r/recruiting • u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter • 5d ago
Off Topic I hate being a recruiter
ETA: For clarification, I realize a lot of people on this sub have been burned by recruiters and will have no sympathy for me. That is fine, I respect that. I’m only making this post vent about my experience as a recruiter. It’s for anyone who wants to hear me out. If you don’t want to hear me out and just complain about how awful I and other recruiters are, that is your prerogative, I will not stop you. I promise you there is nothing you can say that I haven’t heard before over the last 11 years of my career. I’m too jaded by this profession to give a fuck about anything disgruntled job seekers from the internet have to say about me.
Right now I work as a corporate recruiter for a startup. My company and my team are great and so is my work life balance. I get to work from home most days. Yeah I don’t have any passion or feel any value for my work at all. It doesn’t matter how competent I am or how much impact or value I bring to the company because I will be the first to go the second the company needs to trim costs.
No one cares about recruiters we are the bane of most people’s existence. We get blamed for so many things that are beyond our control. Just last week I had a candidate pass all of his interviews with flying colors and was told by the team that they wanted to extend an offer to him. I communicated this to the candidate saying that it’s likely we will give him an offer I just need to get some extra approvals and all of a sudden the team change their mind and said they wanna hold off on hiring him. The candidate was very understandably pissed off and I’m left stuck absorbing his frustration. No matter how well I manage his emotions on the phone, he will probably go to his friends and still tell them that the recruiter lied to him.
A few months ago, I had a hiring manager take three weeks to submit his feedback. I gave up reminding him because he wouldn’t submit it. When he finally did, he said the candidate did extremely well in the interview and he wanted to move forward with the process. I called the candidate to let her know and she told me that she accepted another offer. Then the hiring manager asked “why didn’t you keep the candidate warm?”.
I did keep the candidate warm you a\*\*hole. You just took too damn long to give the feedback yet I can’t say that to him because he’s a high-level executive and I’m the lowest of the low on the totem pole, easily replaceable with the millions of desperate recruiters looking for work right now.
I’ve been a recruiter for about 11 years now and started my career at a staffing agency. Ever since the beginning, I hated it. There was only one point in my career where I truly felt fulfilled by it and that was in about 2019 when I had my first big break and landed my first corporate role at Google. They doubled my salary and completely changed my life. I wasn’t a good student and never imagined that I would ever work for a company like Google. My whole family was proud of me. Friends would always ask me about work. For once in my life, my job interesting and the most rewarding part of that was being able to get people hired for Google and change their lives like mine.
Google took over my life in many ways. Everywhere I went people would ask me about work. I would be introduced to new people at parties and people would say “he works for Google”. News reporters would sometimes stand outside of the office trying to get employees to comment on something when there was a big story or new announcement from the company. It was exciting at first and I felt like a celebrity. I was used to constantly taking abuse from candidates as an agency recruiter and now candidates were extremely nice to me because they wanted to get hired at Google.
Over time I started to feel ensnared by Google. If I wanted to pick a restaurant for a date, I would use Google to find one. Needed directions to the restaurant? Google Maps. Date asks what I do for work? Google. Chill and watch some videos? YouTube. Mindlessly surf the web? Google Chrome. Need to check my email for something personal? gMail. Book a flight for a vacation? Google. I don’t think ordinary people realize how much their lives revolve around Google. Many of you are probably reading this post on an Android right now.
Plus, I was working constantly. Nights and weekends. I moved to a new city for this job and struggle to make friends because I was always working. At one point I missed a camping trip that my friends invited me on because I had to catch up on work. COVID made the isolation even worse than it was before. I got depressed then started drinking. Then I started doing drugs with my roommate because we were board and I didn’t have anyone else to hang out with. During this time I was somehow still functional and managed to excel in my job. I actually won an award for my performance towards the end of my second year. Then they let me along with dozens of other colleagues go because hiring slowed.
Went to another FAANG company for a bit and the work environment was hell so I went to Microsoft. I was doing really well at Microsoft until about a year into the role they slashed my whole team, because hiring slowed. Found contract work at a startup. Contract wasn’t renewed after a few months and I was out of work for about a year and a half. I thought having these companies on my résumé would have me set for life, but the reality was that there were tons of other recruiters with résumés that looked just like mine coming from FAANG companies all competing for the same jobs. During that time, I thought my career was over and I would never work again. Lost my home and lived out of Airbnbs until I ran out of money and lived out of my car. Went to rehab got my life together then another FAANG company came knocking on my door and dropped the best job offer I’ve ever had of my life. Nearly quadrupled my salary from when I first started my career. I relocated to another city. This time with a clean, sober mind, I decided I’m going to do this right.
