07/24/2025
🔍💼 A Pattern Worth Talking About: Let’s Fix How Some Recruiting Works
Over the past several years as a consultant, I’ve interacted with hundreds of recruiters while looking for new roles—mainly through LinkedIn, Monster, and Indeed. But there’s a pattern I’ve observed that’s become frustrating and, frankly, unsustainable.
Many recruiters—often working for overseas firms (especially in India)—flood my inbox, voicemail, and now texts, sometimes calling me 5+ times a day. At first glance, this seems like good news: multiple job leads, interest in my skills, enthusiasm to help.
But here’s what actually happens:
They tell me I’m a great fit for a job and insist they have a direct line to the client.
They request an RTR (Right to Represent) form during the call—urgently.
I comply, thinking something real is in motion.
Then they vanish. Every single time.
No feedback. No follow-up. No interviews. Just silence. And this isn’t a one-off—this has happened dozens of times.
I started to wonder: are they being rewarded just for collecting RTRs rather than truly placing candidates? If so, this shifts the recruiter’s role from matchmaker to checkbox collector.
To be clear, this is not about ethnicity or nationality. I respect professionals from all backgrounds. But when a specific system repeatedly leads to dead ends and wasted time, it’s worth shining a light on it.
If anyone has insight into how this model works—or has experienced the same cycle—please comment. I believe in elevating the recruiting profession, and that starts with transparency, accountability, and mutual respect.
Let’s start the conversation.
