Applied for same job with Company and Recruiting agency

Generally, employers will take candidates from their own system rather than an agency since they won't have to pay the agency. If you apply in both places, it's generally considered a no-no especially if the employer figures it out. This might be the case here.

As for the generic e-mail from the employer, they are probably responding to your direct application. Whenever an agency is involved, the communications almost always goes through the agency for any applicant that the agency puts forward so you might still be in the running.

craftsman wrote: ↑ Generally, employers will take candidates from their own system rather than an agency since they won't have to pay the agency. If you apply in both places, it's generally considered a no-no especially if the employer figures it out. This might be the case here.

As for the generic e-mail from the employer, they are probably responding to your direct application. Whenever an agency is involved, the communications almost always goes through the agency for any applicant that the agency puts forward so you might still be in the running.

Hey, thanks for the response.

Yeh, when I applied to both places, I didn't know it was the same company. I had a bit of an idea, but I wasn't 100% sure since the staffing agency didn't write the company name in the job posting.

Well, I do hope i'm still in the running. But, if not, I hope the recruiter will at lease send out an email to inform me.

If your recruiter know that you applied directly, they will cease to work with you on this application since you are already in the company database.
The recruiter cannot get compensated.

You should let the recruiter know so that they dont waste their time.

marketb wrote: ↑ If your recruiter know that you applied directly, they will cease to work with you on this application since you are already in the company database.
The recruiter cannot get compensated.

You should let the recruiter know so that they dont waste their time.

I agree with you on this. But in some case the company think you are not good for them and will ask the recruiting agency to to recruit you to work for them and they go from there. Some recrutiing agency require a buyout, others don't.

As soon as you realized the recruiter was recruiting for Company X, you should have clarified with them that you had already applied. For that matter, before you allow any recruiting agency to put your name forward, you should verify that you haven't already had your name put forward by yourself or another agency. That's just good professional practice.

C

Oh wow, ok. Thanks for the advice. Is it too late now to let the recruiter know and also apologize for not telling her during the interview?

As someone who kinda knows the game... Call the recruiter and ask them to pull your name. Because you will be crossed off both lists if you get to the interview round

Would it matter if the job OP applied to via the company website is a different job than what the agency is looking for? Or is it because they sent into to the Company directly an agency won't represent them?

The answer is, you’re not supposed to apply to the company if you are working with a recruiter already or vice versa. In your particular case it was merely coincidence and like other said you should’ve been transparent.

Reality though, is that Company X likely won’t realize that you had directly applied already - it takes a lot of resources to cross check and most HR staff wouldn’t bother. You can pretty much just treat these as separate paths. The generic email is likely a rejection of your direct application. All status updates for your application via the recruiter will funnel through directly to your recruiter. Just ring up your ecruiter and ask for another update. If you choose to not disclose that you had applied, honestly it’s not a big deal as you can imagine HR probably has hundreds if not thousands of applications that were submitted to them.

marketb wrote: ↑If your recruiter know that you applied directly, they will cease to work with you on this application since you are already in the company database.
The recruiter cannot get compensated.

You should let the recruiter know so that they dont waste their time.

Also make sure your recruiter know that you applied directly. I have seen cases where employer decline offer because candidate said he appied ditectly first while recruiter said he learn about company from them. At end the empoyer thaught it was best not to offer due to this dispute

Hey guys,

Just wanted to update so as others who may be in the same situation. I got a call on Friday from the recruiter, she stated that the employer has postponed the hiring, but will do so towards the end of the year. She felt bad, but then I used the opportunity to let her know that I had also applied to the company directly. She said it was fine given that they aren't hiring, but that it would have been an issue if I got called by both parties, so she told me that in a few months, if the position opens up, I should apply directly to the company or just her, to avoid any type of conflict as they have had cases that didn't end up well for the applicant.

So thanks for the advice everyone.

craftsman wrote: ↑ Generally, employers will take candidates from their own system rather than an agency since they won't have to pay the agency. If you apply in both places, it's generally considered a no-no especially if the employer figures it out. This might be the case here.

As for the generic e-mail from the employer, they are probably responding to your direct application. Whenever an agency is involved, the communications almost always goes through the agency for any applicant that the agency puts forward so you might still be in the running.

I beg to differ. I applied to a company i was interested in a few times for different positions but never got a reply or an interview. Fast forward, an agency called me out of the blue and send me in to the same company for an interview and got a job in 15 mins. I also told the hr girl there that I applied to the company before and never got a an interview. She said she remember me. Anyway, the truth is agency can sell you better than you sell yourself. Also companies don't have time to filter out 1000 of resume they received. When they pay an agency they know that the filtering process is already done and they will get a potential candidate. If you are highly skilled the amount of money they pay to an agency is pocket change for them. Seem to me they don't really care if you apply before or not. If you got an interview and present yourself pretty good that's all that matter.

I am always very honest and straight with the recruiters. So if it happens they reveal the position is with the same company, I immediately tell them that I already applied there. Even I don't wait to meet them - first it is on the phone I ask them is the company "Company ABC or company BCD?" So I save time for both of us.

It is not true the companies prefer candidates only from their environment (database). This depends on the company. I can tell you guys that the financial sector works otherwise. Well, at least the banks. I used to work for Scotiabank, but RBC and TD are with the same rules - they leave the screening to hiring agencies, so they don't lose the time. First screening - agency, if you pass the agency, might be another agency or the bank directly. In my case it was one company and then Scotiabank. Also, in some cases the recruiters do better job, since the companies do trust them. I have to say, 90% it was me directly applying to a company that got me the job, but for the banks it works different. So it does depends on the company.

Truth is, you need to be a bit aggressive to get a position. And the employment courses often teach with old information. You apply and you wait. Follow-back never worked for me. Point is - how you apply. Well written resume is a half-won interview (and a chance for an interview). The resume needs to be written aggressive enough, but to a certain point, without exaggerating. Then comes the interview skills. Basically it is all boiled down to self-promotion. Sometimes it takes time. Basically it is a spider-fly thing. There are spiders, there are flies. Spiders spin webs to catch flies, flies gets eaten. Be a spider - spin a web, catch flies and don't care about them. Recruiters just want their commission, for them you are just a name from the database, you just want to get the position. Your resume and your online profiles are your webs. Spin them well and while you also will be going around and tarantuling some companies, you never know what bugs your webs will catch. I have to say last years going and tarantuling got me only my last position. Everything else was my own webs. Most people however are just flying around and sticking to the staffing webs. So do your mind and spider around.

NOTE: For those not familiar with spiders, most are passive hunters - spin web on a tree and wait, but the Tarantula is a kind of a more active hunter - goes around and ambushes the victims. You could also visit ROM. Now they are focusing on spiders.

PS: This post is not to be read by people with arachnophobia.

PS2: Disclaimer: No spiders and flies were harmed, during the writing of this post.