Exploring HR Practices and Employee Relations: The Back Door Dilemma

Dear friends,

I have heard about backdoors many times before, but recently witnessed it when my cousin received a call from a consultancy (Quick Jobs) asking for a payment of a certain amount equivalent to two months' salary to secure a job. He mentioned that the process seemed simple - going through the standard interview rounds, but with a guaranteed selection after the payment to the HR department. The joining date was already decided as well.

Are jobs being sold? What is the solution to such problems? Do qualified individuals have a fair chance at the jobs they rightfully deserve if positions are being filled through such questionable means? Are HR professionals becoming corrupted?

Thank you.

Dear Sari,

Corruption has always existed, as you may also be aware. In the recruitment process for lower and middle-level government jobs, people in the railways have paid bribes to secure positions. Even before the globalization process in India, there were instances of individuals paying bribes to obtain jobs in the private sector. Nowadays, we do not see this practice as frequently due to the shortage of qualified manpower.

Regards,
SC

Yes, it's hard to trust, but it is true. It's difficult to stop because it's an easy way to get a job.

Thank you!

I was working as an event coordinator as a part-time job (from my college days). I used to go to an MNC (I don't want to name the company) every weekend to coordinate for the weekend drive. I was coordinating for that company for more than 1 year. One day, suddenly from nowhere, a person was added as a recruitment coordinator through a consultancy. He was working as an IT recruiter in a consultancy (just 6 months). After a few weeks, he and the Source head became close friends. After 3 months, he was hired as a permanent employee (Recruiter). He struggles to speak in English, only Hindi and Kannada. My friends and I were shocked. We were curious to know how this happened, so we decided to dig deep into this issue. Finally, we came to know that he paid nearly 1 lakh to the Source head and the HR manager. 6 months later, he is a senior recruiter (he has just 1 year of experience in recruitment). 😈😈😈😈

I guess it is the manpower consultancies which started the practice, maybe not all but maximum out of them. They are giving assurances to the candidates for 100% to manage the fake experience as well as selection. I have heard and seen the facts that backdoor events are happening in all the B4 companies. Previously, it used to be the concerned authorities in Govt organizations who are corrupted; now it is globally entered with changing colors and trends. I'm really sorry if I have hurt anyone. My idea was just to place the reasons behind the actual scene.

Regards,
Srilatha

Dear All,

Greetings!

Hats off to Sari for bringing this matter for discussion. When I was searching for an HR job, I received a call from a company for an interview, but I didn't get selected. That same evening, I got a call from a consultancy, and the recruiter asked me to meet him at his consultancy. When I arrived, I was stunned to see the person because he was the one who rejected me in the interview.

After a discussion, he asked me for 1 lakh or 1 month's salary for the same position at the same company. Unfortunately, I did not accept the offer. It's unfortunate that there are some people who do not understand the true meaning and value of "HR."

Sorry if this message hurts any members.

Regards,
John N

That HR is corrupt is an understatement, at least in the minds of those not in HR. Personally, I have seen not more than 10 such instances in the past 4 years. But if you just research the recruitment data, you will find lots of suspicious facts.

Shall we turn a blind eye to this phenomenon and carry on... being corrupt? I regret that the few of us who do not toe the line are spreading truth as a rumor.

Yes, even I have come across this practice, though in government circles only. My servant's son, reasonably intelligent but poor in studies, was 'helped' by his uncle in a government office, with the proviso that if the appointment went through, he would have to pay Rs. 50,000 in installments till the amount was finally paid. The reason for the large payment was that the major portion would be directed 'upwards'. Well, he was appointed, he has just completed paying the amount asked for, but he is doing very well and is up for promotion on his own merits.

This is the first time, however, that I have learned that the same practice is being followed by non-government organizations and that too, so blatantly (openly) with sub-standard candidates being appointed solely because money has been exchanged. This puts the guilty HR personnel on the same level as a low government clerical assistant!

This is a shocking state of affairs. How can we prevent this from happening, since the HR personnel concerned seem to be completely 'bindaas'.... and care nothing about quality recruitment, with the consequence that the organization and other employees suffer with substandard officers being appointed?

Any suggestions?

Jeroo

The topic came up for casual discussion today with a colleague. He mentioned a big SEEPZ company. There, candidates are "charged" Rs. 15,000 for the interview call by the consultant on behalf of the HR. If the candidate gets selected, the consultant also parts with 33% of billing.

He also mentioned a shocking fact: our biggest client's annual picnic is financed by a recruitment company!

