Rusing By Maureen Sharib

What is it?

Is it legal?

Must I ruse as a phone sourcer?

Is there a place for rusing?

Lesson includes examples of rusing

Rusing: What Is It? Much tsk, tsking is attached to rusing in the recruiting/sourcing world.

Rusing (also sometimes spelled rousing ‘though that doesn’t make much sense to me) is a deceptive practice in which candidate sourcing agents assume an alias when making a call to a potential target* company, most often to convince a gatekeeper (receptionist, executive assistant, administrative assistant, company telephone operator) to reveal the names of employees who hold specific titles.

*target A company which includes desirable potential candidates as employees.

Rusing: Is It Legal? You will hear all sorts of opinions on this.

To be on the safe side, let’s see what a Labor & Employment Law & Human Resources Attorney has to say on the matter:

Generally, under federal law it’s not civilly or criminally illegal. I’ve seen blog posts from professionals, & even another management side labor & employment attorney, saying that rusing violates federal law such as Federal Trade Commission rules. Others argue that it violates the Uniform Trade Secret Act, but this isn’t federal law. It’s a doctrine which can be adopted by the states; i.e., unless codified as law, it’s persuasive but not mandatory as an authority. ~Charles Krugel, Labor & Employment Law & Human Resources Attorney

Read entire opinion here: http://tinyurl.com/cdyg4s

The industry loves to argue about it. The most vociferous and strident debates break out whenever the subject

comes up.

They’re always fun.

Here’s one that seems to have all the answers and is especially fun: http://tinyurl.com/75mqma8

Rusing: Must I do it?The answer is “No.” In spite of what Mr. Simon purports in that last link

there are ways* of phone sourcing without rusing. Because phone sourcing is so challenging many people assume the only

way to do it is to ruse. Because so many don’t like to phone source many excuses are thrown on the table for not doing it.

The word “rusing” is just one excuse that scares off most hiring managers from requiring phone sourcing of their reports.

* The Magic In the Method” is the original course in ruse-free sourcing.

* “The Magic In the Method” is a phone sourcing course that teaches phone sourcing without rusing.

Is there a place for rusing? Yes. Many phone sourcers start out rusing because that was the common

assumption on how it was done. And it was done that way and some of it is still being done that way.

Phone Sourcer: “What do I say?”

Sourcing Manager: “Say anything. Tell them you’re calling from the restaurant down the street to reward a certain member’s group w/ a free lunch!”

“Make something up. Use your imagination! Just don’t say you’re from a governmental authority – that’s illegal!”

The list of ruses is endless. “This is your CEO calling from the airport. I forgot my presentation materials

Can you send me our employee directory?”

“I’m calling from ISO. We’re sending the new quality standards. Who all in your group should I send them to?”

“This is the Cupcake Factory down the street. Someone there sent me a list of everyone in your group who’s supposed to get cupcakes for your Manager’s birthday. I lost it. Can you tell me who all I should include? Every cupcake gets their name written on it.”

Why do you say there’s a place for rusing? I say there’s a place for rusing because it’s a terrific training ground for how

not to do something. I wrote about my own experiences rusing in the MagicMethod lesson on “How I Became A Phone Sourcer.”

You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/7w7gcqw

Do you condone rusing? No, but I don’t condemn it either.

I got out of the judgment business a long time ago.

Each of us has to find our own ways in the world.

Let’s return to what Mr. Krugel also said in that article he wrote:

“Ultimately, all the public can do is debate this issue.” “It will take at least one court case to start defining in a more definite

manner whether or not ruse calling or rusing is illegal in either criminal or civil courts.” ~Charles Krugel

One question: Do you want to be that court case?

The Magic In the Method In the MagicMethod series , we feel it’s important to get the subject of

Telephone Names Sourcing out into the open. Still, even now in 2012, very few people know about it. If they did, more would use us!

But they're not going to use us until they know about us and safely understand the subject.

For more information on the ruse-free MagicMethod telephone names sourcing curriculum go here: http://www.techtrak.com/training.html

The MMPS designation At the conclusion of the Magic In the Method telephone sourcing course you’ll

receive your MagicMethod Phone Sourcer certification. If you have any questions contact the author of the course, Maureen Sharib at 513

899 9628 or email her at maureen at techtrak.com