highlyinadvisable profile picture
highlyinadvisable profile picture

highlyinadvisable

SaLeS dEvELoPmEnT rEpReSeNtAtiVe

Opinionated
Contributor
Fire Starter
+1

Why don't recruiters share the name of the company they're trying to hire for?

Kind of a long one with a quick question. TL: DR What's the deal with the dance? I understand pricing and comp can be difficult but I have zero idea why we'd talk if you don't tell me what we'd talk about.


Here's the (anonymized) linkedin exchange:


Recruiter:

Oatmeal Pie or Oreo?

This was always a huge debate in my house growing up. I am an Oreo guy myself, what do you think?

The real reason for reaching out. I have 60+ open sales roles in the tech world across the country including some fully remote. Comp ranges with the roles based on experience:

-ROLES

If something above sparks your interest send me your number and we can/should start a conversation.


My response:


NAME,

Mostly interested in ROLES in SPACE.

Let me know what you've got in that department and I'd be happy to set up a time to chat at TIME if it makes sense to connect.

Best,

highlyinadvisable


Recruiter:

Monday at TIME! I will shoot you an invite now.


Me:

NAME,

I'm kinda swamped by interviews at the moment. I really don't have time for a call if I don't know what I'd be looking at. 

Can you share a bit more on who you're representing?

Best,

highlyinadvisable


Recruiter:

Dang, timing is everything. Best of luck in your current search. If you things don't work out and you are still looking please reach out. I am going to make a note in my calendar to ping you in a month.

This is

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
👑 Sales Strategy
👥 Hiring
👨‍💻 LinkedIn
14

21 comment

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funcoupons
WR Officer
12
👑
As a former recruiter, it's extremely likely that this recruiter doesn't actually have open roles for you. They're network farming to try and prepare for when they do have roles to fill. Don't work with this person, they sound like a fuckin amateur and time waster.

In general, recruiters will avoid sharing company names/details early on for the following reasons:

1) They've been hired to fill a role because the company is letting someone go, but obviously want to keep that information on the DL. Company could also want to keep hiring confidential for other reasons.

But the more likely reason:

2) If candidates find out the name of the company they can just go apply directly with the company and cut the recruiter out. To stop this from happening, the recruiter will conduct a screening interview or two with you, then have you fill out paperwork so they can prove they "own" your candidacy when they present you to the employer. Employers/recruiters have contracts that say that if the company ends up hiring any candidate that the recruiter "owns," they owe the recruiter commission for that hire even if the candidate abandons the recruiter later on and deals with the company directly. The recruiter is protecting their own ass.

I only entertain recruiters that come prepared with a personalized message containing the basics of the role. Title, industry, job description, and an OTE. If they're hesitant or vague on providing the following info and try and encourage me to hop on a phone call to talk about it, they are left on read. I don't have time for that shit and neither do you. 

jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
Bingo
Jewcan_Sam81
Politicker
8
Account Executive
My favorite is when they hit you up for a position that's two rungs down from your current place on the career ladder.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
"You're a perfect fit for our BDR role!"
funcoupons
WR Officer
2
👑
Or roles completely unrelated to sales. My favourites are when I've been approached for customer service in a call centre and for an IT help desk position. 
jefe
Arsonist
0
🍁
I've had multiple Primerica "VPs" reach out.

Ugh
CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
🦊
It's garbage roles that have nothing to do with you.
Beans
Big Shot
2
Enterprise Account Executive
Give me salary or don't bother. 
NotCreativeEnough
Big Shot
4
Professional Day Ruiner
I’ve interviewed at companies before that say they won’t tell you the ote or pay plan until they make an offer. Never made it past the initial phone call and always said I wasn’t interested.
Beans
Big Shot
3
Enterprise Account Executive
Exactly, toss me a range so we can ensure no one’s home is wasted.
funcoupons
WR Officer
3
👑
When salary isn't given I assume it's laughably below market rate and ignore that shit.
TheNegotiator
Arsonist
2
VP of Sales
It’s some next level bullshit when the recruiter straight up lies.

I was hunted about 3 months ago. Her opener on LinkedIn quoted 130-140 base +++

Offer, after 3 successful rounds was 105 max.  What a joke.

It was next level bullshit because I told her I was making more than that, but willing to take a cut to get back into IC.
NotCreativeEnough
Big Shot
0
Professional Day Ruiner
The reason they don’t share the name of the company is because they don’t want you to go around them and apply directly. they get paid for placing you in the role. If you apply directly to the company instead of through them, they don’t get paid.
I almost accepted a job as a recruiter awhile back. They’re basically just protecting themselves from getting shafted
RealPatrickBateman
Politicker
0
🔪Amateur Butcher🔪
In short, it is because they often don't have spines and their only real talent is usually their "looks", lets be honest. The hot recruiter that ALWAYS oversells is far too common. 
highlyinadvisable
Opinionated
0
SaLeS dEvELoPmEnT rEpReSeNtAtiVe
My position on the spectrum renders me immune to propaganda. I may ask nicely for...patience at times, though.
braintank
Politicker
0
Enterprise Account Executive
Never respond to 3rd party recruiters. Always a waste of time.
TheNegotiator
Arsonist
0
VP of Sales
Nah, that ain’t true. Don’t sling that.

3rd parties can frequently be a blessing. They can position you in a role where an in house recruiter might not consider you qualified.

Vet all offers equally, because at the end of the day the recruiter is making sale too, but as long as you use your brain there’s no reason you can’t work with them.
SADNES5
Politicker
0
down voters are marketing spies
They're hiring for garbage roles
PhlipOut
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Yeah I always ask "who's the vendor, so i can evaluate if it may be a fit ahead of having call".. sometimes you already know it's trash

If they can't/won't say and i'm busy.. on to the next
Justatitle
Big Shot
0
Account Executive
This has been discussed before ~ 4 months ago. The reason is that if they don’t submit you to the client then they don’t get credit for them hiring you. So if they put in their message that X is looking to hire and you go and directly apply to X the recruiter doesn’t get paid. You asked why they don’t give the name and that is why.
SultansofSales
Opinionated
0
Commercial Account Executive
Former recruiter here. Sometimes it is because they don’t want other staffing firms to steal the business by finding out who the client is
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