For the price of a telephone recharge card, recruitment agencies will arrange a job interview. XPRESS unearths the shocking nexus between these firms and staff of UAE-based companies which are taking job applicants for a ride - GULF NEWS

Dubai: If you went for a job interview and didn't get through, in all likelihood it was because your interviewer was paid to reject you.  

Shocking but true. He was just as bogus as the employment agency you approached. Like the agency you registered with, your interviewer never had a job in the first place.  

Last September XPRESS blew the lid off a job racket in the UAE, exposing how some recruitment agencies are fleecing job-seekers by the minute. Five months on, we unearth another facet of the scam - a nexus between recruitment firms and staff of some UAE-based companies.  

For as little as Dh25, staff of these companies pose as prospective employers and conduct sham interviews on behalf of recruitment agencies. The racket goes on unabated.

Their Dh25 commission comes from the money you give to the employment agency for registering your CV and processing your application. On a regular day, a phony job interviewer - and there are many in the UAE - conducts 10 such sham interviews on average. That's Dh250 for asking a few dumb questions and playing along with the charade. It doesn't hurt.  

A manager at a recruitment agency in Sharjah, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained the modus operandi.

"After job applicants register with us, we charge them between Dh300 and Dh400 to arrange job interviews. Of course, these are bogus. We have tied up with the staff of some companies who meet these job aspirants in their offices and, posing as employers, ask them a few questions. In return for the services we give interviewers Dh25 per applicant. Because the interviews are conducted at the actual offices, no one suspects a thing," he explained.  

 Not an ideal boast

It's not an idle boast. Ask Joseph A., S. Ali, Kishore R., or Rashmi P. They all sat through job interviews for various positions after paying Dh300 to a recruitment agency. None of them got hired.  

"They didn't get any job because there weren't any," said an ex-employee of the recruitment agency which arranged these interviews. According to sources, there are at least three offices in Al Ghusais and one in Al Rigga where these bogus interviews are held.  

The questions are routine and hardly job-specific. Not surprising, considering it's the same set of people, mostly mid-level executives impersonating HR staff for some easy money on the side.  

Gulam Mustafa describes a job interview session arranged by a placement agency for Dh400. The interview was held at a maintenance firm in Al Rigga for a Dh7,000 job.  

"It was bizarre. Six of us were interviewed by one man at the same time and for one position. The interviewer was unprofessional. He kept laughing all the time." Now we know why.  

Mariam M. recounts how a recruitment agency confirmed her job as HR manager for a reputed Dubai-based group.  

"I was shocked because I was not qualified for that position. For the interview, we were taken in a minivan to an isolated warehouse on the outskirts of Sharjah. We were treated badly. They [the interviewers] said we had to be more broad-minded when it came to dressing if we were looking for the job," recalls Mariam.  

"These interviews not only help us make quick money, they also absolve us of the responsibility of finding a real job for a candidate. When job-seekers fail to get past the interview, which we know is a foregone conclusion, we tell them we have done our bit and it's their bad luck if they couldn't land a job," said an ex-employee of another recruitment agency, adding that even the names of the girls at the front offices of these companies are fake. A separate investigation by XPRESS confirmed this.  

Of late there has been a deluge of complaints against recruitment agencies in the country.  

Dubai Gate, Al Amana, Core Elements, Al Aidy Al Mahirah, Al Waseela, New Future and Foreigners Management top the list. Yet the management of the recruitment agencies XPRESS spoke to deny any wrongdoing. However, they did admit that the earlier XPRESS exposé has hit their business badly. Recruitment agencies place job advertisements for fictitious positions. Unsuspecting job-seekers applying for these non-existent positions are asked to pay for registering their CVs, getting the application processed and interview charges. It's illegal for recruitment firms to charge any money from a job applicant.  

Until recently each of these placement agencies used to make Dh25,000 daily. According to the staff of one such firm, following the XPRESS report, their income has been reduced to a bare trickle. A Ministry of Labour official said it won't be long before their taps run completely dry.  

XPRESS exposé that made an impact

Last September XPRESS exposed a rampant recruitment racket when a reporter created a dumbed-down CV (which included phrases such as "I am a dim-witted imbecile… I bring about a steady erosion of values and company ethics… and have hastened the doom of many companies") before registering it with several employment agencies for Dh300. The response was shocking. Within hours, he got calls for attractive job offers, with two Sharjah-based firms - Dubai Gate Management Consultancy and Al Aidy Al Mahirah - offering him appointment letters provided he paid them more money. One company, Al Waseela, even had the ridiculous position for an elephant trainer - in their zoo-cum-vet hospital in Canada.  

Days numbered

A new ordinance issued by the Ministry of Labour on January 14 will make it virtually impossible for unscrupulous recruitment firms to operate in the UAE, a senior official told XPRESS.  

"Recruitment agencies that fail to comply with the new rules by May 1 will be shut down," warned the official.  

Besides limiting the rights of setting up a private employment agency to Emiratis only, the ordinance stipulates that to be eligible to apply for a licence, every partner and signatory will have to be an Emirati.  

The ordinance includes mechanisms to reduce malpractices and also stipulates guarantees and commitments from agencies. For instance, recruitment agencies have to present a bank security cheque of Dh1 million to peruse its activities in temporary employment, and Dh300,000 for broker activities.  