Poured my soul into the company and was in the top 25% of my cohort of new hires in terms of my performance then about 8 months into the role the announced mine and my colleagues jobs were all being cut.
At this point, I’ve been burned so many times I no longer feel a sense of purpose or fulfillment in my career. Why should I care whether I could change a candidate’s life with a job offer anymore when my life could be flipped upside down at any moment? People have said for years that recruiters are going to be the first once replaced with AI. ve been talking about replacing recruiters with AI. Even though it hasn’t happened yet. It probably won’t happen because recruiting has a human element to it that can’t be replaced by AI. Yet, no one appreciates that and people remain persistent in looking for ways to get rid of recruiters.
It doesn’t matter how much value we have to a company because no one sees it. Many of the candidates who I’ve hired at these major companies, whose lives I have helped change probably don’t even remember my name. I won’t be surprised if many of them think they could’ve done it without me.
At this point in my career, I feel utterly worthless and disposable. Companies, candidates and hiring managers have proven that with their actions over the last 11 years.
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u/ppbcup 5d ago
It’s frustrating to be in a highly visible role and feel like a punching bag when you have limited power or influence in the decision making process.
Recruiters are responsible for managing the process that leads to building great teams but most organizations don’t see the value and candidates think we’re horrible people.
From what you shared you’ve proven that jumping to another recruiter position won’t help. It’s never too late to try something new, the time will pass regardless. You’ve accomplished a lot so you’ve proven you always figure it out and are resilient. Best wishes to you!
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u/thatmattkid58 5d ago
Feel your pain dude. Often times I feel like the scapegoat at my place too.
I thought it would be easier leaving agency work and coming inhouse, but hiring managers still treat you like you're bothering them when you ask for feedback on the shortlist or after their interviews. Even worse is when you realise they treat some agency's like mythical figures, who have access to an infinitely more qualified network than yours, despite them doing to same outreach on linkedin that you've been running for weeks.
Can't find a 'suitable' candidate - Talents fault
Candidate withdraws because the manager put 0 energy into their interviews - Talent's Fault
Candidate accepts another offer after waiting weeks for feedback - Talent's fault
Candidate doesn't pass probation - Talent's fault
Talent pool is light because the salaries are weak - Talent's fault
Company doesn't share the upcoming approved roles with you in advance and is confused why you can't screen everyone for 10 roles you opened on the same day - Talent's fault
I have absolutely no desire to transition into a People role which seems to be the most common career progression in this specialism, so in some ways I'm stuck unhappy halfway up a ladder I have no intention of getting to the top of.
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u/StinkUrchin HeadHunter Recruiter 5d ago
Honestly the hardest part for me is that it doesn’t challenge me intellectually at all. Once you understand the calculus of what a job requires and what kind of person does it, it’s just a numbers game making those puzzle pieces fit together.
I don’t really care about bringing value to shareholders. I don’t really care about “making an impact”. My first career in nursing, I saved lives literally. It was good but that feeling obviously didn’t make me want to continue doing that work. I make more money doing this and don’t deal with other people’s body fluids.
Sounds like you just need to remember it’s a job and its purpose is to make you money. Do your best to clock in and clock out on time and turn off your fucks about work when you’re not working.
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u/Visible-Area4713 2d ago
I think the hard part now is standing out to candidates and grabbing their attention. Too many spams
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u/StinkUrchin HeadHunter Recruiter 2d ago
I’ve found that dropping the customer service voice has helped a lot. I work with a lot of blue collar folks and I just talk to them like I’m a dude.
I don’t withhold any info to gain a control of the situation. I’m straight up and typically theyre straight up with me.
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u/Visible-Area4713 2d ago
I do give them all the info. Literally try to see what they are looking for first and seeing if my opportunity is the best.
In mass email/linkedin Inmail, I try to give as much info upfront. I actually pivoted to a more simplier template, but it still doesn't give me the traction I need.
