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Ned Bedinger wrote:
<<But I'm not quite sure why the employer can't just go with the first
agency that submits a candidate. Presumably, the employer clears the deck
as a simple expedient. Everyone loses their sunk costs and everyone is to
blame for not avoiding the problem. But why not use some sort of 'postmark'
criteria?
What is the recruiter's perspective when a second agency submits you for a
different job at the same employer? Should we be tracking all opportunities
with an employer through one recruiter to optimize our chances around work
already done?>>
For the first comment in this paragraph, I think the answer is: business is
so uncertain and the resumes so many for each job that any little quirk
eliminates people. Some quirks are legitimate red flags. Others are: "I just
don't have time to figure out what this is." Those are eliminated because it
takes time and effort to read between the lines. That is not an issue at my
firm, but it is with some client companies, particularly with HR
departments, who have more on their plate than technical writer resumes.
Also factor in that many of them are asking recruiting companies for people
to fill skills without actually understanding what they are seeking; they've
just been told to find people with certain skills. Postmarking is a step
they really don't "have" to take.
>From my perspective, I need to know if someone else has submitted the same
resume. There are lots of reasons, but one is that I lose credibility at the
same rate you do! Another is that I may have promised more money to the
writer, but if the competition is in there, I may lose the ability to
fulfill that promise (haggling is an ugly thing). Another is that we've been
reduced to a commodity by that gesture alone (two companies with the same
resume). My firm has a value-add built in to offset that appearance, but
I'll never get the chance to demonstrate that difference if this gets to be
some kind of a horse race. If I know up front that someone already has his
or her resume sent in to the client company, I'll defer, and possibly offer
another position rather than that one. It really creates an awkward
situation all around, because the client isn't necessarily getting the best
candidate nor the best deal.
Sherry
Sherry Michaels
Michaels & Associates, LLC
11639 E. Wethersfield Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
480-614-8440 Local
877-614-8440 Toll free
480-614-2775 FAX
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