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Candidates - Things To Be Aware Of When Using A Recruitment Agency
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Are you yet another who believes that it is true because you think it is true??Cavework, it is unfortunately true that the advice given in this thread is best applied to all recruitment consultants
Maybe that has something to do with the downright rudeness experienced when someone posts about a positive recruitment experience on here.it appears to be a lot more than one or two bad experiences now, doesn't it?
No they haven't! See above...Some of the agents who have posted have given considered responses, which have been appreciated.
No, not in the least. What we CAN blame you for, is tarring all agents/ agencies with the same brush.Can you blame us for being cautious when dealing with such an important issue in our lives?The only thing we know for sure, is that we know nothing0 -
Sammyantha wrote: »Are you yet another who believes that it is true because you think it is true??
Maybe that has something to do with the downright rudeness experienced when someone posts about a positive recruitment experience on here.
No they haven't! See above...
No, not in the least. What we CAN blame you for, is tarring all agents/ agencies with the same brush.
With respect Sammyantha your one positive experience, where a candidate presented you with flowers, while commendable, has been outweighed by the negative experiences described on this thread.
By considered responses I meant those which have addressed the issues and enabled others to gain some insight into why negative experiences happen, from a recruitment agent's point of view. Jimavfc82's post (no 46) is an example of the sort of contribution I meant.
As for tarring all agents/agencies with the same brush, I've not done that and quote myself in explanation.We are talking about jobs here, a major factor of our lives. It is sad that we have to share tips on protecting ourselves from possible deviousness from recruitment agencies but it is important that the basic guidelines set out here are made available to all who care to read them.
Please don't forget that many of us started out trusting our recruitment agents and learned the hard way that our trust was misplaced. It is a great shame that many very good agents are being tarnished by the actions of the less scrupulous ones, but that is the industrry's problem to sort out, not ours.
At the beginning of the recruitment process candidates can't know if their agent is one who can be trusted or not. Can you blame us for being cautious when dealing with such an important issue in our lives?My first reply was witty and intellectual but I lost it so you got this one instead
Proud to be a chic shopper
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Sammyantha wrote: »Are you yet another who believes that it is true because you think it is true??
The truth of the statement that this advice should be applied to all agents stems from the need to protect yourself from those that take advantage by assuming they all do (rather than the explicit assertion that they all do). The reason for this blanket policy is that experience teaches us that these are not isolated incidents and you run a significant risk of encountering an untrustworthy agent.Sammyantha wrote: »Maybe that has something to do with the downright rudeness experienced when someone posts about a positive recruitment experience on here.
There's no hostility towards positive views on recruitment, just the assertions that have been made that the candidates deserve to be treated in that way when negative experiences have occurred ... even if a candidate is substandard and misleading two wrongs don't make a right.Sammyantha wrote: »No they haven't! See above...
I have personally thanked Jimavfc82 for what appears to be a balanced and considered opinion backed up with reasoning, I personally think some of the practices described are a bit unreasonable despite the reasoning behind it, but I respect the counter argument.Sammyantha wrote: »No, not in the least. What we CAN blame you for, is tarring all agents/ agencies with the same brush.
The thrust of this thread highlights the need to treat recruitment agencies / agents the same as there is no way to distinguish trustworthy from untrustworthy until it's too late.
I believe it has been extensively acknowledged that there are good agents and bad agents out there, as there are candidates, however it is not acceptable to treat anyone in the way that has been reported in the extremes of this thread no matter what you think of them professionally or otherwise.If you think of it as 'us' verses 'them', then it's probably your side that are the villains.0 -
This is what happened to me, Found a job in my local jobcentre and it was through a agency, Called them up and was told to come in and sign up. I did this and give all my details including bank details and then I asked where this job was and when do I start. I was then told that the actual vacancy didn't exist and that it was advertised to get people on the books who would have the qualifications needed for when a vacancy like it became available. I didn't last long as all they was giving me was jobs for about 4 hours a day 2 -3 days a week,
You filled in a form, and thought that ment you 'got the job' ? When you join an agency you are applying for a job, nothing more.
As for the second part, i'd be more inclinded to believe they told you that you weren't successful, but they would call you if something similar arose. But then people hear what they want to hear much of the time."On behalf of teachers, I'd like to dedicate this award to Michael Gove and I mean dedicate in the Anglo Saxon sense which means insert roughly into the anus of." My hero, Mr Steer.0 -
You filled in a form, and thought that ment you 'got the job' ? When you join an agency you are applying for a job, nothing more.
