Despite increasing standards in the recruitment industry, some companies are still failing their candidates. Zena Everett, MD of recruitment to recruitment company Perriam and Everett, castigated companies who breach standards, as news reached Professional Recruiter of two candidates whose CVs ended up on their bosses’ desks.

John Quinnell, a consultant at Mortimer Charles, engaged the services of a rec-to-rec company to help him find a job outside London. ‘I specifically asked them not to send my CV out without my prior consent. When they did send it I instructed them to take my personal details off it,’ he told Professional Recruiter. But his MD was sent the CV. ‘They claimed that they had two people on their database with my name and they sent mine by mistake,’ Quinnell said. ‘I think this very unlikely - I have a very unusual surname.’ Quinnell suggested that his CV was sent out across London in a mailshot: ‘It’s only when they do this kind of mass mailshot that such a mistake can be made.’

The MD of Mortimer Charles terminated Quinnell’s employment. Quinnell has instructed his solicitors to contact the recruitment company, which he refused to name. He now has a new job as recruitment manager at Coyles IT Personnel.

In a separate case, a consultant at an engineering recruiter registered with a rec-to-rec company because he felt ‘stifled and dissatisfied’ in his job. The rec-to-rec company, which the consultant declined to name, phoned the consultancy and discussed his CV over the phone with his MD.

‘When my CV was discussed, it sounded familiar to the MD and he asked for the name of the person,’ the consultant told Professional Recruiter. Having been named, he was given one and a half weeks’ notice. He is currently seeking compensation from the rec-to-rec company.

Everett slammed this kind of behaviour as ‘appalling’. ‘There are reputable players in the market but some sharks still remain,’ she claimed. ‘These recruitment companies are going to go out of business if they’re behaving like this. This business relies on referrals, networking and reputation - the market will decide who they want to work with and who they don’t.’