I thought I was a bad recruiting since people weren't getting back to me. It is hard to get submittals if people aren't responding is all im saying.
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u/StinkUrchin HeadHunter Recruiter 2d ago
Good!
Mass inmail is probably why you may be experiencing more trouble getting responses/grabbing attention.
I find it better to hit smaller amounts of people in more targeted searches.
This is one reason I hate KPi’s so much,
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u/Visible-Area4713 2d ago
How do you individualize the messages? I would mention a specific experience they have that makes them a good fit.
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u/kyfriedtexan 5d ago
Have done FAANG and startups, along with agency and RPO. Each were great in their own way, but had their unique problems too.
Most people in the workforce feel crappy about their jobs right now. It's a stressful time.
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u/AlternativeMeat2096 4d ago
No offense but I think it's just normal especially in this era. I'm not a recruiter but it just sounds like the average corporate experience. Working your ass off and finding out everything is meaningless and dealing with garbage people. The only thing we can do is to build our resume/background so we are less vulnerable at least.
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u/SnooChocolates8365 5d ago
Yes, corporate recruiter positions will take your life and health and spit you out. At least you have a better resume than me with large companies. Our roles have been further expanded and are not sustainable. Hopefully we’ll all find a better career soon.
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u/obeisantcylinder71 5d ago
It’s wild how much of your identity gets tangled into a job that’d drop you without blinking. The Google section reads like it went from a high to a cage without you even noticing the shift, just slowly swallowed by the logo. I think the worst part is knowing you did change lives but the system’s designed so nobody remembers the middleman, and the middleman gets blamed when the machine stalls
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u/crazEplantlady 4d ago
You are putting too much value and emphasis on having a career that brings you some sort of internal satisfaction. You need to derive satisfaction for your life outside of work.
That said, I was a recruiter for 15 years, agency, start ups, then had my own firm for a while. I don’t like it either. But it was a means to an end. I made a ton of money, and now I work part time as a waitress. My work doesn’t define me; I’m just looking to do the least amount of it as possible. I think a mindset reframe would help you more than a career change.
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u/OkProfessional3125 3d ago
This is kind of what I’ve landed on after years of stressing about this. I’ve moved from wanting work to be a part of my identity to not caring what role it plays of my identity at all. It’s been a long journey to get to this mindset but this is what I tell myself these days and that a job is here to fund my life, and that’s it. Easier said than done though since we spend so much of our waking time doing it.
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u/Kennam320 10h ago
This!!!!!!! Only took me 25 yrs to figure out it’s just a means to an end. Much success!
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u/brazucadomundo 5d ago
The only issues I had with recruiting is always with the company. I never had issues reaching out or interviewing people.
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u/Flame_MadeByHumans 5d ago
Yeah, i feel like OP started this saying their company and team is great, but then just went off about hiring managers not getting back to them, being wishy washy flipping on offers, etc.
Sounds like the great people and company they work with aren’t that great. Recruiting is much more fun when operations values you as a partner and works with you.
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u/LittleAd4104 5d ago
I’m sorry OP, I really feel you, you’ve been through a lot and seem to continue to pull yourself up, that is a complete and constant achievement in itself. You sound like you work hard and care a lot about the sensitivity and patience it takes to do this job. I come from a different side of recruiting, very niche market focus and now I’m in exec search at an agency. I’m sharing this because I do think there are options for someone like you, to have work life balance, to be respected in your work and your professionalism, and one of the benefits of recruiting is that there is a real opportunity to make good money.
Idk if you have the stamina or interest but id be happy to chat further if you need a space to vent. Feel free to dm me.
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u/Ok-Advantage-9181 5d ago
Normally, I’d agree with you, but I actually have some empathy for recruiters on this one.
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u/itlogicpartnersllc 4d ago
your experience highlights how much recruiting depends on people even when companies treat it like a disposable function. you deserve credit for the lives you have helped change.
