You’re getting dozens of recruiter calls, and they all want you. You’re happy. They’re happy. Your resume is in front of multiple clients for multiple jobs.
Then you get another call from the recruiter that goes like this…. “Sorry X, the hiring manager rejected your resume because you were already submitted to them by another recruiting agency.”
No big deal, right? You just wanted to make sure that your bases were covered and the more agencies that submit your resume to the client, the better. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. Multiple submittals to the same position are not harmless. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. It is harmful to all parties involved: The Hiring Manager, the Recruiting agency, the recruiter, and you.
The Chain Reaction of a Double Submittal
A double submittal to a client / hiring manager has little chance of going unnoticed with the sophistication of applicant tracking systems. When more than one recruiting agency submits the same candidate, it is typically discarded and rejected by the client. This hurts the hiring manager, because they lost out on a potentially great candidate. It affects each recruiting agency who submitted the candidate, as it reflects poorly on their ability to vet the candidate. It also impacts the candidate because they have allowed multiple recruiting agencies to submit their resume to the same job. When this happens, you, the candidate, will no longer be considered for the role.
You obviously wanted the job. You may not have even known you applied for the same job through multiple recruiters. But it happened- and now you’re out of a dream job for an error that could have been avoided.
In addition to this, the recruiters you worked with may feel that you are unorganized or that you may have tried to beat the system. It can take a lot of time and collaboration to present a candidate to a client properly and that time is now gone for them, you, and the hiring manager.
But wait. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
Avoiding the Double Submittal
Multiple submittals by accident happen all the time. No applicant intends to hurt their chances getting a new job. With so many recruiters and so many similar positions, it is an easy trap to fall in to.
The best ways to avoid being submitted multiple times are organization and communication with your agency recruiter. Document thoroughly each job you have been submitted to. Write it down! Know the client name and location where your resume is being submitted. Also know the job title and job number. The more you know the better and if a recruiting agency doesn’t share this information with you, then end the call right away. Reputable recruiting agencies will share this information with the candidate. If you speak to a second recruiter and are given the same client, job title and number, you will know to decline being submitted a second time.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of our team at (407)515-6020.