They have to also set aside Dh2,000 for each worker which the Ministry of Labour will use to compensate if they are not paid by their employers. The agency will have to also ensure that employees do not pay any fees in the Emirates or abroad to secure their job.

COMMENTS:

Added 13:28 February 26, 2011

I was called by Core Elements on Nov 2010 stating that I was shortlisted by a company. I met one lady FARZANA .She told me that my resume required certain changes as per the hiring company's requirement. I obliged by paying Dh300 assuming that the agency guaranteed an effective and efficient service and since they also promised a job which would pay Dh14000 per month. But unfortunately my so-called modified resume which was send to me was completely messed up (Even to the extent of change in my gender and nationality). I met Farzana again and discussed it with her and she agreed to take a corrective action. I myself made the rectification (even though they charged me money) and e-mailed it to their company. I kept on sending reminders regarding the amendments to be done by her. I was extremely disappointed since there wasn't any corrective measure taken from her side. I meet Farzana twice after this, but to my dismay she was so unprofessional. There was one more lady who kept interrupting us so that we couldnâ't discuss anything in detail. So she dismissed me saying that she was busy. I had no choice but to come back home. Since then I have been sending mails to her regarding the progress and I have been calling their customer support number but there is no response from either side. Please beware of this company CORE ELEMENTS located on Sheikh Zayed road. Hope someone takes action against them so that they don't cheat more innocent people.   Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:19 February 25, 2011

I have been visiting similar recruitment agencies. One such agency is CORE ELEMENTS based at Shaikh zayed road. asking Dh300 and telling candidates that a job is available etc.... Beware of this company. I have found many people waiting for interviews in its offices..

 Anonymous, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:55 February 25, 2011

It would be great to expose fraud consultancies by putting their names out in print. Also beware of people claiming to hold high positions in top companies and who are willing to get you employed provided you pay a small percentage of the "offered" salary. I came across such a person and almost went through with it until i asked that we meet on the company premises. All contacts ceased thereafter.   CJ, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:21 February 25, 2011

I had the same experience. I was searching for a job last year and came across a phone number in a newspaper ad for a job. I called them and fixed for an appointment. They told me to come near Dubai Islamic Bank Sharjah and to call them again. After reaching there I called them and they asked me to come to room no 301 in the same building. There were many young men there who pretended that they had come for the interview and another room full of abaya-clad women - one of whom called me for the interview. Just glancing through my resume, they asked me to pay Dh100 for registration stating that I would get a job in dubai for Dh400. My husband got suspicious and returned without paying them. After that I came to know about these fraudsters through the newspaper. This year also when I was saw an ad in the newspaper for the same post, I called to check it out and surprisingly the same people picked up the phone and granted me an appointment time to come to the same place . I am shocked to know these people are cheating poor people now also.

 Anonymous, dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 03:30 February 25, 2011

I've known people here in the US who use recruiting services to help them find a job with fair to poor results. What is actually more effective, and more fair, is companies hiring recruiters to look for the right employee - often stealing them from other companies by offering them better compensation and benefit packages.

Anonymous, Baltimore, United States

Added 02:54 February 25, 2011

I knew about this scam... I don't know why newspapers still accept their ads in classified, without determining whether the agency is operating legally or not. This scam should stop so that others are not conned.

 aerold, dubai, Philippines

Added 00:54 February 25, 2011

I find it surprising that newspapers continue to publish ads from Core Elements and the other fake recruitment Agency in Sharjah, Al Nejoom which I mentioned about in my post. The meaning of the name "Mazhar" is light. So Mr. Mazar, please bring to light the role of newspapers, also in the nefarious activities of the Bogus recruiting firms. Also bring to light the Fake positions that the so called reputed recruitment firms are releasing. If you are really so conscientious, you can write to my email ID. I will share with you all the mails I had written to Gulf News about these dishonest recruitment agencies.

 M. Siddique, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 23:22 February 24, 2011

My wife had a call from a recruitment company by the name CORE ELEMENTS situated on Sheikh Zayed road stating that she is shortlisted for MNC company. She was asked to come for an interview in their office only to find out it was they who were interviewing and not the actual company. Moreover they asked her to pay Dh300 for re-working her resume. She was a liitle apprehensive, but agreed to pay anyway thinking that some professional CV writer will make her resume better. After two days she got her re-worked resume. We were shocked to see the state of the CV. Starting from her profile, company names, even her gender was changed. What followed was just several trips to the agency without any progress, update or anything. On top they were very rude as well. Three months have passed since that day without any call back from them. Beware of this company. I hope the government takes stern action against such companies.

 Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 20:49 February 24, 2011

Im not surprised in the least. HR = Hire Relatives....

 Richard, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 20:09 February 24, 2011

i had been for one such interview, i waited for more than an hour and then I came to know that they are charging job seekers, I called the labour department who told me that I have to come and give a written complaint. I left it because I don't have the time to go there. Then i emailed Dubai Police with all the details of the agency, but no one called me nor their was an email reply. Amost every day you come across a new scandal. What are authorities doing to catch these culprits?   Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

THANKS: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/employment/bogus-recruitment-firm-ruined-my-life-1.1038471