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What is your experience with recruitment agencies?
Comments
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dandelionclock30 wrote: »My experience of agencies is that they promise you the earth and then deliver nothing! Last year I facilitated a group of unemployed adults on Jobsearch methods and we all discussed agencies.The group was varied between skilled and unskilled people,nobody had a good word to say and one person said Bloodsuckers- and that basically sums it up.
but it isn't that easy, which is what i mean about people not understanding them. Some people seem to think that the agency is there to get them a job, but they're just the middle man between the employee and the client.
the agency staff just put people forward who are suited to the role and the client then decides who they want / who they want to interview... and that isn't always just from the one agency depending on how many the client uses.
I've applied for hundreds of contracts / jobs and heard nothing back. I've had interviews and heard nothing back from the agency, I've also had plenty of contracts through them and also plenty of calls about roles I haven't applied for, simply because I'm on their books and match their requirements.
Once people understand that:- They can't call everybody back all of the time
- You're not the only person on their books
- you still have to look for a job yourself and don't just rely on them doing it for you
- sometimes you're just not suitable for the role
- What they charge for you has nothing to do with what you get paid
I've done contracts with people who refuse to work for certain agencies for the silliest reasons. For me, if they find me a role and the pay is right, as long as they pay on time I'm happy to use them.0 -
scheming_gypsy wrote: »I agree, 'got to change' really does have to change instead of barging in to other peoples threads and being insulting.
the topic is 'what's your experience....' and that's my experience. They get me all my work and i enjoy laughing at the people who can't grasp the concept that they work for the agency, and therefor what the agency charges has nothing to do with their wage.
You need to pay the predictability charge when saying that "GotToChange" has got to change.....
Unoriginal.
You did not simply relay your experience (yay, good for you) - you took the pointless opportunity and excuse to be smug, rude and provocative.
Surely you know how pathetic your comment was - and designed to inflame.
For someone who works so much, gets paid so much and is a 100% stand-up citizen, you -
1) Have time to spare - and
2) Put such time to really ugly use.
Some people DO know how agencies and consultants work - and I say again, they can be polar opposites; I have experience of both.
Employment agencies (that I know of - in this area) make their income from supplying cheap, mass labour into temporary, short-notice and insecure work - and such work usually requires high-vis, your own safety boots and the ability to speak basic English. RCs are different altogether - and you know it.0 -
My experience of recruitment agencies has been reasonably positive.
Sure, they promise more then they deliver, but they have generally found me work when I've been stuck, and you don't have to jump through hoops like you do with regular employers.
I think if you can present yourself reasonably well, can explain issues on your CV (why you left a job, why you have gaps), can highlight your experience and how you've progressed your career you'll have a decent chance of finding employment through them.
If you're temping you've got to be prepared to accept positions below your desired level, maybe travel a bit further than you want to, but once you've got your foot in the door you've got a decent chance of getting something long-term.Hope over Fear. #VoteYes0 -
GotToChange wrote: »Some people DO know how agencies and consultants work -
So it clearly wasn't aimed at them.Employment agencies (that I know of - in this area) make their income from supplying cheap, mass labour into temporary, short-notice and insecure work - and such work usually requires high-vis, your own safety boots and the ability to speak basic English. RCs are different altogether - and you know it.
now this is something i do know about as my Dad had an employment agency for about 18 years supplying HGV drivers and labourers, and you're slightly wrong.
They barely make any income from labourers; there's absolutely no money there for them. How much do you think an agency can charge for a labourer? it isn't much above the minimum wage as they can't get the money for them. The labourers will get paid weekly but the client will pay on invoice, 28 /45 days etc so the agency need to either use a factoring company or make sure they have the money there... when they use a factoring company (ie they get weekly loans) they have to chase the client to pay the invoices on time.
On top of paying the labourers wages they have to pay office and staff wages; accounts department, recruitment 'consultants', bosses wages and any other staff. they also have to pay the rent, bills and every other outgoing (stationary, printer supplies) etc etc. And obviously, they pay the employers NI so if NMW is £6.08 an hour and employers NI is £37.5 a week, that means the first £7.08 of anything goes on staff wages.