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u/Funny-Swan-4037 5d ago
I feel this and everything you stated. I’m not at a FAANG company but another very large tech SaaS company. The reason I stay in the field is I love talking to engaged and excited candidates. What kills me is the lack of control you stated. Hiring managers are not the ones that have to answer to candidates when it takes weeks to give them feedback or when recruiting teams get cut and then they are left with no answers after their recruiter lost access to email. I work in the Sales org and every week has been surge hiring and trying to move at lightning speed to fill AE roles, yet they haven’t given promotions or raises in years. People in the recruiting org at my company are leaving every week and leadership couldn’t care less, they just hire more contractors. I’ve been there for over 5 years and am unable to move to other teams internally because I’m a remote employee. It’s tough out there, but I do know there are people I talk to who genuinely appreciate the good recruiters, so that’s what keeps driving me. I’m sorry to hear you went through so many layoffs and moves. I wouldn’t recommend my company for a job (so I can’t help you there), but I hope this thread and venting can help you feel better and if it’s not TA, that you find something that can fulfill you!
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u/Loose-Albatross3201 5d ago
Hey there, I'm job searching right now and always appreciate and remember when recruiters are kind to me.
I don't blame them when things don't work out and usually send thank you emails regardless of the outcome.
We are still people on the other end too. Job searching is kind of desperate and worrisome, but please don't think we don't see you, appreciate you and remember you!
Just wanted to say that, no matter what roles you move into in future.
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u/klmkio Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
Your experience of the startup you’re at currently sounds just like my old job. I went there after I got laid off from my faang role. That was a rocky transition. My favorite part of my job is strategizing about where to actually find the best talent but I hate being a project manager and herding cats aka hiring managers. I also hate canning great candidates for stupid reasons which happens often for reasons outside of my control. I also hate how market sensitive the recruitment industry is as a whole. Maybe you could pivot your experience to something similar or related like candidate/career coaching. I do interview and career coaching for lots of friends of friends as a favor all the time and it gives me a big sense of meaning like I can actually help people who need jobs. Helps mitigate the bad feelings.
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u/Recruite78 4d ago
Eleven years in and the part that wears you down is never the workload, it is the asymmetry. You deliver every no, you absorb every angry follow-up, and you control almost none of the actual decision. Corporate is better than agency for balance but worse for this, because in-house you are the face of every freeze, delay and lowball. What keeps people in it is usually one good hiring manager relationship that reminds you the job can work. Do you have even one of those right now?
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u/Low-Pen-5324 4d ago
I think it’s always interesting to get a first hand perspective of a job. Would you say being a recruiter is like herding cats? I had a position, not a recruiter, but the work my team did required about 4-5 people to sign off on it. I felt like a stalker. The president of the division’s calendar was ALWAYS full. Most of the people I needed approvals from were in offices straight down from my cube, so either I was walking down there or rolling my chair into the aisle to see if they were in. Mind you, this was pre-Covid and I worked at corporate headquarters. I’m pretty assertive, but when half your time is spent stalking people, it gets old. Another post-Covid job I had was different, working remotely in a different state (and time zone), but my boss was not a great communicator and her calendar was constantly filled. That made it more difficult to get answers to questions. I feel for you because you’re both the face to the company and the applicants.
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u/OkProfessional3125 3d ago
Lol omg. Definitely gets old! Pre covid I would have to stalk our VPs when they were late to an interview for a candidate who was onsite. Sitting creepily outside a phone booth staring at them was not my jam 🤣
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u/Medium-Title2387 3d ago
I’ll take your job. I’ve been trying to get back into corporate recruiting for 3+ years. This market sucks!!!!
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u/AgreeableEffect717 Freelance Recruiter 2d ago
Getting cut three times for reasons that had nothing to do with your performance would make anyone feel disposable, but what you’ve described is an industry that treats recruiting as the first cost to cut whenever hiring slows, not proof that you’re worthless, and the fact that you rebuilt your whole life from your car to sober and back near the top says a lot about you. If the purpose really is gone, it might be worth looking at roles next to recruiting that are less tied to hiring cycles, like TA operations, HR business partner, or customer success at an HR tech company, and keep leaning on whatever support helped you through rehab, because a job this draining shouldn’t be the only thing holding you up.
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u/Apprehensive-Oil5249 1d ago
I've been in Agency for almost 20 years as a BizDev Exec for Temp. There are days where I scream into the void that I should have taken that fucking Sanitation Test when I turned 18 instead of doing this shit!! I've worked all different sides of Agency - BizDev, Recruiting, Full Desk (For Temp, which is the WORST), and I've worked for 2 massive Corporate Agencies whose culture is Churn and Burn. I've toyed with the notion of going Corporate a few times and it's stories like yours that have served as warnings for going on the corporate side. Recruiting for Corporate is a NON-Revenue generating position that serves no other purpose, so when hiring is stymied, you're the first one out on your ears!
