Does anyone have experience with ESR (Executive Search & Resource)? They seem to advertise a lot on Top-Consultant, especially for Dubai/UAE positions.Any comments from people who have used their services would be very welcome. Thanks!

Contacted them re ME opportunities-filled out their onerous and badly designed form and heard nothing for months. Then got a call out of the blue stating that they were doing work for a large Tier 1 consultany for positions in the UK. 1 hour telephone interview with them. Then heard nothing. Contacted and called them- Spoke to the chap in UAE. Promissed to come back to me then nothing again. TOTAL TIMEWASTERS and I cannot understand how such agencies exists.

"spray and pray" merchants as far as I can tell. chucking CV's at an HR department is not something you need help with

Exactly, they want 25% commission for essentially collecting CVs off Top-Consultant and them sending them to companies in Dubai on your behalf. They have no relationships here, apply directly.

yes, this is the case. Unless a recruiter has proper relationships and influence within a company, has the ability to help you through the process and get you greater visibility than you can get on your own, you should always apply directly. Also, if changing country, you should always make sure you have advisors on the ground in country (either a good recruiter or personal direct/indirect contacts) who can tell you the lay of the land/unwritten rules etc. A CV throwing service from the UK is going to be pretty clueless on this front if you are planning to uproot your life to another country. If you are working with a recruiters make sure you interview them rather than the other way around. If they are any good, they will respect you more for this.

when the recruitment manager at the hiring company refers to the recruitment firm as something along the lines of "some guy in the UK who sent me a CV", you know you are in trouble. Advice to ESR, try to rig one of Top-Consultant's surveys - see thread on recruitment agents!!

I received a professional phone call from a well connected consultant from ESR, who calmly guided me through a complex process and without whose help I would have been totally sunk...... Only joking. this was not quite the experience.... I strategically withdrew from the conversation as it was clear that the recruiter did not have much of a clue.