Big disappointment

Saturnalia

A friend made me laugh earlier on with this comparison, see if you think he's right!

He said that The Tempzone is the same thing as The Friendzone in dating. Where you end up stuck in a certain role and the other person can't see you as anything other than that. In my situation, because I'd been temping at the company for over a year before making it well-known I wanted permanent work there, that I was already fixed in the recruiters' minds as "the temp". And that to get what you want, you have to make it known from the outset that you want more than is currently on the table.

It sounds like there could be some sense in that!

ditzyat50

Sometimes it can be a case of "it's not what you know it's who you know" Could it be possible that the person given the job knew someone?

Saturnalia

That's possible, but I don't know the person who got hired so I don't know if that's what has happened or not.

warehouse

t0rt0ise wrote: »

My first thought was why would they give you the job when they can keep calling on you to fill in as and when. Give you the job and they lose their temp.

Bingo, my first thought as well. A temp who everyone likes and knows the job inside out. Win win for the company.

FBaby

How did they advertise for the job? How big is the company? Did they recruit on receipt of CV or application forms? Many large companies have clear policies how to go about recruiting. They advertise, get application, short-list and recruit. It might be that the one person your colleague spoke to and possibly the one who had your CV is not the same person than the one who arrange the recruitment of that job and she didn't know about you? If it's a large company and have many things to deal with, they might not have the resource to actually think of every potential applications beyond those who reply that the normal route.

All in all, it sounds to me that you just got lost in the system rather than them deciding that they didn't want you.

paddyrg

Taking temps into permie roles is expensive for the company - they agency will have a contracted fee of maybe 26 weeks salary for placing you. Possibly they had a director's daughter looking for work at the same time, and managed to hence fill the post very cheaply and conveniently.

It's not all about you, you know ;-)

Checkmate_2

Saturnalia wrote: »

A friend made me laugh earlier on with this comparison, see if you think he's right!

He said that The Tempzone is the same thing as The Friendzone in dating. Where you end up stuck in a certain role and the other person can't see you as anything other than that. In my situation, because I'd been temping at the company for over a year before making it well-known I wanted permanent work there, that I was already fixed in the recruiters' minds as "the temp". And that to get what you want, you have to make it known from the outset that you want more than is currently on the table.

It sounds like there could be some sense in that!

LOL! Funny thing is you're spot on. OP got tempzoned.

Spendless

In my last temp job when they took me on permanently they didn't pay anything to the agency. I had been there 15 months in an on-going role though, I wouldn't know how it works when you work ad-hoc.

I hope you find out the reason (for your own state of mind) and update what it was. Am intrigued to find out as dependant on what they say I might find myself in the same situation at some point.

SuzyZ

Many years ago before I started work as a PA then legal secretary I temped as admin/secretary etc...

One agency in particular always seemed to get me temp roles, and nothing else, contracts sometimes but temp roles. 1 was for a year and a bit maternity leave contract (the lady took more time off for various reasons). I was told, either by that agency or I think another agency "Well X agency think/know you're a good little temp hence that's why you're on temp roles and not getting the perm ones you want". "Good little temp" - they meant as - I always went in, wherever I was told (all over London for probation service jobs, in bail hostels as receptionist etc), didn't quibble, did work 110% and more etc. I can only assume, back then some temps weren't like me, but I don't think I was of an especially high standard, just wanted to work hard and prove I was a good worker.

I was also placed by same agency in a perm role (after I'd asked about perm roles, said I wasn't happy about being *a temp*) in a large, prestigious company where she'd always wanted to place someone in a perm role. after 3 months (yes that short) I got an unfair, bad appraisal, decided to cut my losses and leave and got a earbashing from agency (even though they must have had their commission by then) for me wanting to leave and go into another perm job I'd got through another agency.

So, most likely, the agency will have wanted to keep you in the TempZone as your friend said.

If you want to break away from it and do perm work, find an agency who'll help you, or apply to companies direct. You could ask current agency but beware they'll be unhappy (commission wise etc) at using a *good little temp* like I was.

terra_ferma

Same companies have a policy of not recruiting agency workers for permanent roles because they don't want to pay the commission, which can be quite expensive.