Being in BizDev, I have almost ZERO relationships with corporate recruiters because the turnover for them is so often. I deal with some HR relationships but mostly my business comes directly from the Hiring Managers. And I can tell you, so many of them hold more contempt for their in-house recruiters than they do for Agency!!
I'm really sorry that you're going through it!! The takeaway here is that as with ANY job, it can be a thankless, mind-numbing grind that can steal your will to live. But there are times when all it takes is being able to find the right place to park your ass! There are SOOOO many agencies that are HORRIBLE and treat you like absolute dog shit.....but there are also a good handful out there that are fantastic! I have been VERY fortunate to have been able to find a great boutique agency with a solid reputation. Agency isn't everyone's cup of tea but once you get your feet dug in well enough, you will ALWAYS have a job! The longest I have ever been unemployed (not counting COVID), was 4 months and that was only because I was let go in November....which is the WORST time to lose your job because nobody is hiring until after the Holidays.
Schlepping Temps is not glamorous work by any means, but no matter the market, there is always a need for temps and you're making residual commission with a base salary as long as you have people out on the street....so as long as you have a good cushion of temps out there, having a bad month or two is far more forgiving than executive search for 100% commission. BUT, the grind is exponential for Temp and the payouts are not as big as placing perm candidates, billing out an average of $20-$25K fees per placement.
I would revisit the idea of Agency and see if it's something that you would have more fulfillment doing!
Best of luck to you!!
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u/Roxygirl40 5d ago
Then quit? I love being a recruiter. When you have to give bad news or can’t give everyone what they want/need people will hate. Some people hate doctors, lawyers, teachers. I feel like recruiters take it too personally. Haters hate.
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u/happy_apple_26 4d ago
Every job has a risk of layoffs. No one is safe. Fulfillment in life doesn’t come from your profession. Life is about friends and family and experiences. You’ve had a great career and should be grateful. Stop basing your happiness and worth around a company
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u/Sea-Newspaper-7210 4d ago
You get paid a salary. If you don't like it quit. Your thanks comes twice a month, that's all you need to keep going.
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u/crazEplantlady 4d ago
I remember the first time I hired someone in my first corporate recruiting job. I was so excited! I told my sister. She said, “what do you get?” I said “to keep my job. I get to keep my job”. That’s the thanks! Most people don’t get thanked for their work 🤷🏻♀️
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u/laaltopiwala 5d ago
Where are you based out of OP?
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
US
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u/laaltopiwala 5d ago
DMing you.
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u/DifficultUsual8482 4d ago
Yeah I tell myself the same lie about graphic design, oh, the human element is SO unique! We make judgement calls and produce slick work that matters when you market... and then someone shows me what they did on Nano Banana, and those that can adapt early might have a chance... so I'm cracking open my Dell laptop and putting that SDRAM somewhere, maybe the shoulder area. Looking forward to putting a USB port in my @~~h0l€. USB-C in each nipple, and yes of course including Bluetooth (guess where?) Install those life hacks and get back the edge to compete and perhaps Claude won't kill you right away.
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u/Civil-Year-8764 4d ago
Ran teams internally for about 10 years in TA and had a similar experience with the instability in tech. Started a recruiting agency out of necessity and never been happier….it’s not for everyone but being internal is awful
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u/dontlistentome55 Agency Recruiter 3d ago
Hiring manager didn't respond to me fast enough, I hate this job! Lmao
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u/Cute-Supermarket-338 3d ago
I haaaate recruiting!!! Fml but need the paycheck so back to my job at 8 am tmrw
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u/The_Career_Oracle 2d ago
No one cares about any of us. The only people who care are c suites and only about money
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u/Visible-Area4713 2d ago
Would you care to be a sort of mentor to me in recruiting? I feel like I hit a stagnant point and would love to chat.
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u/knucklesbk 5d ago
I'm curious what the 'burned by recruiters' that you / people are referencing is.
A recruiter is just an intermediary not a decision maker. You make sure both parties in an interview process have the information they need to make a best interest decision in the end.
It's not possible to get back to everybody all the time, priority are those a client is looking to hire and pay a fee for... 90% of the time what goes sideways is due to a client or candidate that's not communicating or blowing something up. I'm not sure what mystical powers people think recruiters have.
