Sadly a bit chicken and egg. As a recruiter I would certainly recommend utmost caution re sending out your CV: ideally talk to them and try and get a sense of how professional they are. Otherwise check this blog or Top consultant awards or friends. You could always make it clear in your email specific firms you definitely don’t want to work for or are already in touch with.
Ultimately however the only point at which the have any commitment from you is if you send a CV. Even then my firm will want to find out more about you before either wasting their time or yours discussing a role and a client you might not be interested in or suited to: we prefer to invest this time up front for your benefit, ours and our clients. Even the worst firms won’t knowingly send your CV to your employer so don’t worry on that score. They will however send your CV to other employers without telling you hence the need for caution.
A good firm will never send your CV anywhere without getting your permission.
The other obvious reason of course is that the recruitment may be confidential so the recruiter may be unable to disclose it. One of our clients recently inserted a clause in its Agreement specifically barring its suppliers from disclosing their name.
Chris is right: as regular view of these blogs will tell you recruiters are held in such low esteem that many potential candidates would feel quite justified in approaching their clients direct. We have had experience of this even AFTER they have registered with us.
If they are a retained headhunter (a very rare minority of recruiters in MCS no matter what they might try and claim) they MAY tell you because if you apply direct the chances are your CV would simply be forwarded back to them!
