Job Discussion Forums

[chica88]

A few months ago to started contact with helen group recruiting in China.

Many people said not to trust them - but - they had a university job I was very interested in...

When Helen group contacted me they said the school was very interested.
I asked if I would interview - but - the recruiter said not then.
The recruiter said:

1. The school needed someone right away.
2. I would interview later.
3. The recruiter would send me a contract DHL right away with all the visa and contract details.

I did ask if I could talk to an English teacher from that school that has worked there in the past or was still working.
The recruiter set it up and I spoke to a man from Australia.
I can't say it made me feel better talk to him because the recruiter said that man would be my only contact until the 'interview.'

when it got weird:

1. I waited and waited for the DHL contract and visa info that never came.
2. The email I sent the recruiter started being sent back by mail demon saying it could not go through.
3. I tried to send messages to my recruiter through skype that she never answered.
4. The recruiters skype account that always showed her on line before started looking like she was never on line again.
5. One day my Helen recruiter sent me a email out of the blue asking why I had not contacted her about the university job?
I could not respond to her because the email kept being kicked back to me.
6. One day out of the blue a man from the China university emails me and wants to know how quick I can sign a contract.
I sent him several emails with questions about pay, housing, medical because I never got a contract stating any of this information.
The man finally sent me a 'sample contract' which stated a much lower pay rate than was talked about with Helen group.
It was extremely difficult for me to get any information out of him.
And he said he did not know how he got my contact information.

So I gave up and will never deal with Helen group again.

Anyone else?

[rogerwilco]

[chica88]

I agree with contacting the school direct.

But, I was mostly wondering about others experiences with Helen group.
It got me curious if other people have had issues lately.
I've seen older forums on this recruit agency but not lately.

In the moment I wished to put my all into making the situation work out.
This was my mistake.
There was a huge amount of misinformation & there would be no working it out.
Looking back on it Helen group was not a good recruitment agency for me to work with for many reasons.
Maybe someone with more experience in these things could have seen the warning signs quickly.

My experience with them was odd to say the least.
Or maybe not so odd for Helen group.
I felt my experience was worth sharing.

[kungfuman]

recruiters - bah, humbug

[Lancy Bloom]

People who say deal directly with universities in China do not know what is going on. Recruiters like HH have gotten permision to give Z visas. Universities are no longer able to give you the visa.
When you vist these recruiting offices they are full of Chinese staff who found their jobs via the computer. They come and go like you contact. They see the rip off coming. It is worse for them because in China you don't have to pay an employee for 3 months when the start.
I worked for HH and kept in touch with the person looking after me, She was just out of university and had a very bad time. H H has no trouble getting employees to man her computers and make sure nice things are being said about her in Chinese and English. She is conected with about 20 other recruiters in China. They refer you to many places and get a head hunter fee.

[roadwalker]

I must really, really not know what's going on since I have worked for 4 different universities in China and not once used a recruiter or agency. (Except for using the info on Helen's website (the schools that advertise on her site) to contact a school directly). Contact the schools directly. You'll be better off.

[Lancy Bloom]

I would like to know is there anyone who has gotten a z visa without going through a recruiter. This was the case in the past I know. But it seems things have changed.

[Denim-Maniac]

I dont know anyone who has gotten a Z visa through a recruiter! That route is less likely to lead to legal status IMHO as recruitment agencies merely seek bodies to fill positions and legal status be blowed.

Of course this is just based on a small group of people I personally know ... but my impression is their legal status tended to be secured when they found their own job rather than relying on recruiters.

[doogsville]

I got a Z visa direct from the uni, as did my two colleagues. Friends of mine working in other uni's in this city all got their z visas direct from the uni. Sorry, Lancy Bloom, but those of us who say deal directly with the universities do know what is going on. By telling people to deal with recruiters you sound not only like you don't know what is going on, but you also sound like you work for a recruiter.

What is your source for saying that recruiters can apply for Z visas? Can you please give specific, concrete examples of where and when this has happened. Newbies on these forums get confused, and ripped off, enough without being exposed to hearsay dressed up as fact.

Legally schools need a licence to operate as a language school that offers English lessons given by native speakers, which allows them to apply for an provide work permits etc for those teachers. Recruiters don't qualify for that licence. If they did, they could provide visas for any teacher working for any school, since they would be providing the licence and not the school. If that were the case, then there would be no more people working on tourist and business visas, since the recruiters would be providing every applicant with the legal papers. If that were happening, I'm sure we would have heard about it by now.

What might be happening is that some recruiters may be advertising that service, while really they are simply providing the forms necessary for the application, which the university is processing. The uni is still the one getting them the visa etc.

[fred13331]

People who say deal directly with universities in China do not know what is going on.


Lie


Recruiters like HH have gotten permision to give Z visas.

Lie

Universities are no longer able to give you the visa.

Unbelievable lie


When you vist these recruiting offices they are full of Chinese staff who found their jobs via the computer. They come and go like you contact.

Chinglish


They see the rip off coming. It is worse for them because in China you don't have to pay an employee for 3 months when the start.


Lie and Chinglish

I worked for HH and kept in touch with the person looking after me, She was just out of university and had a very bad time.


Truth and Chinglish

H H has no trouble getting employees to man her computers and make sure nice things are being said about her in Chinese and English. She is conected with about 20 other recruiters in China. They refer you to many places and get a head hunter fee.


Bah

[fred13331]

[vikeologist]

[Burke]

Why don't people use blacklists? This fricking Hangzhou Helen is on every known blacklist going back to 2007!!! I mean it only takes ten minutes to search her out on the Internet and no less than 13 warnings pop up! Sometimes I think lazy and dumb people all need to be swindled at least once or they will never learn.

[chica88]

[roadwalker]