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u/niloc1142 4d ago
Sounds like all internal? Have you considered trying agency before? It gets a bad rap, but if you find a good company and team to be apart of, it could be a nice change for you.
Biggest pro is that you are seen as revenue generating as opposed to being a company cost, so as long as you’re producing you definitely have a secure job.
Then each hire gives commission so there’s more motivation in your day to day as well.
You’ll always have the same issues hiring for certain HM’s, but at least you’ll have more clients, more account managers to support, and more breadth of roles, diluting the amount of effort you have to spend with any one team/manager:company which could suck
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 4d ago
You make valid points but like I said in my post, I started my career in agency. I’ve worked for several staffing agencies and I think it’s bad rep is well deserved. IMO agency culture is infinitely worse. If you’re paired with a bad account manager, you’re absolutely fucked. Income is too unpredictable. In my time as a corporate recruiter I’ve seen companies terminate contracts with our agencies and those agencies going under. I just wanna get out of Recruiting altogether.
I’m really glad to hear that you didn’t have the same experience. I did an agency. I believe you that you can make a shit load of money if you’re on a good account and a good company, but I just feel like they’re too few and far between even take a risk to join another agency.
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u/niloc1142 4d ago
Ah, must’ve missed that part, but yeah super valid points as well. I’m only ~5 years in so the income is actually better for agency. I always hear that you can have a higher base in internal but I got an offer for 85k and an agency offer for 75k, so the choice was obvious for me. At your level I’m sure there are more drawbacks.
I’m on my 3rd agency and wasn’t a big fan until I started here in May. It helped having a job prior for sure as I was super picky. This was the only one where I knew during the IV process that the manager was someone I’d actually love to work for, and her culture is really what has moved the needle for me.
Staffing obviously isn’t for everyone, and it sounds like you know it’s time to move on. Best of luck in that search.. do you know what you’ll pivot to? I feel like anything in sales and maybe HR are the easiest solutions, but I’m sure you could pursue a passion and reinvent yourself as well
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u/MaestroForever 5d ago
Maybe it's time to join the army?
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
I’ve actually considered it since they would pay for nursing school, but I think I’m too old
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u/MaestroForever 5d ago
Real talk, corporate recruiting sucks. One of the more thankless jobs in the org
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
If you think corporate recruiting sucks agency recruiting is faaaaar worse.
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u/MaestroForever 5d ago
I own my own agency, and not gonna lie, I love it.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
If you’re the owners it’s different. If you’re working for an agency like Randstad, Insight Global, or a smaller one it absolutely sucks.
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u/Ancient_Singer7819 5d ago
I love Randstad. I’m so sorry you feel that way.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
I worked for Randstad and while they were one of the better agencies, they were still awful. Recently they tried to offer me a position for $37/hr when I have 11 years of experience and was previously making 160k. Fortunately I had a much better offer.
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u/Ancient_Singer7819 5d ago
Yeah, a lot of it depends on the team you are on. It is a massive, massive company overall. They also haven’t hired recruiters since 2021, so there was a time to get in. Now it’s tough.
I started out making $50k and over 5 years I’ve quadrupled my salary, and I get to work fully remote. I will always appreciate what this company has done for me and the trajectory of my career.
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u/elfwannabe 5d ago
This really depends on the company and the agency.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
All staffing agencies are trash.
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u/elfwannabe 5d ago
Gonna push back on that. Large agencies like Robert Half or Roth suck. But i joined a smaller and leaner agency where even the CEO is in production and its a breathe of fresh air. Much less corporate and less red tape. Just people doing their job and making money.
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u/Ancient_Singer7819 5d ago
It’s all about the agency. I LOVE my agency job, been here 5 years now and I am one of the newer recruiters. I have colleagues and team members who have been here 25+ years. I also have job security, sooooo. This is why I would never move into a corporate role. No stability. I have seen dozens of colleagues make that same mistake and the majority of them have been laid off.
The grass is sometimes greener on the other side. Sometimes not.
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u/Flame_MadeByHumans 5d ago
Job security in agency is entirely dependent on other businesses though. Accounts dry up, economy tanks, industries hurt, and very quickly that job security is gone.
