IT recruiter rapped by ad regulator over vacancy that wasn’t
5 August 2013
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned recruitment firm Cerco IT Training & Recruitment not to mislead candidates into thinking they were applying for a specific role.
Mon, 5 Aug 2013The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned recruitment firm Cerco IT Training & Recruitment not to mislead candidates into thinking they were applying for a specific role.
The ruling, available on the ASA's website, came after a complainant told the authority that he though the ad “misleadingly implied that a job was available”.
Cerco’s offending advert, posted on reed.co.uk, was for an IT engineer role paying £14k-£18k, stating: “Due to on-going contracts we are always looking for experienced and trainee IT Support Engineers to work on various contract [sic] with our national and multi-national partners.”
“For those who impress at interview, a full 2 weeks intensive practical training course may be provided to bring your skills up to necessary standard required".
In its response, Cerco said that after interview it “explained that candidates were either deemed unsuitable, lacking in technical ability, or ideal for employment with one of their clients”.
Following the free training course offered to some of those lacking in technical ability, Cerco made clear to the ASA that it “could not guarantee those individuals who chose to undertake the training a job, and that in the current economic climate they were right not to do so”.
The ad must not appear again in its current form.
The ruling, available on the ASA's website, came after a complainant told the authority that he though the ad “misleadingly implied that a job was available”.
Cerco’s offending advert, posted on reed.co.uk, was for an IT engineer role paying £14k-£18k, stating: “Due to on-going contracts we are always looking for experienced and trainee IT Support Engineers to work on various contract [sic] with our national and multi-national partners.”
“For those who impress at interview, a full 2 weeks intensive practical training course may be provided to bring your skills up to necessary standard required".
In its response, Cerco said that after interview it “explained that candidates were either deemed unsuitable, lacking in technical ability, or ideal for employment with one of their clients”.
Following the free training course offered to some of those lacking in technical ability, Cerco made clear to the ASA that it “could not guarantee those individuals who chose to undertake the training a job, and that in the current economic climate they were right not to do so”.
The ad must not appear again in its current form.
- Click for more news on IT and telecoms recruitment from Recruiter.
