Don't use IT Recruitment Agencies (UK)

sfowler111111

If you are thinking of using IT Recruitment agencies (UK), be warned. 90% of them dont give a sh*t about finding you a new job. When you post your CV on a popular jobsite, you will be bombarded with phone calls from IT recruitment agencies, but the majority are only after "new leads". They will bullsh*t you till the cows come home, so take whatever they say with a pinch of salt. Most will call you to say they have a role for you. Some of the time, it’s for real. Most of the time it’s a fake job (they just want to make a good first impression to say "look at me, I have loads of jobs for you, so use me and no-one else"). After the usual discussion of what you are looking for, salary requirements, location. etc, nearly ALL recruitment agencies will ask the question:


"How long have you been looking?"...
"Have you got any interviews lined up and where?"...
"Who have you been put forward for, so I dont put you forward for the same role?"


Whatever you do, DO NOT disclose any company names. You do not have to. Just say I cannot disclose that. If you tell them, chances are they will go straight to that company, and try and undercut the agency that really put you forward, and before you know it, you're out of the running for that job. Agencies work on percentages of the candidate salary. If I was hiring a £25000 candidate through an agency and one charged 30% (£7500), and another agency called me to say that they can do it for 15% (£3750), I'd go with the latter.

Dont get me wrong, some agencies are good, have proper roles, and will get you interviews for jobs. Unfortunately, most are just after new leads and will use you to get them. It’s a horrible cut-throat industry and the number of rogue agencies popping up are spiralling out of control. The number of idiots that called me purely to find out what companies are hiring is unbelievable!!! You learn to spot them a mile off, and I've told a few to fu*k off. When you ask them to email you a job spec for the role they are "recruiting for", they say they will, but you never from them again. That’s actually a good way of filtering out the really bad ones. If an agency says I have a systems developer role for a company called Company ABC in Suffolk (example), and another agency has already put you forward for that role, that is the ONLY time that I say, "it’s ok, someone else has already put me forward for that role" (you dont have to say who). Other than that, just keep quiet.

Also, when you apply for a job on a jobsite that’s through an IT recruitment agency, sometimes it’s not a real job. It’s just to get your CV and your details! So be warned. If you do decide to use agencies, you have to look after number 1. You! Don't let them pressure you into anything. My motto is to "Use them as much as they try and Use you".

Strider590

I'd like to add to this post a warning.

Many of these online employment agencies do not have any jobs at all.

They SIMPLY sell your personal data to advertising companies for (and get this) around 50p to say £2 per contact. Something the DVLA was doing and got into a lot of trouble for recently.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Strider590 wrote: »

I'd like to add to this post a warning.

Many of these online employment agencies do not have any jobs at all.

They SIMPLY sell your personal data to advertising companies for (and get this) around 50p to say £2 per contact. Something the DVLA was doing and got into a lot of trouble for recently.

Whilst I agree with most of what you said in the original post dont be making things up.

Strider590

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Whilst I agree with most of what you said in the original post dont be making things up.

Im sorry, but there are so called employment agencies operating on the internet job sites who do sell your details to advertising companies.
They tend to be the one's advertising "too good to be true" jobs, and/or exactly the same job in mulitiple UK locations.
Often these are jobs in medical/IT/engineering advertising a great pay package for very little in the way of qualifications/experience.

sexki11en

I'd like to add to this too. As a recruiter myself, how else do you expect agencies to find out who is recruiting so they have jobs for you? They don't just fall out of the sky you know. I know the image you have is that we sit here smiling then the phone rings and clients offer us work but sadly the real world is not like that. It's a competetive market and you have to work smart. I'm doing everything i can in my power to find my candidates work right now because you're right - if you're not earning - i'm not earning and we need to stay in jobs too.

I'm sure you'd be the first to moan if you joined an agency and they sat on their backsides not trying to find you work!

You can't win.

SK x

Edited to add: I personally do not phone people who have sent me a CV purely to find out leads. I will ask them if i've booked them in, and I only book people in if a) I have a role for them or b) I don't currently have a role (and have told them so) but genuinely believe I can help them.

martyp

Interesting thread - I'm currently looking for IT jobs and agencies have called me like you say. One called earlier this week saying I'd be really great for a particular job, e-mailed me details and said they'd call me back a short while later and didn't...
I don't think the ones I'm with are selling my details or anything, I do trust them a fair amount as the people I speak to sound quite honest and friendly.
I got my last job through an agency and the agency glorified the job which was actually really awful. They even told me I'd get a £1000 Christmas bonus. I ended up getting £10 and when I asked at the company they denied telling the agency that! Imagine how I felt looking forward to that at Christmas time...
I called the agency and queried it and they 'vaguely remembered' it.
I often find when I ring one particular agency they'll say 'actually...we've had something just come in...' I never know if that really is the case or not but it's funny they tend to say that when I call...

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Strider590 wrote: »

Im sorry, but there are so called employment agencies operating on the internet job sites who do sell your details to advertising companies.
.

As a recruitment consultant/manager/own business for 12 years, after managing 6 branches, after managing up to 7 consultants at a time, up to personally controlling 110 temporary workers, 6 specialist consultants (including IT) I can tell you that you are indeed deluded. The above is totally untrue.



From the Original Post:
90% of them dont give a sh*t about finding you a new job. When you post your CV on a popular jobsite, you will be bombarded with phone calls from IT recruitment agencies, but the majority are only after "new leads". They will bullsh*t you till the cows come home, so take whatever they say with a pinch of salt. Most will call you to say they have a role for you. Some of the time, it’s for real. Most of the time it’s a fake job (they just want to make a good first impression to say "look at me, I have loads of jobs for you, so use me and no-one else"). After the usual discussion of what you are looking for, salary requirements, location. etc, nearly ALL recruitment agencies will ask the question:
"How long have you been looking?"...
"Have you got any interviews lined up and where?"...
"Who have you been put forward for, so I dont put you forward for the same role?"
THIS IS TRUE OF 90%+ Of agencies

As for your attitude my advice to any Consultant DONT DEAL WITH HIM, HE IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE


Just like Bad Agencies there are Bad Candidates.