Hi friends,

As we know, our unemployment rate is very high, and corruption is at its peak. But if the HR professionals start showing favoritism or accept bribes for recruiting, things will go wrong. HR's favoritism is not a new thing; we have heard a lot about it, but everything should have limits. If an HR professional behaves irresponsibly, in a very short span, either the investor will go bankrupt, or the investor will kick the HR out of the company.

People are the only competitive advantage in today's borderless market. Only the best products and services with the best price and highest ROI will lead the market. In such a scenario, being an HR Manager, if somebody recruits a useless person just by accepting a bribe, both will lose their jobs, or the company will close its shutters in the near future.

Professionals should have integrity, enjoy their work, and be optimistic.

This is nothing new.

There are also consultancies that charge both the company and the candidate. This was a prevailing practice earlier, though not so common now.

In this case, I think the HR professionals are to blame. I have received calls from consultants promising to pay me a percentage of their billing for each candidate of theirs my organization selected. When I refused, he increased the percentage. When I indicated that we don't work on those terms with anyone having those standards, he profusely apologized and said that he just started his business and adopted this method because the HR of the last company he approached demanded a payoff. We did not engage him at all.

Most recently, I received an email from another consultant on similar lines also asking me details of candidates who I was getting directly. This person used the term - "let us share the wealth" or something to that effect.

Don't bother blaming a consultant - if you want, you can say no. The choice is ours. When you agree to it, you are the one committing the crime - not the consultant.

Regards

Ryan

Regards

Just because of a few corrupt HR professionals, the rest of the HR community gets a bad name. I also work in HR, and we do not engage in "Back Door Entry" practices at all.

Regards,
Joylyn

Hi Friends,

This is indeed a serious topic to discuss. But as said by a movie star in a latest film I saw, "Corruption is Everywhere, especially in India." Just tell me the name of the department (public sector/private) which doesn't have corruption. Just because there are some individuals engaging in corruption, don't get overly emotional and start blaming the entire HR department.

I have seen the best, the bad, and the ugly in HR departments, and I sincerely feel that the situation is not so bad. I work for a product development company where I am proud to say we don't resort to those kinds of unethical acts. It's the responsibility of our HR professionals (both males and females) to be principled and put a full stop to such a menace.

Ravi

Yes, it's true. I too was offered 25% of CTC for the selection of the candidates from some consultants, which I politely refused. We can't compromise with the quality of candidates just for a few easy money.

AMIT GOYAL

The best thing is that we must source candidates on our own. The last option must be through consultants.

Joylyn

Experience of a senior HR Manager who is not a member here:

She had recently joined this fast-growing organization, relocating to Gurgaon from another city. Two months into the job, she was discussing vendor development (shortlisting recruiters) budgets with her top management and sensed that the top management KNEW TOO MUCH ABOUT SOME EXISTING VENDORS and had GOOD WORDS to say about them. Within a few hours of this meeting, many of the recruiting agency heads CASUALLY called up and CASUALLY asked for an appointment. She met a few who apparently KNEW TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE TOP MANAGEMENT MEETING!

So she hereby sends the message to CiteHR members: Look upwards to find the source of corruption.

Within weeks, she had also seen that some of her staff were CASUALLY promoting one vendor or another in the course of other discussions. Looking closely, she could make out invisible channels between her department and some vendors.

So another message for her: To find corruption, look inwards and sideways.

She also noticed that these vendors had their friends among the security, reception, accounts, even housekeeping!

So her message is: For locating corruption, search the nooks and the crannies.

Now she is waiting to be approached by vendors to become their next FRIEND.

Her cry is: HELP ME.

Hi eclexys,

If her cry is really "help me"... why does she not resign? (Possibly she has some financial constraints).

If she is uncomfortable there, she should make the attempt to move out. This should be somewhat easy since she has relocated there; she can always relocate back to where she came from or to another city. There is no shortage of HR openings in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, or Hyderabad.

If you are her friend, take her CV and help her to get a job somewhere. Post it here, use a network like LinkedIn or Joso, or send it to someone YOU trust if she is afraid to send her CV out.

Regards,
Ryan

Hi Ryan,

You missed the point. The lady is a fighter and wants to fight. She does not want to chicken out. The help she needs is in terms of ways and means she can employ to fight it out. And maybe some moral support...

In any case, she would not need support to find a job.

Thanks,
A R Eclexys

Hi guys,

It is a really wonderful discussion. It is everywhere. We have to choose the right way to go. Blaming others is not a correct way.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing.

Regards,
malladi_alps :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not all HR professionals are corrupt. I have personally been offered kickbacks from consultants if I recruit their candidates. I always smile and tell them straightforwardly to take a walk. If they want to work with our company, they need to perform well, not resort to bribing.

These situations are becoming more common, and it is up to us, the HR community, to roll up our sleeves and address these issues.

