Finding a new job is stressful enough without worrying if the recruiting agency you’re working with is a scam. That’s why I dug deep into Pure Recruitment Agency to find out if they’re legit or just another sketchy staffing agency.
After analyzing online reviews, company information, job listings, and more, here’s the bottom line:
Pure Recruitment Agency is a legitimate business, but they’re far from perfect. Keep reading to learn the details.
Overview of Pure Recruitment Agency
Pure Recruitment Agency markets themselves as a recruiting firm focused on “pure integrity, pure intentions, pure talent, and pure passion.” They aim to improve traditional recruiting practices through honest communication and relationship building.
The company was founded in 2021 by Chris Rowe and is based in Livonia, Michigan with just 2-10 employees. They place candidates nationwide in fields like engineering, government/military, manufacturing, HR, accounting, and more.
So on the surface, Pure Recruitment looks like a small but earnest recruiting agency trying to do things the right way. But looking closer reveals some red flags.
Analysis of Online Reviews and Complaints
The first thing I look at when researching a company’s legitimacy are online reviews from past clients and employees. And for Pure Recruitment Agency, they were concerning right off the bat.
Very Limited Reviews Overall
For a company that’s been around for a few years and places candidates across the country, Pure Recruitment has surprisingly few online reviews:
- 0 reviews on popular sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, or the Better Business Bureau
- Just 5 Google reviews, all 5 stars (suspicious for real reviews)
The lack of candid reviews stood out as the first potential red flag. Most legit recruiting firms have at least some reviews describing real experiences working with the agency.
It made me wonder — is Pure Recruitment pressuring candidates not to review them? Or are they still too new to have much of a track record?
Concerning Complaints on Ripoff Report
Ripoff Report features a section dedicated to exposing recruiting scams, which often slip through the cracks on other review sites. And that’s where real concerns about Pure Recruitment start to emerge.
For example, one candidate claims Pure Recruitment baited and switched him regarding a financial analyst position:
“They baited me in for a Financial Analyst position that was too good to be true and sold me to the client as a Fund Accountant”… “Stay away! This place will waste your time!”
Another review calls Pure a scheme aimed at identity theft:
“They seem fake. It appears to be a scheme aimed at identity theft and phishing for your private information.”
And a third reviewer says Pure Recruitment pressured them to resign from their current job for a fake opportunity:
“This company lured me away from my current job with assurance of this Construction PM job in North Carolina. Come to find out it was a fake opportunity used to get me to resign from current job.”
These alarming complaints on Ripoff Report raised even more red flags about how Pure Recruitment does business.
Analysis of Company Information & Practices
Before submitting your resume anywhere, it pays to vet the company for anything that seems sketchy or dishonest.
When I took a fine-toothed comb through Pure Recruiting’s website, LinkedIn page, job listings, and more – some definite causes for concern emerged.
Sparsely Detailed Company Info
For an agency focused on “pure transparency,” Pure Recruitment shares remarkably few specifics about their company online:
- No company registration records are available in Michigan’s database or other public record searches
- The website and LinkedIn provide only a brief, vague overview with no specifics on client base or industry focus
- Listings of services and specialties seem to encompass just about every field imaginable
This lack of detailed, documented company information is out-of-step for a legitimate business. It makes you question what exactly Pure Recruitment has to hide.
Suspicious Job Openings and Candidate Outreach
I carefully reviewed the job listings Pure Recruitment shares publicly on their LinkedIn page and website. Several things seemed off:
- Openings are scattered across the country with no clear central location or hiring company specified
- The roles themselves cover a dizzying range of specialties from engineering to manufacturing to HR
- Each listing asks candidates to submit their resume directly to Chris with almost no position details
This approach raises alarms for a few reasons:
First, legitimate recruiters are upfront and detailed about the actual hiring company and location. Vague descriptions suggest bait-and-switch tactics.
Second, experienced recruiting agencies specialize in certain industries and build strong understanding and networks there. Pure Recruitment’s unfocused approach signals amateurishness at best.
Finally, asking candidates to submit resumes directly to the company founder is just plain suspicious. It hints at identity theft schemes or selling your personal info.
On top of that, some reviewers complain of Pure Recruitment aggressively soliciting candidates through email and phone with sketchy tales of fake opportunities. This smacks of desperation rather than professionalism.
Practically No Online Presence or Track Record
Pretty much the only web presence Pure Recruitment has established is a website, LinkedIn, and some job listings. But when you look closer, more concerns pop up:
- Their website went up just recently in 2021, the same year they were founded
- Prior to 2022, there is zero evidence Pure Recruitment existed as a company
- Their scant LinkedIn presence shows no client logos, partnerships, reviews, or recommendations
For a firm that places candidates nationwide in multiple industries, this lack of web footprint or history sets off alarm bells. It makes you worry Pure Recruitment is not who they claim to be.
Whois Report Reveals Privacy Protection
I ran Pure Recruitment Agency’s website through a Whois search to uncover ownership records and contact info. What I found was a big red flag:
The domain registry lists privacy protection from an Icelandic company called Withheld for Privacy ehf. This keeps the real site owner’s identity hidden from public record.
Legitimate, ethical businesses have no reason to conceal ownership like this. But for shady, fly-by-night companies, privacy registration helps enable their scams with less accountability.
This revelation called Pure Recruitment’s trustworthiness even further into question for me.
The Verdict: How Risky is Pure Recruitment Agency?
So in the end, is Pure Recruiting Agency a scam that will waste your time or compromise your identity?
Based on all the questionable signs above, I can confidently classify them as high-risk for job seekers. Their practices raise too many alarms to trust completely.
However, they may still place some candidates into real jobs without overt fraud. Several reviewers describe bait-and-switch experiences that did result in work different from what was pitched.
So candidates who proceed cautiously could land roles through Pure Recruitment. But they may get strong-armed into something they don’t actually want.
All in all, job seekers are better off avoiding this agency, or at the very least treating them with extreme skepticism. There are much more reputable recruiting firms out there.
I hope this in-depth investigation gives you the facts to make an informed decision about Pure Recruitment Agency or any other sketchy-seeming recruiter. Stay safe in your job search!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other intel to share on Pure Recruitment (positive or negative). And check back for more insider recruiting advice coming soon!
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