If We Reach Out to You, It’s Real! Navigating Trust and Transparency in Retained Executive Search
Recently, there was an article in the MSP Business Journal about people encountering fraudulent or scam job postings. From the article:
- “46% of those interviewed by Clarify Capital said they encountered a scam or a fraudulent posting, while 44% said they found so-called “ghost postings,” or jobs listed that the company in question never plans on filling. Additionally, 17% said they encountered an AI recruiter or hiring manager, not a human.”
(Who is Clarify Capital? As a provider of business loans, Clarify Capital works closely with small to mid-sized businesses. By studying hiring practices such as the prevalence of “ghost jobs”, they gain insight into a company's health, staffing strategy, and finances.)
The article went on to say that these job seekers estimated that 35% of the jobs they saw online were likely ghost postings.
Retained Executive Recruiting Works On Real Openings
At least I hope so! In the almost 29 years this firm has existed, we, as a retained-only executive search firm, have never worked on a non-real opening – nor would we ever. When we are retained (literally hired to help our client fill a role), it is indeed a legitimate position and opportunity. The client is investing in the process and has a 100% expectation that the opening is needed and will indeed be filled.
Remember Blind Ads? (Remember Newspapers?)
Many years ago, it was commonplace to encounter ‘blind ads’ that were printed in the Job Ads section of a newspaper. There were multiple reasons for companies to do this – some good and some not so good. Candidates feared that it was their employer who was running the ad and that their response to the ad would cause them to be terminated.
Were the blind ads representing true jobs? We will never know but I can guess the answer was not 100% yes.
Why Post A Fake Job?
I can come up with a couple of answers, none of which are positive. AI helped expand my answer. My personal first thoughts (none of which are good reasons in my opinion):
- Resume mining – a company or ‘agency’ wants to build their resume database for future use.
- Brand manipulation – getting candidates (and company competitors) to believe the company is expanding.
AI took me to a darker place:
- Data Harvesting – people put personal information on resumes. Could this lead to identity theft or possible phishing?
- Phishing – getting applicants to click on malicious links.
- Financial Scams – once the candidate is invested in the process, there is a ‘gentle’ ask for payment for part of the process.
What Is A Candidate To Do To Stay Safe/Only Pursue Real Opportunities?
There is no 100% safe route if you are responding to something you see posted. True networking will likely keep you safe, but some positions are indeed advertised or promoted through e-mail, InMail or (legitimate) postings. Here are a few suggestions to keep yourself safe:
- Anytime you see a company name, research it thoroughly. Use Glassdoor, LinkedIn, the company website and your own network. Note – I did not say ‘or’; I said ‘and’. Do the research to stay safe.
- Verify any recruiter identities on LinkedIn and the recruiter company website.
- Never send money or personal information beyond the information commonly on a resume – name, cell number and e-mail address.
Just For Fun, Are We Getting Fake Candidates?
This is actually another line of questioning – the ‘flip side’ of the same topic. AI is generating many fake results – that includes fictitious people, made up titles and companies, etc. We can’t just blame AI either . . . . . . see last month’s Blog on Integrity (see https://www.abelnmagy.com/blog/just-tell-us-the-truth-integrity-in-executive-search). We verify everything through our candidate vetting process; I encourage you to do the same.
Once You ‘Engage’, Keep Asking Questions
Once you are in a hiring process, keep your guard up. Do the research on each new name or company nuance you encounter. Use your network – see who is connected to the people you interact with as well as the company in general. Pursuing a new career opportunity is a major investment in yourself. No significant investment should be made in haste. The only concerning questions are those not asked.