Hmmmm Recruiting Dilemma.... or not

Wow... it's been a while since I've blogged on here. It's not that I haven't been writing, it's just that I've had some other outlets, which make the something's Dan says a little quiet.. not my normal style. October 2010 it tells me... oops

So today it is... a quiet house, a busy mind and the need to write something has made this happen.

I've been Recruiting for a number of years now... maybe too many, but I heard something the other day which I hadn't heard before. Basically I'm writing to see if anyone else has had this before.

I had a new Recruiter pose a question to me, a moral question, which I've never thought about (and probably won't again). His moral dilemma stemmed from the idea or perception that we were stealing people from employers. We were without any remorse, calling employed people and talking to them about other jobs, putting the their current employers at risk. "don't you have a moral issue with that Dan?"

Huh? My response was basically, I would feel bad if there was ever a day I walked into a work place, picked someone up, against their will, walked them out the door and took them to my clients site, tied them to the desk and collected a fee. Dog the Bounty hunter style!

So I put myself in the Employers, Managers shoes. Nope still no issue! Good or bad, people come and go from your business, and you life for a mixed bag of reasons. Sure at times, I'll be pissed off, maybe disappointed (sometimes really really happy!) when people leave, but you know what... it's life. Now, if someone is enticed to leave, what does that really say? It says they weren't getting everything they needed in the first place. You weren't (as am employer) able or willing to give them what they needed in an employer, leaving them open to be enticed away by these canny Recruiters! So be it!

I've seen companies specifically target people from set organisations, it happens daily across the world I promise. Most work places are full of people that have worked somewhere else, so I am still lost on the issue.

Needless to say this person has now left the industry, but I'm wondering if I'm on my own here and not getting the issue? Help.

Comment by Al Merrill on February 28, 2011 at 5:44pm: Probably this person was stepped on by a "recruiter"! Perceptions are everything in this business, and we all don't do it the same way.

Comment by Lesley Hardy on February 28, 2011 at 6:44pm: It never occurred to me to feel bad about what I do. I have so much joy when I facilitate a great career move for someone who hadnt thought about moving. I offered them an opportunity they hadnt thought of...go me!!

I often tell people I am the job fairy. I make organisations run better by finding people to run them, and I make peoples career goals that much more realisable. If an organisation loses someone to me, you can bet they are targeting someone else in my organisation. Its all just part of the food chain...go head hunting!! I only wish I was better at it.

Comment by Thomas Patrick Chuna on February 28, 2011 at 10:56pm: I remember a happy voicemail I picked up, maybe 3AM on a Sunday some years ago... the ( slightly ) inebriated voice on the line was a guy I just placed as a sales director for a software company he IDOLIZED.. He said and I quote: " Tom, me and the wife were out celebrating tonight, and i wanted to thank you for introducing them to me..this is so great..".

I'm out to make candidates and hiring authorities happy. no moral issues to speak of.

Comment by Dan Nuroo on March 1, 2011 at 4:37am: Thanks everyone for such great comments. I tend to agree with you all (boring huh)

PS, that Recruiter is not in a Recruiter anymore.... at least not with my company.

Comment by C. B. Stalling!! on March 1, 2011 at 8:18am: The candidate are free to tell me no I am not interested in that job...many do. So I do not feel I have picked someone up, against their will at all......