Job seekers are reporting contact (often via LinkedIn) from recruiters who claim to be from big-name companies or job boards and offer remote positions with high pay for minimal qualifications. These fake recruiters create pressure with “limited spots” or time-sensitive opportunities, but refuse phone or video interaction. They often ask for personal or pitch paid services early in the process.
For legitimate recruitment agencies, this trend creates serious business implications. When candidates at large become suspicious of recruitment outreach, it can lead to a declining response rates and shallower talent pools. The negative effect of scammers can bruise your reputation as a legitimate recruiter and hurt your efficiency.
Proactive Verification is a Competitive Advantage
We’ve seen some recruiters begin implementing a proactive verification strategy when reaching out to candidate. Rather than waiting for candidates to question their legitimacy, these agencies provide verification information upfront to differentiate themselves from scammers.
This approach doesn’t just protect your candidates; proactive verification can create a meaningful competitive advantage. By addressing legitimacy head-on, your agency could increase candidate response rates, experience stronger initial engagement, and have more productive recruitment pipelines.
This kind of verification doesn’t need to be complicated. It just requires some forethought and basic business practices like using your company’s email domain consistently, being as detailed as possible about opportunities you offer, giving candidates your direct phone number, and providing recruiter names and images on your website and LinkedIn.
“How to Verify Our Recruiters”
Free Template for Recruiting Agencies
We’ve provided a template which you can use as a proactive verification tool. Just replace the info in [brackets] with your actual company details. Use as you see fit in a documents, email sequences, LinkedIn message, and so on as part of your initial outreach.
How to Verify [Agency Name] Recruiters
At [Agency Name], we understand that job seekers need to be cautious about who they share their information with online. Here’s how you can verify that you’re working with a legitimate recruiter from our team:
Our Standard Communication Practices
- We primarily use corporate email addresses ending with @[yourcompanydomain.com]
- Our initial outreach always references specific details about your experience or the role
- We never charge candidates for resume reviews, interview preparation, or placement services
- We’re happy to schedule a video call to establish a face-to-face connection
- We maintain complete LinkedIn profiles with our company listed as our current employer
How to Verify Our Identity
- Check our company website. All our recruiters are listed on our page at [yourcompanywebsite.com]
- Call our office at [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. Ask to speak with your recruiter.
- Check up on our LinkedIn. Our recruiters maintain active LinkedIn profiles with connections to other team members and company leadership.
- We always use our @[yourcompanydomain.com] email domain for official communication.
Red Flags That May Indicate a Scammer
Be cautious if someone claiming to be a recruiter…
- Sends something from a generic email address (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.)
- Cannot provide specific details about the position beyond what’s in a job posting
- Asks for payment or suggests paid services for resume evaluation or interview prep
- Requests sensitive personal information (SSN, banking details) early in the process
- Is unwilling to conduct a video call or speak by phone
- Has very few LinkedIn connections or a sparse, recently created profile
Our Commitment to You
At [Agency Name], we value your privacy and security. We will never…
- Share your personal information without your explicit permission
- Pressure you to make hasty decisions about opportunities
- Charge you for our recruitment services
- Use automated bots for initial candidate communication
If you ever have concerns about communication you’ve received from someone claiming to be from our team, please contact us directly at [email@yourcompanydomain.com] or call [xxx-xxx-xxxx].
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