Recruiters have 'hidden agendas'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-26 10:38

As companies kick off their annual year-end recruitment drive on local campuses, some students are complaining of hidden agendas.

"Many companies do not take recruitment seriously," Xu Yuan, a master's degree student from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) said about his university job fair in October.

"One IT company even miswrote their recruitment website address in their brochures. Although almost 700 students flooded their booth, they only wanted 20 people for their Beijing research department," Xu said.

The recruitment season in universities for next year's graduates officially starts on Friday, but some companies are starting early. Xu said the BUAA campus had already held about 50 recruitment events in October alone.

And students from other universities share Xu's despair.

A fourth year student from the Renmin University of China, who didn't want to be named, said companies often spend more time promoting themselves than recruiting.

"These promotions won't help when you are looking for a job," he said."

This week, 23 promotions will be held in Peking University, 10 percent more than the same period last year, said Chen Yongli, director of Peking University Student Career Center.

Chen said the university always ran background checks on companies before allowing them to hold events in campus.

"We welcome companies if they are legal and have sincere recruiting plans," Chen said.

He said few companies hold recruitment events just for promotion in Peking University.

"Companies have to spend money on recruitment. Amid the financial crisis, few companies want to spend money just on promotion," Chen said.

Not all experts agreed though.

"Recruitment in campus is the most effective and immediate way to promote the company," said Wang Jian, public relationship manager of 51job, a human resource solution provider.

He said promotion is a very important reason for a company to hold recruitment on campus.

"Most universities charge companies to use their grounds. Students need jobs and the companies offer a few," Wang said.