Recruiters: Are you killing your profits with these strict guidelines and overkill job descriptions?

I am in the beginning stages of developing an Information Technology job seeker newsletter profiling IT candidates who would like to work in the Atlanta, Georgia area. In my quest to find different job boards and forums I've noticed these statements made by some job placement companies:

"If you have been unemployed longer than 3 months, job hopping, or have worked extensively for contractors, please do not apply."

Well now…this makes me say "Hmmmm". In the Information Technology field most of us fit into this mold because that is the nature of the beast. It is not because we want to job hop or work for 3 months - we want long term assignments. The truth is that in this day and age IT assignments are short term and difficult to obtain because of unreasonable requirements being set by folks who don't know that a System Administrator and a Website Designer are not interested in the same result nor have traveled the same educational roads for the most part. The ironic part about the statements: the companies that are imposing this criteria are supposed to be IT recruiters and they have loads of short term assignments available - go figure.

Yes, I hear complaints all the time about employers not being able to find qualified candidates. Well ask your recruiter this: "Is it possible to find one person who has all the skills I need or will I need more than one person?" Ask the recruiter to be upfront with you about what is necessary to fill your open position(s). Imagine asking for one person who can perform heart surgery, manage your facilities, custom-make your shoes, design a website, build a huge database with security, provide CPA services, etc. Does this one person exist? I think you get my point.

I know that employers want to get the most for their money, but with the IT job descriptions I have seen, employers are going to find themselves having to fix a mess in the near future - ultimately losing money. Wouldn't it be more advantageous to hire a System Administrator AND a Website Designer so that they can do what they do best for your company?

About the Author

Regina Stevens is the CEO of Keep It Simple Websites (http://keepitsimplewebsites.com/itemp.cfm). She writes articles and tutorials for new computer users and articles about the IT job market.