The moral of the story is if you do speak with or meet with a staffing firm, don't tell them the companies that you interviewed at, otherwise, they can then contact those companies, try to obtain a recruitment agreement with them, and then send their candidates to that company. If you are still being considered for employment with that company, now you will have more competition to deal with as the staffing firm starts sending them more candidates.
It's about helping people in their job search and helping companies fill their positions. By outsourcing their recruitment, a company doesn't have to hire additional employees and spend money on advertising to find candidates for employment, nor pay for health insurance and other benefits and taxes associated with having employees. What is immoral is companies that sell cigarettes that cause lung cancer, companies that pollute the environment, and companies that sell candy that rot your teeth.
Rules that apply to headhunters, business, relationships and life in general. 1. The salary is always negotiable. 2. If you don't ask, you don't get. 3. Never take NO for an answer. 4. Ask the "tough/taboo" questions. 5. You must be able, and willing to question/challenge everything. 6. Know exactly what you want. 7. Say clearly what you want. 8. Be willing to walk if you don't get it. This is the only advice you need.
Headhunters can open doors to which you would otherwise not have access. Good ones have a reputation to protect and will often require a face-to-face interview (which may be the toughest interview you face). Bad ones - well the other posters have done a good job sharing their attributes ... ** Caveat: I've been trading full time for more than 10 years so I have had no reason to utilize their services for some time.
As far as I am concerned they are the biggest scams on earth. Thank God, in the last 15 years I didn't have to use one and I hope I will never do again.
Here is an example, I go through all of the job openings that a particular recruiting firm has posted. I email a short list of three positions for which I am well qualified. I get a different recruiter from the firm suggesting "Title Trading." The position was not a poor match. Title Trading has been discussed elsewhere on EliteTrader as a lower-end prop firm. Legit enough to payout, but where most everyone doesn't win. Not registered in Canada (where they are headquartered.) Their website doesn't sound too reputable, Registered Title Trading owns GLB Trading which operated unregistered Tuco which the SEC shutdown. The last thing that I need on my resume is something that smells fishy. Since I gave them three matches, they knew they had a good shot at getting paid by playing straight with me. Why send me a poor match which might destroy me? Because the commission is attached to the job not the candidate.