Letters: Recruiter regulation

Just before Christmas, I was cold called by an optical employment agency. I explained that we were not really looking for professional staff at the time, but they told me they had a multi-talented and experienced optical assistant manager/trainer who was able to perform all aspects of dispensing. They told me he was exceptional and in addition to his dispensing role, would also be able to train my staff. They insisted he would be an asset for my company and pushed for me to give him a try.

His shortcomings were not apparent at the interview and largely on the strength of the job agency’s recommendation we took him on. He turned out to be a massive let down: He was unable to use a focimeter; had only a paltry dispensing knowledge; made numerous glazing and dispensing mistakes and could not work out a reading Rx given the distance Rx and add.