How To Avoid Being Blacklisted By Recruiters And Their Clients

I can’t count the number of times that I have waited for candidates to turn up for an interview and were a ‘no show’. This was especially the case prior to the GFC, however that event certainly stopped this happening as often. I understand why candidates might have no respect for recruiters, I also understand how frustrating it can be to apply for job after job and not get a reply or an interview. I have blogged about this previously on some of the reasons why this happens. So I get it! However, there is another problem with candidates and recruiter communication and this is from the candidate side.

Recently, I arranged to meet a candidate out of my office. I was sick, however needed to fill the job urgently so I arranged to meet her anyway in a local café. I told her I was unwell and requested she let me know if she wasn’t going to turn up as I was making a special effort to meet her. It was cold, raining and I felt dreadful with a flu type virus. I wanted to cancel but didn’t so as not to let the candidate down. So I dragged myself to the allotted café, feeling miserable, and waited. Hmmmm, no sign of this candidate. So I called, no answer. So I called again, no answer. So I sms’d, no reply. I left a message on her answer phone that I was ill and could she let me know if she was turning up. No reply. Now what this woman doesn’t know is she is totally blacklisted with me and my colleagues.

She probably didn’t realise that recruiters actually socialise with other recruiters, we talk, we exchange stories and word gets out. Now I am not for an instant admitting to breaching privacy policies, however it’s pretty hard to control what other people say to me in private conversations. Now if this woman happens to apply for a job with somebody I know, and in some conversation her name is mentioned to me, I am going to tell the truth. “Yeah! I know of her, she was supposed to turn up for an interview which I made a special effort for to see her when I was sick, and she didn’t turn up or bother to answer my phone calls to see where she was”. It’s the truth! It’s not slander, it’s not made up, it is simply telling the truth of my experience with her. Do I remember her name? You bet I do! I will point out though, I do not personally bring up names myself, I just know a lot of people, it's my job to know everyone, and if someone asks me about someone then I will reply. The same goes for the reverse. If I have met somebody that really impressed me and their name pops up in a conversation, again I am going to tell the truth. “Yeah! I remember him, I was so disappointed I didn’t get to place him, he was brilliant”.

My point here is, as a candidate, if you have arranged to meet someone and you can’t turn up, it’s very easy to send an sms or make a quick call. It’s just plain manners and the right thing to do. If you think recruiters are going to be upset or that bothered that you cancel, you are wrong! We have so many people to see and we allocate time in a very busy schedule to do so. We would appreciate knowing you don’t want to make it and give the time to someone who is really interested. After all, our job is to make sure the candidates we put forward are really keen on the job, if you are not, just tell us. Maybe we have another job on that would appeal to you more.

In a recent conversation with one of my client’s he mentioned that he had offered employment to a candidate from another recruitment agency, the candidate needed to give a month’s notice so the client agreed to wait out the month for this candidate to start work. On the day before the candidate was due to start the job he informed my client that he decided against taking the job. Now the client had wasted a whole month waiting for this person to start, that means loss of revenue and production, it also meant that the whole recruitment process started again from scratch. This is very costly. The client mentioned the candidate’s name to me. Guess what? This was a candidate that I interviewed a couple of years ago and he was actually Linkedin with me! I knew him! Hopefully he doesn’t come back to me to help with him find a job because now I know he is totally unreliable and not worth my time working with him. There is no way I would recommend him to any of my clients, it’s just too risky!

It’s a small world and people talk, there is no stopping it! My advice, if you are a candidate and have made a commitment to meet someone and you can’t make it, just show a little bit of courtesy and let the other party know. It is much better to be upfront than let people down because like I said….people talk. It’s a small and well connected world!

Debbie Carr is a Director of Recruitment and agent for Professional Speakers. She can be contacted via the websites.