Agency work

makemerich12

I'm considering joining an agency tomorrow for a job I have seen advertised it's not ideal but it'll support my family until I can get something new but I have questions.

I have applied for at least 5 jobs so far that are still running on "being processed" so with working for an agency would I be tied down to a leaving notice if I suddenly got an offer?

How many cut do they take?
Any questions to ask?

diggingdude

If it 0 hours just refuse any work offered during notice period. If not then simply work a notice period

makemerich12

Well it's for a job but posted via an agency on Reed that stats "Contract, full-time" and the just hours of work.

It's solely something to keep me from having depressing thoughts until i can get a better role

DCFC79

If you get an offer fromelsewhere and theagency contacts you regarding a job you applied for through the agencyyou can either say your not interested or go to the interview.

[Deleted User]

Don't go near agencies if you can help it - sure you can leave sharpish/immediate but the high street or brand ones in my experience tend to then blacklist you for a good while so it's not worth it if you knowingly look to not commit for full duration.

If you move around to much and head of for real unstable roles; eventually it can affect confidence. The agency won't place you in your best interests but theirs.

If you want a temp role - my advice make your CV public on the job boards as companies want to recruit their own temporary workers moreso these days. It is a lot less agro. I recently picked up a FTC at nearer 20k this way. They had agencies working for them as well (one such told me they had no opportunities they could match me with) so it says something.

ThemeOne

Just to be clear, is this a job where the agency would pay you and be your employer, or is the agency recruiting for a position where you'd be on their client's payroll?

If the latter, then the notice period will be specified in your contract with the company - usually a week or a month (but can vary).

Same if you're paid by the agency - notice will be specified in your agreement with them. You say the job is described as a "contract" which might mean they want someone who can work the length of the contract (e.g. 6 months).

I'd be very surprised if there's anything which says you can't leave before the end of the 6 months, though don't expect the agency or company to be very happy if you do.

I had an experience with this once. It was a "6 month contract" but I left after a few weeks, as the job was awful. The agency was furious (just so happened to be Reed as well) and said I'd be blacklisted. I told them to tell it to someone who cared, and that was the end of it.

Knowing the way agencies work, even if you're supposedly blacklisted I doubt it would prevent them from using you again if they were desperate.

As regards the agency cut, you will never know how much as you'll only be quoted what you will receive personally.