I've seen 496 in a fortnight.


The ones that are really annoying, however, want you not only to upload your CV, but then replicate almost its entire contents in boxes on their web form before you can register. ARGH! Read the CV!! Oh, and what's this error message mularkey all about? You press "submit" get some weird error mesage and behold! No darned e-mail address anywhere on the site. If you own such a site and wonder why it's quiet, you haven't far to go to find out!

Lots and lots of websites are not disabled friendly.  If you have a visual disability, try reading what I think is no bigger than 5 point fonts on a coloured background with poor contrasts. I really must have a good look at the Equality Act 2010 and see how much of it I can wrap around a brick and hurl in your direction...

THE GOOD GUYS

Now you'll notice I haven't named names. There are, however, some good sites. The ones that are bold, clear and allow you to either e-mail or upload with the barest minimum amount of hassle. No clearly "standard" artwork, or pictures that have sod-all relevance to your business. When you send them a message or a CV you get an acknowledgement.  You also get someone who actually reads what you have sent them. 10 out of 10 for you folks. You will doubtless go far, make a million and retire to somewhere warm with a yacht moored at the bottom of your private beach...

There are a good number of good guys, quite a few not too bad guys, but there are some real penny dreadfuls out there. 

Rant over