Korean Job Discussion Forums

tonyvu · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:02 pm Post subject: Questions to ask recruiters

What are/should be the most common and important questions that applicants ask them?

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

I'd ask turnover-related Qs of a recruiter. Here's a short model conversation, with notes, of what you should mimic:

YOU: I'd like to ask you if you have dealt with this outfit in the past. Have you placed foreign teachers at HogWart before?
(you are looking for the frequency of his replacing foreigners at Hogwart)
Biased_Recruiter: Why yes, I have placed many teachers at this fantastic outfit. (a contradiction)
YOU: How often do you deal with this outfit? (now you're using your noodle!)
Biased_Recruiter: I deal with them all the time. (because he's replacing quitters all the time)
YOU: Thank you very much. (hang up)

Hogwart's turnover is too high, meaning you want to avoid the place.

You can draw up your own model and rehearse the questions. Make sure those questions reflect the fact that turnover is key in TESOL. Any outfit that can't keep help around long is one you want to stay away from.

Naturally, you would want to ask about getting contact info of previous teachers he's placed at the outfit you're interested in as well. Get in touch with those former teachers and find out why they left. Did they finish their contracts and simply moved on, or did they bail out early? If people are doing runners from an outfit, you need to know that up front. If a boss treats his help in unethical ways or even runs a "SlumWon", you need to know that up front.

It's not really about asking questions. It's about asking the right questions and using a strategy to distill out the truth that no one involved, not the owner, not the recruiter, wants you to know. I know at some places, when a teacher wishes to leave an outfit early (and thus receive the release), he or she must find someone to take his place. Talk about a biased booby trap. Look for this requirement in contracts and use that to determine the credibility and trustworthiness of current teachers at outfits.

Be smart and you'll avoid the spider webs.