In a job market this bleak, more candidates pay for 'reverse recruiting'

"One boutique agency the Journal spoke with, The Reverse Recruiting Agency, charges $1,500 per month, plus "10% of first-year salary upon job acceptance," at which time they will refund the first month's fee. Their services include customized résumés (with "zero AI-written slop"), hiring manager outreach, LinkedIn profile and résumé optimization, and networking support. Their promise? Nine interviews in the first three months, or your money back."

"This has caused some recruiters to shift their focus from employers to the unemployed: Instead of companies hiring recruiters to find and place talent, job seekers are now the ones enlisting recruiter services to help get a foot in the door, coughing up hefty fees (either a flat rate or a cut of the candidate's first-year salary once they land a job)."

Job openings are decreasing while layoffs continue, tightening the hiring market and heightening competition for available roles. Recruiters are shifting from employer-focused placements to selling services directly to job seekers who pay upfront fees or a portion of salary upon hire. Agencies offer résumé rewrites, LinkedIn optimization, hiring-manager outreach, networking support, and interview guarantees for steep fees. AI-enabled services make frequent direct introductions between candidates and interested hiring managers for a cut of initial pay. Saturated platforms and automated résumé screeners drive candidates, including those who can afford it, to pay for increased visibility.

Read at Fast Company