Tips & tricks which some recruitment agencies use

geek84

Hi Folks

I'm sure most of you are aware the some recruitment agencies that use the following tricks in order to increase their commission!!

1. Theyphone you up saying that they have several jobs that you are suitable for. However, in most cases, the vacancies don't exist!! Actually, They are just trying to find outpeople who take on temps and want to know the names and phone numbers ofyour old bosses!!
2. Theypost jobs on job sites that don't exist. They are only trying to getthemselves a number of extra CVs to increase their own database. When you sendin your CV, they'll say that the job is gone.
3.They'll ask you, "Tell us what companies that your CV has already beensent out to, so that we don't make the mistake of sending your CV there again,which could cost you a job interview". If you tell them, then they nowknow what companies are looking for temps/agency staff, and they can then put someother candidates up in opposition to you.
4. Whenthey are asking you what your rate for the job is they might say, "What'syour bottom line? What's the least that you would take to get a job? Obviouslywe will try to get as much as we can for you". That way, they'll still try and get asmuch as they can from the client, but they'll keep any extra
5. Whenyou don't get the job for an interview that they sent you to, they'll saythey'll look for other jobs for you, but they won't. They'll quietly drop you.They don't like people who don't pass interviews for them.
6. Oncethey've got you a job, they may say that they weren't able to get you the ratethat you wanted – that the client will only pay 5% or 10% less. This isrubbish. They told the company what your rate was initially and the companyaccepted it. The agency are now just trying to help themselves to an extra bitof commission for a job that is safely in their pockets.

However, the million dollar question is-

How do we get round these problems?
Any suggestions?

scheming_gypsy

As long as they don't set your house on fire while you sleep - what does it matter?

1 - you don't give them details of your old bosses until you need to give references.

2 - An agency has your CV - more chance of work

3 - don't tell them then. Although I'm not sure about this one as agencies rarely tell you who the client is until you get an interview.

4 - if you tell them what you want and they get it, then you're happy.

5 - and? keep looking for your own jobs, that's what you're there for.

6 - So?, if you're not happy with the rate offered you don't take the job. plus larger companies don't play that game, they'll only pay x% of the hourly rate to the agency.
On my last contract I got a phone call telling me that there was an issue with my hourly rate. They'd put the purchase order through for the wrong rate and it was easier to adjust my rate than to re-do the paperwork. So I ended up being paid an extra £3.50 an hour; if they'd kept the extra the client would have stopped using them.



First world problems they ain't.

TrickyWicky

I won't use agencies. I only ever used one that successfully got me a job - a job where all sorts of strange things were going on. I had a mate who worked for them at another depot and got wind that they were all on the fiddle. Very odd company.

Every other agency I've ever dealt with has been full of ****. There is one that are a pretty big brand who routinely advertise the same jobs week after week after week. You ring up and ask for that particular person who is always at lunch (at 10:30?), or off for the day. It's always the same two excuses. In other words that person isn't real but by you asking for them we know it refers to a bait-advert.

I don't touch them now to be honest.

InsideInsurance

geek84 wrote: »

How do we get round these problems?
Any suggestions?

Firstly, read screaming_gypsy's reply as most of it is accurate.

Remember that agencies really work for themselves, if you want to say they work for anyone then they work for the potential employer not the candidate.

You seem to have worked out how they work and so just play the game. They aren't a charity, they arent a careers advisor or help service, they make their money by getting a candidate into a job. They therefore clearly want good candidates that are easy to put into roles so its evident that if you interview badly that they arent going to waste their "slots" by submitting you to lots of other roles but will try other candidates on their books.

They are a necessary evil (I say this as both a candidate and hiring manager) but as with anyone with "agent" in their title just remember they are self serving and their loyalties switch in the process

DKLS

Overall I like agencies, good ones take the donkey work out of finding a role, and can open more doors than I would on my own.

Of course there are good ones and bad ones and it helps if you know the rules of the game, but I wont be going back to the tedious task of filling in application forms to land a job.

AP007

After you have been out of work a certain time I have been told by many they will not work with you as they clients ask for people in work. I still apply for jobs via agencies but no response although one get in touch with me last week after I updated my CV on Reed again last week but when she realised I was not in work (yes she had not read the CV properly!) her suggestion was try to get in touch with companies direct. I have been doing that and will continue to do that.

paddyrg

7) Don't go 'exclusive' - that's (often?) about taking you out of the pool so their preferred candidate can look better. Yep, seen that being done and can confirm it is real.

scooby088

It's a two way street really I have found with agencies, I am currently 4 months into a job which could become permanent in the next few weeks. But you need to be firm with agencies when registering with them, state what you want and for how long, I always ask for temp to perm jobs that way I can decide whether I like it or not, if I don't like it I ask them to find me something new.

I am afraid agencies are a necessary evil in this climate of work.

Beachview_2

One time I spent ages preparing an application for a job through a recruitment agency. It was for a job I really wanted. Somebody from the agency rang me about the job and wanted to interview me on the spot. Unfortunately it was a very inconvenient time they rang at so I explained, and they said that was okay and offered to ring me back. Of course that was the last I heard of them. Why lie to me? Why not just say if you can't take the call, we'll just move on to the next person on the list.

AP007

scooby088 wrote: »

I am afraid agencies are a necessary evil in this climate of work.

When they don't work for the candidate there is nothing you can do to get them to help you.

scooby088

AP007 wrote: »

When they don't work for the candidate there is nothing you can do to get them to help you.

Yeah I know I have been on the end of bad treatment by a few agencies for misunderstandings out of my control.