Professional staffing, WTF?
Having just read REWORK, the idea behind HR agencies really annoys me. I can’t see a worse way to completely miss the point of hiring, both from the candidates’ and employers’ point of view. Template messages with no personality will never attract people who are not desperate. And a boatload of Skype messages tend to be too intrusive for first encounters, no?
Employers!
If you want to hire mediocre people, that do not care about what you work on, then great for you! But if you actually care, you want to hire somebody who does, too. Filtering the candidates is something you should do, instead of trusting foreigners blindly. In order to do remarkable work, it is not required to be famous, or have a great deal of experience. And if a person values her work, she will want to get in touch with other people that will honor this – like you.
Candidates!
Really? Would you let someone else determine where you spend the better part of your day? Your work should be more important for you than that. Instead, you could go for something you value and believe in. In fact, it does not speak really well of an employer if a staffing agency is involved (as noted above). Going to an interview without knowing what the company stands for, and without looking at what it does, undermines your image. A honest cover letter can outline your appreciation for the work being done, and your research will certainly pay off once you meet the future employers. As the saying goes, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
And…
Introducing more people to your hiring process just increases its complexity (and it is already complex enough). The moment both sides start to care, the middle man perishes. So… start caring.