Gretchen, please put the fault, or at least consider, on management. Sure there are some bad recruiters out there but what is the reason for the all "too common" phenomena of such letters by recruiters?  Who is at fault?

Hm?  Management?  

I've got a form letter for example, used why one of the brightest of the bright companies.  Insert name.  Insert recruiter.  Who is at fault, the "dumb" recruiter, the one so far down on the food chain they have zip first hand info on what they are even recruiting for....  And yet. Sourcing specialists are the first line of contact, with the "brightest of the bright."  

Something needs to change.

Is "management" making our company look bad, or is it the recruiters? ' What can hiring authorities do about it? Nada, because they haven't a clue about "our" full side of the Wall; they don't even know that recruiting is often part of management.  It begins with recruiting having some bravado, or some CEO genius willing to listen to a plan.  

Carmela, that's an excellent point.  I see two things here  from a "management" perspective:  1)  the need for increased partnership with hiring managers and executives so that the recruiters understand what it is they're selling.  I think that's what you are getting at.  I totally agree, and I guess that's what I mean by making sure you know what you're recruiter is sending out.  Starting a dialogue helps everyone.  But also 2) the need for recruiting departments to step up and take responsibility for their overall marketing message.  This template probably came directly from another recruiter who received the template from someone else.  Recruiting management needs to step up and ensure their recruiters are sending out consistent and strong messages.  Either way, it's all about partnership, training, and communication.  I totally agree.  Great point!  

Welcome to the world of employer branding.  

On another note, I almost think anyone to whom recruiting reports, should experience the whole recruiting process, or send someone through anonymously.  

Would you believe there are companies that still require candidates to complete detailed online applications before the companies has even demonstrated interest?  I demo'd a company's website recently and was shocked that not only was there an online application, but an early requirement to swear I wasn't lying about anything.  

In the auto reply, I received a copy of my digital signature and a copy of my "word" that I hadn't lied.  This company hires Linux SEs, and other "geek" types.  Slashdotters are sure to deem the process as evil, being out of touch, and arrogant.    

I don't believe in form letter pitches by the way.  I believe in getting recruiters to use their minds rather than some rote syntax for a search string.  I believe in targeted rather than spray marketing.  That takes us back to management and how they've organized their recruiting department.  Partnership indeed.