My Dad's company went under a few years ago simply because there were no margins left. Like you say about your area, there are a number of them all doing the same thing so any profit was made on mass - £1 an hour extra hourly(charged) rate per person = £100 an hour in total. Agencies would then battle against each other and dropping rates to ones my dad couldn't compete with - they were using labourers as a lost leader to get all the clients business.
When my Dad lost his biggest client he had to close as he couldn't survive on the margins from the remaining people he had out. for example; if he had 50 men out and making £1 on per hour on each man he was making £350 a daybut out of that he had to pay the office staff, holiday pay, bills, sick pay etc.
Which is why they have to provide their own PPE. If you have 1000 people on your books and provide each person with PPE at a cost of £60; that's £60,000 just in footwear etc and there is no money in labourers.
The real money is higher up the market with skilled workers, that's where the recruitment consultants are driving the flash cars and getting the big bonuses. They're bringing money in whereas the employment agencies for labourers are working out of small offices and fighting for pennies.0 -
What upset me a little was that the lady I spoke to didn't necessarily have to try and discourage me from believing I can get even 20 000 a year - she could have just said "I understand, though consider that right now there are so many people going for jobs and there have been cuts so you might not get 20 000 a year".
The way she said it, it was like she was trying to tell me, whoa there, who do you think you are? You can only get a low-paid job.
When with my current CV I have gotten interviews for jobs that paid at least 25 000 - I presume if they didn't think I deserved that they wouldn't have even called me in for the interview.
I know she has to find cheap labour for companies, and she was trying to stop me from getting ideas, but that wasn't necessary at all. I didn't go there to get them to find me a megabucks job.London Fashion Week tickets, Clinique Facial treatment set (I see it as a win :P) Mario Power Tennis Wii game, Aura by Swaroski perfume, Theatre Tickets to 'A woman alone' :T, £1000 with Kerrang's Scream4Cash, Links of London Wedding Themed Bracelet, Chipmunk O2 launch party tickets, Adidas All In gig tickets, Water For Elephants Double Bill tix0 -
OK - an example of the inefficiency of one particular agency:
(With whom I registered a while ago)
They have a window display, it recently (and for a good few weeks),
featured a position - adjacent town, "Senior Administrator" (Permanent).
I phoned them to ask for more details and confirm that I was still in their system. Asked me to submit an up-to-date CV - which I did, with covering email and confirmation of interest.
(Worth noting at this point that I was informed by the "Advisor" that it could not be "guaranteed, as the "client" was waiting for a "contract" to be "confirmed".)
I heard nothing and received no acknowledgement of my interest/CV submission - I am reluctant to call it an application as applying for a job takes more than an email and a CV in my world.
A week later, the self-same person that I had spoken to me, called me - to:
1) Ask me to go in and register
2) Check that I was still (?) looking for a temporary job (erm. No)
2) Tell me gleefully about this temporary position that had become available. For A Receptionist. For One Day.
Seriously.
Yes, scheming gypsy, they have the clients' interests a heart - the youth muttered "Well, it's up to you" and hung up when I re-stated my original intention - but, my God, that example leaves so much to be desired in terms of efficiency and professionalism. I am sure there will be someone who actually wants to work for one day at short notice - but that person is not me and they knew it. It is about a balance between meeting the needs of a business and treating that very human resource as the important commidity with the respect that it deserves.0 -
What upset me a little was that the lady I spoke to didn't necessarily have to try and discourage me from believing I can get even 20 000 a year - she could have just said "I understand, though consider that right now there are so many people going for jobs and there have been cuts so you might not get 20 000 a year".
.
It is slightly different with permanent jobs as the client dictates the salary. Sometimes this will be lower as they pay the agency a fee for supplying the staff; like a finders fee or a 'thanks for selling us one of your employees' fee.
The recruitment staff will often go on other peoples salaries as well or base it on the market rate. Although there will be jobs in the 25k and upwards field if the market rate is 20k they stay a bit blinkered..
don't get me wrong though, agencies can be a nightmare even though i use them for every job i get. You have to hope the person advertising knows enough about the role (impossible if they cover all roles) to match your CV and capabilities rather than finding keywords in somebody elses and overlooking you.0 -
GotToChange wrote: »OK - an example of the inefficiency of one particular agency:
(With whom I registered a while ago)
They have a window display, it recently (and for a good few weeks),
featured a position - adjacent town, "Senior Administrator" (Permanent).
