Consultants ‘Loot’ Job Seekers Offering Backdoor Entries

Hyderabad: In an alarming trend in Hyderabad's job market, consultancies are allegedly facilitating backdoor entries into prominent companies, and charging job-seekers exorbitant money and a significant portion of the recruit’s salaries.

Sources said these consultancies charge job-seekers hefty upfront fees for bypassing the recruitment process. Once employed, these candidates are coerced into signing agreements that mandate the payment of three to four months of their salaries as a 'service fee'.

“I was desperate for a job and approached the consultancy. I paid three months of my Rs 35,000 salary and I couldn’t even have my daily expenses," said a victim.

Another person said, “I completed a six-month course from a consultancy who offered me a guaranteed job. I paid Rs 70,000 for the course, and after that, I joined a company without the consultancy. But the consultancy got to know and took two months of my salary showing an agreement that I would pay them my salary as service charges.”

The rise in such practices has called for stricter action against consultancies. Experts suggested that companies should enhance their background verification processes to detect and deter the use of fake certificates.