Something’s Fishy: How to Avoid Recruiting Scams

March 18, 2019 in Career and Job Search Tips

 

 

Received a call or email recently saying you’re the perfect candidate for a high-salary job with a Fortune 500 food & beverage organization?

That’s great! But before you hand over your personal information or pay a fee, make sure the recruiter – and the job – are real.

It’s sad, but true: Fake recruiter scams are on the rise.

Why the uptick? While digital recruiting has made it easier than ever for employers to connect with talented professionals across the globe, it’s also paved the way for identity thieves. Using information from real food & beverage organizations and online resumes, perpetrators craft convincing job postings that sound like a dream come true.

Don’t fall prey to their tactics! Below, our food & beverage headhunters share advice you can use to protect yourself.

How to Avoid Recruiting Scams

Spot fake recruiter job ads.

If a job sounds too good to be true, it just might be. Here are a few warning signals a job might not be real:

  • Above-market salary. Fake recruiters want your attention; listing a high salary is a great place to start.
  • No employment brand. Look for digital content that showcases what it’s like to work with the company.
  • Grammatical errors and typos. A professional recruiter will scrutinize job postings to make sure they’re easy to read and (nearly) free from errors.
  • No contact information. A real executive recruiter will make it easy for you to find them on Google or contact them on LinkedIn, via email or phone number.

Vet the recruiter.

Perform your due diligence before you reply to any recruiter:

  • Google the individual’s name + “scam” to uncover complaints. Look for mentions of the recruiter in the news or business publications to establish their legitimacy.
  • Check the person’s LinkedIn profile, but don’t stop there. Cross-reference information on their company’s website and LinkedIn company page to determine if they’re who they claim to be.
  • Scrutinize the email domain. Make sure the domain (the text that follows the @ symbol) of the recruiter’s email address (e.g., laurieh@kinsa.com) is the company that’s trying to recruit you.
  • Look for third-party validation. Publications like Entrepreneur and Forbes recognize top recruitment firms; here’s an example (and yes, Kinsa is on this list!).

Always trust your “spidey senses.”

If a recruiter:

  • asks for all – or even the last four digits – of your social security number;
  • requests bank account information;
  • directs you to an online form which collects personal information (to start the hiring process);
  • seems more interested in gathering your data than they do about your qualifications;
  • tries to collect a fee for processing your application;

…trust your instincts and view these for what they are: BIG red flags signalling a phishing scam. Kinsa Group’s recruiters will NOT ask you for ANY of the above information.

Looking for your next executive food & beverage job?

Work with a reputable recruiting leader in the food & beverage industry: Kinsa Group.

In business for more than 30 years, Kinsa has established a reputation as a trusted leader in executive food & beverage search – and has been named one of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms by Forbes.

There’s an ideal opportunity for you out there; trust Kinsa to help you find it. We have placed nearly 1,000 professionals and executives in the last two decades. Search executive food & beverage jobs or connect with a Kinsa recruiter today.