As for the second part, i'd be more inclinded to believe they told you that you weren't successful, but they would call you if something similar arose. But then people hear what they want to hear much of the time.
lol What you going on about ? I applied for a vacancy I found at a jobcentre and when I called the agency they said you can start the job straight away if you come sign up and you have the relevant qualifications which I did. I was successful and it was them who admitted the job didn't actually exist and that they advertise stuff to get people on the books who would have the relevant qualifications for when such jobs arise, Explain your defence of recruitment agency's0 -
LilyDeTilly wrote: »Actually cavework, BEFORE I went for the second interview with the agency's client, I told the agent about the first job offer and ASKED him (no demands or ultimatums involved) if he thought the client would make a decision that day. He assured me that they would as they were only interviewing myself and one other person for 2nd interviews.
Therefore, your assumptions and "feelings" are incorrect.
That is not what you stated in your first post .0 -
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Also check that the agency who contacts you (or that you contact) about Role A actually have the authority from the client. Let me give you a little example of a recent experience of mine....
Agency X rings me up about a role. I agree to be represented by Agency X for Role A at Company C
Agency Y rings me up a few hours later about Role A. I tell Agency Y that I have been put forward for Role A. Agency Y say are you sure that you've been put forward and offer to check. I tentatively agree, and Agency Y inform me that my CV has not been received by Company C. I agree for Agency Y to put me forward for Role A at Company C. Two days later Agency Y ring me to arrange an interview for Role A.....
Turns out some clients with multi-agency preferred supplier lists only allows a small number of CVs per agency, so to reduce the competition for CVs already submitted, tell the candidate that they have been submitted when actually they have not....
At the end of the day, recruitment agencies work for only one interest, themselves. They most certainly do not work for the candidate, and only work for the client when there is some commission in it for them!0 -
Also check that the agency who contacts you (or that you contact) about Role A actually have the authority from the client. Let me give you a little example of a recent experience of mine....
Agency X rings me up about a role. I agree to be represented by Agency X for Role A at Company C
Agency Y rings me up a few hours later about Role A. I tell Agency Y that I have been put forward for Role A. Agency Y say are you sure that you've been put forward and offer to check. I tentatively agree, and Agency Y inform me that my CV has not been received by Company C. I agree for Agency Y to put me forward for Role A at Company C. Two days later Agency Y ring me to arrange an interview for Role A.....
Turns out some clients with multi-agency preferred supplier lists only allows a small number of CVs per agency, so to reduce the competition for CVs already submitted, tell the candidate that they have been submitted when actually they have not....
At the end of the day, recruitment agencies work for only one interest, themselves. They most certainly do not work for the candidate, and only work for the client when there is some commission in it for them!
That is a really nasty thing to do.
So a new suggestion:
Call the company, politely, yourself to ensure that your CV actually has been submitted. You can always ask a relevant question, if you have any, about the job while you are talking to them (thus saving face for the agency - before I get flamed again).My first reply was witty and intellectual but I lost it so you got this one instead
Proud to be a chic shopper
:cool:0 -
LilyDeTilly wrote: »I recently went for an interview for a role through an agency (company 1). I also went for an interview for a role which I found myself (company 2). Both called me back for second interviews however company 2 offered me the role before I got to the second interview for company 1. I delayed giving them an answer and went for the 2nd interview with the other job.
That afternoon, I called the agency and said that I would need an answer that day as I had been offered another role and had to also give them an answer. The agent asked me where the role was so I told him. Within one hour, he was on the phone to company 2 to tell them he had a number of candidates suitable for the role they were trying to fill :mad:
Originally Posted by LilyDeTilly
Actually cavework, BEFORE I went for the second interview with the agency's client, I told the agent about the first job offer and ASKED him (no demands or ultimatums involved) if he thought the client would make a decision that day. He assured me that they would as they were only interviewing myself and one other person for 2nd interviews.
Thanks
So the first time you informed the consultant about your job offer he/she ( lets say he from now on) didn't ask where it was , but when you contacted him again in the afternoon of the same day of the interview, to remind him you needed an answer that day, after telling you the decision had not yet been reached, suddenly he was interested about the details of company 2.
You kindly gave him the information and he immediately got in touch with company 2 to offer the agencies services for the job you had already been offered0
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