I phoned them to ask for more details and confirm that I was still in their system. Asked me to submit an up-to-date CV - which I did, with covering email and confirmation of interest.
(Worth noting at this point that I was informed by the "Advisor" that it could not be "guaranteed, as the "client" was waiting for a "contract" to be "confirmed".)
I heard nothing and received no acknowledgement of my interest/CV submission - I am reluctant to call it an application as applying for a job takes more than an email and a CV in my world.
A week later, the self-same person that I had spoken to me, called me - to:
1) Ask me to go in and register
2) Check that I was still (?) looking for a temporary job (erm. No)
2) Tell me gleefully about this temporary position that had become available. For A Receptionist. For One Day.
Seriously.
Yes, scheming gypsy, they have the clients' interests a heart - the youth muttered "Well, it's up to you" and hung up when I re-stated my original intention - but, my God, that example leaves so much to be desired in terms of efficiency and professionalism. I am sure there will be someone who actually wants to work for one day at short notice - but that person is not me and they knew it. It is about a balance between meeting the needs of a business and treating that very human resource as the important commidity with the respect that it deserves.
i've had the same problem myself with some.. Clowns don't just work at the big top! but i've learnt to read between the lines; i even get emails about jobs in the South West and i'm in Preston!! When you sent your CV in you were put on their system so somebody else will have seen your details and put you down for something you matched against. sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't
I've had calls from the most uninterested agency staff asking if i want to do a contract. They sound embarressed to be phoning me because they're offering minimum wage for a skilled job.. I have to feel sorry for them because they're trying to earn a living as well and will be phoning everybody on their books / job sites etc just to try and find one person desparate to work0 -
- What they charge for you has nothing to do with what you get paid
Not 100% true.
Firstly a fair number of agencies work on a percentage, my client currently pays 18% (which is far too high) so what the agency gets is directly related to what the candidate gets.
Secondly for any roll advertised the hiring company has an ultimate budget they are wanting to spend. If looking at the Temp/ Contractor space as an easier example I am was recently hiring and have a budget of £650 a day which should have equate to £550 for the candidate and £100 for the agency but the candidate wanted £575 so the agency firstly tried to negotiate us up and the candidate down but finally went for the third option of dropping their own monies but did say they will not pass on any pay rises until they are back up to their 18% agreement.ozma83 wrote:What upset me a little was that the lady I spoke to didn't necessarily have to try and discourage me from believing I can get even 20 000 a year
To be honest it is her best interest to. An agency gets a fee for placing you. The difference of you accepting £18,000 or £20,000 makes a much smaller difference to them. If they sell you to their clients at £18,000 they have more chance of someone taking you. Once you're off their books they start working with the next person to earn the next fee.
It is a basic calculation for them to balance the fee they will get -v- the amount of time/ effort required to get it. Hence my previous comment about them being little use if you're wanting to stretch your skills to a higher roll or move into a new type of job because you are much harder to place than if you are doing a sideways step.0 -
To be honest it is her best interest to. An agency gets a fee for placing you. The difference of you accepting £18,000 or £20,000 makes a much smaller difference to them. If they sell you to their clients at £18,000 they have more chance of someone taking you. Once you're off their books they start working with the next person to earn the next fee.
It is a basic calculation for them to balance the fee they will get -v- the amount of time/ effort required to get it. Hence my previous comment about them being little use if you're wanting to stretch your skills to a higher roll or move into a new type of job because you are much harder to place than if you are doing a sideways step.
No I completely understand this! Of course I understand she doesn't want to waste her time and her job is to provide cheap staff to companies.
But did you read the rest of my post? I said I don't think it's fair of her to say "yeah, if you're lucky!" like I don't deserve even that much and was being big headed. She could have just said "companies are at the moment offering less than that so I can only help you if you're prepared to accept less".
Instead, she tried to make me keep my head down by ridiculing my ideas of getting more than they can offer, like I wasn't worth it - and this is not fair.London Fashion Week tickets, Clinique Facial treatment set (I see it as a win :P) Mario Power Tennis Wii game, Aura by Swaroski perfume, Theatre Tickets to 'A woman alone' :T, £1000 with Kerrang's Scream4Cash, Links of London Wedding Themed Bracelet, Chipmunk O2 launch party tickets, Adidas All In gig tickets, Water For Elephants Double Bill tix0
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