Sorry for sounding cynical, but I think none of us are in a position to vouch for our department (unless it is tiny), our colleagues (in general, honourable exceptions exist), or our company. Those of us who can vouch for their own integrity are the blessed lot.

A R Eclexys

Hi,

I believe that all of us in the HR fraternity, at some point, have encountered similar situations as described. Some have yielded to the temptation, while others have remained steadfast in their integrity and professional commitment.

If you have a subordinate who engages in such malpractices, I think they deserve exemplary punishment - there are no two ways about it. If it is a consultant, blacklist them. If it is your superior, there are subtle ways to address the issue with them. However, inaction is definitely not the right approach because then you are not aiding the cause. But, let me assure you, it is easier said than done.

Regards,
Vasudev

Hi Folks,
It's embarrassing talking about this topic however it is true. That's what happening even in the big MNCs they are taking bribes and giving the opportunities to the guys who are not capable of doing things. Definitely it is not a good practice and even I suggest the job aspirants to don't opt for such kind of trap.
It's happened to one of my friends who could able to get a job in an MNC by bribing however after a couple of months they fired him for his incapability.
So I suggest all the friends to don't offer bribe instead you can work hard in your field and get a job and that could help in your professional career. These days getting a job is not a big issue if you have the capability.
Regards,
Kalyan. :D

Hi Joylyn,

If companies don't want to entertain the consultants, why are they not ramping up the sourcing team? I believe the value system is the same for all human beings, not only for HR. These people should show some more maturity and should be professional in their behavior. HR tries to fit a round peg in a hole, and if these kinds of things are happening, the companies are the ones who are going to suffer. And I think everyone would know the reason for attrition now. 😊

Regards,
Nidhin Jacob
IT Recruiter

Let me share an instance:

A 5 kg ABC fire extinguisher with all quality checks in place (I am an auditor myself, so be assured) made by a top-ranking company in India retails for around 3,500/-.

I had the opportunity of interacting/learning with DGQA/DGS&D auditors, so one fine day, on one of my client's insistence, I negotiated with a few of the top players.

The price they are willing to sell with minimum persistence does not exceed 1200/-

REFILL with all genuine quality checks in place cost doesn't exceed 350/- and the billing is normally 4X.

So you may very well guess the payoffs for a small factory employing 100 extinguishers.

The same thing happens with pest control.... My advice to all of you would be to ask the vendor for the chemical name "CAS no," so that you yourself can calculate the dosage/precautions/cost, etc.

All of you who interact with contractors would be knowing as to how many people they really hire on rolls, i.e., proper PF/ESI accounts.

The reality is most of them maintain a showcase payroll with a minimum number of employees. Even these bare minimum do not know that they have PF/ESI accounts in their name. Blank documents are signed and kept in safe custody until the end of employment.

Suryavrat

Hello Sari,

It's really difficult for all of us to trust. You know, a large number of people go through job consultants, or we can say they believe only in the consultant. Absolutely, it's not trustworthy.

Regards,
Shanti

Dear Friends,

The topic is actually very useful, which was raised by Sari. Even, I have seen lots of people in the industry who are working as HR personnel because they have good connections and money. I am working in a consultancy, so I know many people in this field who actually don't have any knowledge about HR, yet they work in well-known organizations with brand names. I can't mention company names here because they are our clients. Many individuals work as secretaries and simultaneously handle HR tasks without proper educational and professional knowledge.

Yes, it's difficult to trust, but it is true, and these people are also blocking our way. Now, I am totally confused about what to do. I have over a year of experience in the recruitment process but still haven't gotten any opportunity to advance to a corporate level. I have some job offers, but they are contract-based.

Regards,
Anita

Dear Anitha,

Greetings!

If it is a one-year contract job, then proceed and accept the offer; otherwise, don't accept it because I started my career as a contract employee and faced challenges in getting regularized. However, now I am happy. So, don't reject the offer just because it is a contract position.

Regards,
John N

One more insight....

A HR officer with two years of experience was selected at a call center. During salary negotiations, his interviewer wondered why he was being so stubborn. After all, he was told, the position was capable of generating a second income which would make the salary seem insignificant.

Hello,

I am an MBA Correspondence student. I am choosing the elective of HR. However, I am currently working on a project and I am unsure about which two titles to choose. The first option is "Job Satisfaction," and the other one is "Quality of Work Life."

Could you please provide me with clear references and possibly assist me in developing the project?

Thank you to all.
Ani

I have read all the discussions which have taken place. I was really not aware that people in HR can do this also. I have been in HR for the last 6 months but still was not knowing that this is also done. I thank all of you for sharing such an important thing.