Have you heard the one about the new career network that shifts the commission fees to the candidates?
If you’re waiting for the punchline, sorry, but this is no joke.
The reality is that PaidInterviews has launched a new service that pays candidates when hired. It combines social networking and matching technology in a new way, in a style that allows candidates to market themselves in their job quest, and of course, get paid for their efforts.
According to the company, candidates will name their asking fee, which is then matched with an employer’s bid fee. The candidate, when hired, is paid a percentage of the first year’s salary.
Will this model transform the hiring process? Or is it simply a gimmick? Are you scared? Or simply laughing?
15 comments
Jim Durbin Sep 12, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Laughing. It’s another gimmick with no legs.
Recruiting is more than matching resumes. This process ignores the filtering and the negotiation, and turns it into a signing bonus for the candidates.
If it caught on, top candidates would simply hold out and demand the commission percentage. In other words, success would simply drive top performers to get signing bonuses based on a recruiter’s commission without the work.
And what happens when the entire workforce finds out? What happens to the suckers who applied to the human resources department instead of paidinterviews?
Hmmm. A gimmick.
George Matthews Sep 12, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Huh? I don’t get it. Its like a sign on bonus? Let’s say I am looking for work. I find a job but I tell them (the employer) it is going to cost you $4,000 to get me. Is that it? Yeah, that’ll last.
marketing headhunter Sep 12, 2008 at 2:21 pm
This BeyondDumb.com. Funny story: When a newspaper reporter asked John Dillinger why he robbed banks, Mr. Dillinger said dryly “Because that’s where the money is.”
Candidates have no money. Companies do. Imagine a company asking me to get a signed fee agreement from every single candidate I plan to submit. That is *so* not gonna happen.
In the incredibly remote chance that it did, however, I would have NO qualms about poaching that company’s talent — even after I placed a candidate with them. After all, it take a paid invoice to make a company a client of mine.
And if they don’t pay the invoice, then they are not my client.
Bring it.
Harry
Jim - medXcentral Sep 12, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I’ve taken a similar approach… but, I did not leave out the recruiters and employers from the value proposition (I’m a former recruiter). I did not leave it up to the candidate to determine what the fee should be. However, my system does recognize the value of the candidate, and the candidate does benefit by connecting through my service. Here’s a link if you’d like to have a look for comparison: http://www.gohcro.com/staffingexchangemedicalhire.html
I’m a member of The Fordyce Letter Network… you can find me there if needed. I’m going to go review PaidInterviews to learn more about their method.
Jason Davis Sep 12, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I’m going to sign up and try to get a job. How much should I ask for?
Jim - medXcentral Sep 12, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Well.. after reviewing their videos… I’m even more confident with my model. Glad I saw this article though.
Gerry Crispin Sep 12, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Jason, in answer to your question, $5 Canadian should do it. See you next week.
Gavin Chase Sep 12, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Can you reduce your fee over time. Im not feeling confident that I will get my first asking price and I wouldn’t want to miss out on a new job with anyone willing to pay me to join them. How many times in a year can I get paid by different employers…
HeavyHitter Sep 12, 2008 at 4:33 pm
This has to be the single dumbest “recruiter” site I’ve ever seen. Only an idiot would use that site to get a job. Bring it on!
- HH
David Jacks Sep 12, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I don’t know what I’m laughing harder at, the article itself or the comments above. This just sounds ridiculous and is a bad idea for a number of reasons, three that come to mind immediately. First of all, candidates can get greedy and price themselves out of the market or price themselves too cheaply and devalue themselves. Secondly, this complicates the hiring process, giving the employer and employee one more area to negotiate, the more negotiations the more likely it is that the deal will fall through. Lastly, this model encourages candidates to leave to get another commission on themselves. Basically PaidInterviews makes hires less likely and decreases tenure - exactly the opposite of what clients want.
david perry Sep 12, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Gerry that’s $4.50 USD… That’s Starbuck’s Gold Circle blend. But I know Jason will make it up in volume.
HeavyHitter Sep 12, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I bill, on average, $125K per month on non-executive positions. How about you guys?
- HH
Kelly Nelson Sep 12, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Highly doubtful it’ll become a reality again but I witnessed “recruiters” making money hand over fist in the late ’80’s doing just this. There will always be candidates who undervalue themselves enough to pay a fee for a job.
Dave Staats Sep 15, 2008 at 6:50 am
I’m just basically scanning but it looks like a Haldane vending machine. As long as they’ve been around, I am surprised someone took this long to automate the fleecing of the unsuspecting.
Neil McNulty Sep 18, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Another crack at trying to invent the ‘magic bullet’ of making placements without doing the hard work. The best thing about this bullet is it explodes in the chamber and kills the shooter.