I had a call and a press release from RecruitmentRevolution.com’s PR agent today. When she got off the phone she probably wished she’d got my answer phone!
The press release reads, “today sees the launch of www.RecruitmentRevolution.com, the UK’s first fully functional online recruitment agency. The concept, which aims to abolish exorbitant recruitment agency fees so that more money from the client can be directed towards the candidates, was devised by recent graduates Jamie Mistlin (27) and Anna Taylor (24) after their poor experience of recruitment agencies.”
Basically the point of the site is to cut out the middleman. To remove the need for a recruitment agency (although – you may have noticed that’s what they call themselves in the press release!). Rather than pay a temp agency for staff a corporate client can visit the site and locate their own temp. They pay the candidate via Recruitment Revolution, adding about £2 per hour in fees.
I don’t have any particular problem with the principle of a site that is only for corporates. There are a number of job boards that won’t take advertising from recruitment agencies and CV databases which are only available to corporates. Also, RecruitmentRevolution.com does have a couple of useful extras – a battery of online tests to help clients assess a candidate and an E-Bay type feedback system for candidates.
The things I have a problem with is their approach of slating of the industry. Also, do they really think that by charging lower fees “more money from the client can be directed towards the candidate”? There are some statistics quoted in the press release that I find hard to believe. These are:
95% of graduates resent the profits recruitment agencies make out of them
90% of graduates feel that agents do not act in the employees’ best interests
80% of graduates are rarely happy with the service provided by their recruitment consultant.
God, I hope these aren’t true. Tomorrow’s business leaders thinking so little of those that can help them build their empires.
Jamie and Anna, despite what they may proclaim, are now running a recruitment agency. What’s that quote “we become the thing we despise the most”.
Very good points Louise, in fact I find it hard to believe that they hate agencies so much; I know for a fact I have helped hundreds of fresh graduates get their first job with in-depth briefings.
The funny thing is if they tried to get a job without our help, some would never make the grade.
What may also surprise them is it the companies often use us to stop the grads getting through at times.
I better stop there before my blood boils!!