Does anyone have any information on what's going on with their FS division? I had a couple of interviews in Feb which I thought went quite well, but things have gone v.quiet since. True to form, the agency have been avoiding giving a straight yes/no answer.

As one of the "true to form agencies" you talk about, don't lump all the blame on us, no matter how much better it makes you feel. TSG have gone very quiet recently and getting feedback on interviews is like getting blood out of a stone, no matter how proactively you follow up or who you contact (HR or line manager). I for one am not counting them as a key client (although no doubt they are a decent company) because I don't think they have got their recruiting process right and it would not be productive to focus all my effort on them.Having said that, you may have gone through a crap agency who haven't got the balls to admit you failed. Not that I should recommend this but if you really do think it is the agency that is failing you why don't you spend 5 minutes and call TSG directly? It would show willing on your part.

Appreciate your upfront and honest response, and although my comment was directed solely at one agency in this instance, I'm afraid this is not the first time I've had an agent go AWOL during my career. Considering the amount of time, effort and money that goes into preparing for & attending interviews on the candidate's part, I think it's only fair to expect an honest response, even if it means coming clean about a client's indecisiveness. Avoiding an answer altogether is, in my humble opinion, unacceptable. Wrt calling TSG directly, I would normally follow protocol and not approach a client directly, if I have been introduced by an agency. While the agency might deserve that, it could backfire if the client shares a healthy prior relationship with them. Wouldn't you agree?

Fair point, but I suppose it comes down to your thoughts on the agency and their commitment to you, and how long it has been. I would never expect a client to take more than 5 days to give feedback, particularly for a face-to-face interview which I would really want within 24 hours. 3-4 weeks is very poor both from the client and the agency and I completely agree with you regards any answer being better than avoiding you. I know I might sound like I'm preaching, but I honestly try and be equal in my commitment to both candidate and client; the client may pay the bills but there aren't any bills without the candidate and if you were good enough to get to second interview, then if it was me, I would be working hard to identify other opportunities, as you have proven yourself as a marketable candidate. Sorry for a slightly rambling response. In conclusion if it has been that long and you are not getting any response from the agency then I don't see what you have to lose by calling direct and just explaining the situation. But to be honest, agency aside, if TSG themselves have not been banging your door down then I would predict you may have been a turndown.

Will take your comments on board. FWIW, I think the recruiting world would be a much better place with a few more ethical agents/agencies like you out there. Unless you'd prefer to maintain anonymity, may I ask which agency you represent? First thing I want to do tonight is upload my CV on your database.

Not what I was expecting, but much appreciated! Although I'm not sure I could add any value to your job search as my link to TSG has actually been on the energy side, and I focus entirely on oil & energy consulting. If you do have an energy bias this may change things, but otherwise it might not be worth revealing my identity, particularly when I have vented some of my frustrations towards my client's recruitment... All the best in your job search!

I understand. Thanks all the same for your comments.

There is a growing tendency for recruitment companies, but spreading to HR, to not respond back to unsuccessful candidates. Silence means NO...That contrast with what I have been taught earlier in my career and when dealing with "clients" : always drop few lines just out of politeness ...No wonder then that recent polls shows a growing dissatsifaction with employment/recruitment firms...

Who interviewed you in TSG?

As a headhunter who is successfully working with TSG I have to completely disagree with your comments regarding the Structure Group. The FS team have been fantastic to deal with and have been extremely slick in hiring the top candidates, always operating at a faster pace than the bigger firms. This applies to HR and line.As an agency that works very closely with them I have found the process and the interview feedback to be detailed and also extremely timely. I think that perhaps in this instance the agency is messing you around. The culture at TSG is excellent and this is reflected in their "best place to work" rating. This good culture is reflected from the moment any of our candidates have walked into their first interview....

All, I am Structure’s HR Manager. Over the last 18 months or so we have recruited fairly aggressively across both our FS and Energy practices, we have used a number of different channels and spoken with a great deal of recruiters and agencies. We aim to respond with CV feedback within five working days and provide interview feedback within one week. If you feel that your recruiter has not provided you with adequate feedback regarding your application within these timescales or if you would like any further information regarding the company in general then please do not hesitate to contact me directly (Lisa.Dixon@thestructuregroup.co.uk).