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tbh I do understand the need for a license. I wish something like this were implemented in UK with a mandatory knowledge requirement for the recruiter about the

tbh I do understand the need for a license. I wish something like this were implemented in UK with a mandatory knowledge requirement for the recruiter about the field they are recruiting in. This would save all parties wasted time and travel. I have been in situations when "the agent" sent me to a pharma lab to interview for a purchasing role when I used to do purchasing in the constructions industry.

seniorivn 6y ago
who hired that agent? you? how did you choose him? it's entirely possible that there is an effective solution without involving inefficient government bureaucracy
- White_Wolf 6y ago
  It was hired by the lab. The agent contacted me via Linked In. I won't say hard words about the agent even though I'm tempted. It was not the first or the last time something like that happened. As much as I hate gov butting in in general... I can see recruitment companies self-regulating just as well as advertising/tech companies.
dkdk8283 6y ago
I’m generally anti regulation. Shouldn’t we teach people to question what they read in addition to how to read? This places a bias on personal liberty. Regulation and licensing introduces change. There’s no stipulation whether the change is positive or negative, and to again make a change once it’s set generally requires lobbyists and lots of money in the US. Having worked in NYC with union workers I have witnessed how easily it can be abused. Is there any reason why we want to double down on this model? Are we all so blind fed by outrage and/or social media we accept emotions instead of debate? These are the kinds of things I want to see. The human fallacy is known and quantified, although, as far as I know it’s abused / exploited instead of providing neutral ground for policy discussion.
Zak 6y ago
This seems like a problem that could be solved by a professional association rather than regulation. The association could advertise the competence of, and impose quality standards on its members.
- jbay808 6y ago
  Typically the first step there is a law that allows the professional association to self-regulate, including the ability for that association to take legal action against those who do such work without a license.
  - Zak 6y ago
    A professional association can also act as a simple indicator of quality, and encourage people to use membership as a screening tool. Something similar is commonly seen in tech fields with certifications; no law requires them, but they help in getting certain kinds of jobs, and they help employers screen potential hires for a certain competence floor.
vonwoodson 6y ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if this has more to do with recruiting agencies that take south-east asians and take them to out of country to work in disreputable establishments. Think sweatshops and prostitution, when promised to work in a high-end resort. It’s extremely easy to take advantage of people when they are out of their home country. By regulating the industry it keeps bad actors out, but I’d think it’d be very unlikely to improve the recruitment process quality; the common knowledge is that less regulation leads to... well whatever those people are selling these days.
pwim 6y ago
In the UK, recruiters actually used to be licensed, but this requirement was largely removed in the 1970s. In researching my other article on recruiting in Japan (https://www.tokyodev.com/2020/10/01/recruiting-in-japan/ https://www.tokyodev.com/2020/10/01/recruiting-in-japan/), I discovered that there was a movement globally to move to ban, or at least license, private recruiting world wide as part of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. The concern then was more that recruiters could be quite shady, to the point that it was sometimes hard to distinguish them from human traffickers. Licensing in Japan at least is isn't about ensuring the recruiter has knowledge of the field. Rather, it is to ensure that they meet privacy requirements and are not a fly-by-night business. They include having a minimum amount of assets, have a physical office with a separate room to interview candidates, and appointing a "privacy representative" who has completed a training seminar. Personally, I think trying to ensure that a recruiter has knowledge of a field would be quite challenging to do via licensing, especially in an area like tech where the field evolves so rapidly.
Geminidog 6y ago
You don't even need a license to be a software developer, you want recruiters to be licensed?

seniorivn 6y ago

who hired that agent? you? how did you choose him? it's entirely possible that there is an effective solution without involving inefficient government bureaucracy

White_Wolf 6y ago
It was hired by the lab. The agent contacted me via Linked In. I won't say hard words about the agent even though I'm tempted. It was not the first or the last time something like that happened. As much as I hate gov butting in in general... I can see recruitment companies self-regulating just as well as advertising/tech companies.

dkdk8283 6y ago

I’m generally anti regulation. Shouldn’t we teach people to question what they read in addition to how to read? This places a bias on personal liberty. Regulation and licensing introduces change. There’s no stipulation whether the change is positive or negative, and to again make a change once it’s set generally requires lobbyists and lots of money in the US. Having worked in NYC with union workers I have witnessed how easily it can be abused. Is there any reason why we want to double down on this model? Are we all so blind fed by outrage and/or social media we accept emotions instead of debate? These are the kinds of things I want to see. The human fallacy is known and quantified, although, as far as I know it’s abused / exploited instead of providing neutral ground for policy discussion.

Zak 6y ago

This seems like a problem that could be solved by a professional association rather than regulation. The association could advertise the competence of, and impose quality standards on its members.

jbay808 6y ago
Typically the first step there is a law that allows the professional association to self-regulate, including the ability for that association to take legal action against those who do such work without a license.
- Zak 6y ago
  A professional association can also act as a simple indicator of quality, and encourage people to use membership as a screening tool. Something similar is commonly seen in tech fields with certifications; no law requires them, but they help in getting certain kinds of jobs, and they help employers screen potential hires for a certain competence floor.

vonwoodson 6y ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if this has more to do with recruiting agencies that take south-east asians and take them to out of country to work in disreputable establishments. Think sweatshops and prostitution, when promised to work in a high-end resort. It’s extremely easy to take advantage of people when they are out of their home country. By regulating the industry it keeps bad actors out, but I’d think it’d be very unlikely to improve the recruitment process quality; the common knowledge is that less regulation leads to... well whatever those people are selling these days.

pwim 6y ago

In the UK, recruiters actually used to be licensed, but this requirement was largely removed in the 1970s. In researching my other article on recruiting in Japan (https://www.tokyodev.com/2020/10/01/recruiting-in-japan/ https://www.tokyodev.com/2020/10/01/recruiting-in-japan/), I discovered that there was a movement globally to move to ban, or at least license, private recruiting world wide as part of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. The concern then was more that recruiters could be quite shady, to the point that it was sometimes hard to distinguish them from human traffickers. Licensing in Japan at least is isn't about ensuring the recruiter has knowledge of the field. Rather, it is to ensure that they meet privacy requirements and are not a fly-by-night business. They include having a minimum amount of assets, have a physical office with a separate room to interview candidates, and appointing a "privacy representative" who has completed a training seminar. Personally, I think trying to ensure that a recruiter has knowledge of a field would be quite challenging to do via licensing, especially in an area like tech where the field evolves so rapidly.

Geminidog 6y ago

You don't even need a license to be a software developer, you want recruiters to be licensed?