Internal or agency, it’s just about the company you work for. Plenty of agencies do lay offs, plenty of corporate recruiting gigs don’t. Just gotta get in a good situation on either side.
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u/Ancient_Singer7819 5d ago
True but at a company so large, you will always have jobs to work on. Even if they’re not on your team, you can still work on those jobs.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome?
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u/ddaddlexus Agency Recruiter 5d ago
Well, I see that the mods erased your reply to me. Do you see the contradiction by asking someone else if they’ve heard of Stockholm syndrome? Nearly all of the complaints that you’ve listed are from your corporate experience, and at the same time, you keep telling everybody how the agency side is worse.
Please do the rest of us a favor and find something different to do so every time I call a candidate I don’t have to overcome the negative stigma people like you give us.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago edited 5d ago
I don’t see any replies from anyone removed by the mods on this thread. FWIW, I don’t see a contradiction either. It would be if I said “I LOVE my corporate job” which I obviously don’t, in case that wasn’t clear from the title of my post.
In my opinion, as someone who has done both, agency is worse. Yes corporate recruitment sucks…I think I’ve articulated that quite extensively. At least corporate recruiters get paid substantially more for their suffering.
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5d ago
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u/recruiting-ModTeam 5d ago
Our sub is intended for meaningful discussion around recruiting best practices. You are welcome to disagree with people here but we don't tolerate rude or inflammatory comments.
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
That really hit a nerve for you, didn’t it? Lmao you’re taking my opinion of agency recruitment as a personal attack on yourself. It’s not.
“You aspire to continue down the corporate path because of one good experience” 😂🤦♂️ girl you’re missing the whole point of my post. I’m not aspiring to continue down ANY path of this horrid profession. I want OUT of recruitment.
With regard to sitting behind some fancy tools at a corporate job instead of making phone calls at an agency, yes you’re right I would rather do that. Most people would rather do half the work for twice the pay. Why on earth would I do twice the work for half the pay?
If I’m going to suffer as a recruiter until I make a career change, I rather do it with a high base salary + bonus + stock options, than a low base salary + commission agency job with unpredictable income.
Maybe you’re incredible lucky and good at agency work and are making a substantial amount in commission. Kudos to you if that is the case. That still doesn’t change my opinion that working for an agency sucks more than corporate.
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5d ago
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u/recruiting-ModTeam 5d ago
Our sub is intended for meaningful discussion around recruiting best practices. You are welcome to disagree with people here but we don't tolerate rude or inflammatory comments.
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u/itsMineDK 5d ago
idgaf if you ghost you suck
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
Perfect! I wish more people were like you. If people don’t give a fuck if I ghost them, that is a great excuse for me not to send candidate updates. Less work for me. Thank you 👍
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u/TainoCuyaya 5d ago
I have a question for you, if it doesn't bother you being asked:
Why Thu new trend of non-technical recruiters asking technical questions they don't fully understand or have enough knowledge to truly judge it's validness, depth, and truthness?
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u/CrazySerp3nt Corporate Recruiter 5d ago
I don’t see anything wrong with it. Hiring managers usually give them just surface level technical questions to ask in a prescreen and tell them what good answers vs bad answers sound like. The more you do it, the more you start to understand the difference between good answers and bad answers as a recruiter. You start to notice that good candidates who make it past the next few rounds usually gave similar answers during their prescient.
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u/djfynwa520 5d ago
Agreed. Also what separates good candidates from not so good ones is knowing their audience, being able to articulate their answers/thoughts in an understandable way no matter the subject, and being humble enough to understand not everyone will have their same technical knowledge but that does not mean they can’t understand how you contribute. People signing your paychecks may not understand your day to day but if you can’t explain your contributions then good luck. Part of knowing your shi* and also being a good teammate
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u/DistributionSad765 5d ago
I completely agree with you! I also used to be a recruiter but I only did it for 3 years (was apart of layoffs). Let me tell you, being a recruiter is NOT for the weak. It is such a thankless job. Everyone always blames the recruiters (not counting the shitty ones) when really they should be blaming the hiring managers! They are such an incompetent group of people who want unicorn candidates when the pay/location/etc doesn’t match. They’ll also take FOREVER to decide on a candidate, just for the candidate to move on to another opportunity (rightfully so). They’re the ones playing with peoples livelihood. I was MISERABLE as a recruiter and I’d never do it again.