Job seekers are verbally abusing recruiters

• 
  Karl Flinders

  Emea Content Editor, Computer Weekly
• Published: 25 Jun 2009 12:16

IT recruiters are being verbally abused by job seekers and are being asked to put candidates forward for unsuitable roles.

The survey carried out by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents companies involved in IT recruitment, found that 20% of recruiters had been verbally abused by candidates.

A massive 59% had been put under pressure by candidates to put them forward for unsuitable roles.

But despite this, recruiters are using the recession and shortage of vacancies to become better at their jobs.

"Whiledemands from candidates continue to increase, many recruiters are turning the situation into a positive opportunity to develop themselves with 67% claiming the recession has made them better recruiters, and 35%feeling that job seekers and employers have more respect for them now than when the jobs market was buoyant," said the REC.

The survey results coincide with today's launch of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals, which has been set up to improve standards in the recruitment industry.