I have been hearing that the economy is improving so I decided to test that recent speculation. Throughout the last year, there have been few to zero postings on craigslist for recruiters - I have been watching, studying. So, late last week, I thought I would check back to see if there was, now, an increased need for recruiters or staffing professionals. In theory, if the economy is better, evidence would be present on the biggest, most often-visited job board, right? hmmm



Last Friday, these were the HR listings in Los Angeles/Long Beach, California:

Fri Jul 17
*STAFFING FIRM HIRING NOW -
*Worldwide Global Corporation Needs HR Manager/Generalist -$90-120k DOE -
*Human Resources Generalist - (Pasadena)
*PERSONAL ASSISTANT FOR HIGH END WESTSIDE FAMILY - (BEL AIR)
*Employee Benefits Account Manager - (West LA)

The posting that garnered my interest was the STAFFING FIRM HIRING NOW, and I am guessing it must have been posted in several locations, as it appeared to be a virtual position. This is what the posting read:

Large Staffing Firm is expanding quickly...
We are rapidly growing our coverage into your area.
We are looking for Staffing and Recruiting Consultants
with a wide range of experience levels.

Compensation is based upon experience:
Entry-Level (0 - 6 Months) $47,000+
Mid-Level (1 -3 Years) $65,000+
Senior Level (3 - 5 Years) $100,000++

To Apply: Please use the Info Form on our Company Web site

Click Here to Register Now: http://recruitingtoday.info/submitresume.php"



So curiosity got the better of me and I had to click on the link. Which immediately took me to this page. I decided to test it a bit further and fill in the information requested. I was instantly and I mean instantly bombarded with emails and requests for a morning phone interview, 6am, my time. Not exactly the best time to interview, as far as I am concerned. After the fifth email I sent this message back:

"I am an experienced recruiter and have interviewed many individuals over the course of my career, I always give my potential candidates as much information as possible about a position before they interview for that position. I really don't know very much about your company, the actual specifics/extensive duties of the job, who the position reports to, the culture of the company, possibility of growth within the company and so on.

Before I commit to an interview at 6:00am PDT, my time, I would really like to know a bit more about the position. Is there some ancillary material you can send me or can you direct me to a more thorough website?

I believe these questions qualify me as a serious candidate, not a desperate one.

Thank you for your time and consideration."


Wrongly thinking this would encourage a qualified response, I received two more times the same email I had initially been sent three times:

"Disregard if you're already registered for interview....

FR:Dustin Causey
RE: Interview July 23rd - Thursday

You recently were on craigslist and inquired about working with our
company, can you interview right away?

We're looking for several new candidates to help with our
growth and expansion. Both entry level and experienced positions
are available. We provide very flexible hours for pt/ft positions!

We would like to interview you (Thursday @9:00PM EDT)
it would be held live online, you don't need a webcam or mic...

Duties: You'll match job seekers with vacant job openings we have
under contract. Our client base is very well know fortune 1000 companies
across the country...

Compensation:
Part-time & Full-time Positions
Compensation: ($42,000 - $84,000)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Rayanne, take (30) seconds and click link below to set
up your interview, ok..
=> http://www.myrecruitingpro.com/register.php <=
---------------------------------------------------------------
=>Date: July 23rd - Thursday
=>Time: 9 p.m. EDT
=>Location: Online

Part-time & Full-time Positions
Compensation:
($42,000 - $84,000)

*Serious applicants only*

Dustin Causey
VP Business Development
407-373-8668
Recruiting Team, 1611 Minuteman Cswy #207, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931, USA"


So, here's the website: http://www.myrecruitingpro.com
Anyone familiar? There is a letter from someone named Brock Goldstein, Founder. And there are pop-ups from my perpetual emailer, Dustin Causey. Initially, I couldn't find either one in a LinkedIn search but a google search brought up all kinds of information. If you search Dustin Causey on google, it appears he has a LinkedIn profile and you can click on it, it will take you to a LinkedIn profile with two connections but you can't find it through LinkedIn (??)... When I searched the founder, Mr. Goldstein's, that LinkedIn search came up empty as well, but his google search immediately linked his name with "scam" - I didn't even have to type it, it appeared while I was typing his name.
Attached is a screen shot of what came up...

Preying on individuals in difficult times. Taking advantage of out-of-work individuals, "you don't even need experience - anyone can do this job." Here are his words exactly:

Hi, my name is Brock. I'm a Professional Home-Based Recruiting Consultant. I have helped hundreds of people with no experience, no education, no business background make more money in a month than they use to earn in 3 months combined. You're next, if you pay attention... blah, blah, blah


I am interested in the REAL recruiting community's feedback on yet, what appears to be another scam out there. How did this profession get a bad name? Professionals, or lack thereof, like these...


by rayannethorn