Turned down for a permanent contract

thepcbloke

Hi all just here looking for some advice.
Scenario - I am currently working for an agency in a warehouse and have been for 1 year. Very recently the company advertised for 100 new full contracts. I was approached by numerous team leaders / managers saying that I should apply, I did just that.
1 week had a passed and I got a generic email saying that I had not been successful even though I gave a great interview - I never had an interview!
I replied to the email stating that I never had an interview and asked for feedback, I then got the same email in return.

Today I noticed loads of new starters in the warehouse and the majority were not english speaking. I have no issues with foreign people wanting to have a better life in this country, however for me to be turned down for a job with a company that I am already doing with an agency just does not add up to me. A team leader approached me and asked if I applied, I told him that I was not successful and he was also as disappointed as me.

Does this sound odd to you? Is this a form of discrimination because I am biritsh? 
Can I take this any further?
Many thanks for reading

oh_really

It sounds like nothing more than HR incompetence.

TELLIT01

If the OP is paid above minimum wage it's possible that the employer is simply saving money by taking on new staff.

oh_really

TELLIT01 said:

If the OP is paid above minimum wage it's possible that the employer is simply saving money by taking on new staff.

Perhaps, but by giving the op a "full contract", that doesn't change their wage liability to him, the new staff could have been engaged regardless without impact (unless additional information re any pay uplift is required).  

[Deleted User]

thepcbloke said:

Hi all just here looking for some advice.
Scenario - I am currently working for an agency in a warehouse and have been for 1 year. Very recently the company advertised for 100 new full contracts. I was approached by numerous team leaders / managers saying that I should apply, I did just that.
1 week had a passed and I got a generic email saying that I had not been successful even though I gave a great interview - I never had an interview!
I replied to the email stating that I never had an interview and asked for feedback, I then got the same email in return.

Today I noticed loads of new starters in the warehouse and the majority were not english speaking. I have no issues with foreign people wanting to have a better life in this country, however for me to be turned down for a job with a company that I am already doing with an agency just does not add up to me. A team leader approached me and asked if I applied, I told him that I was not successful and he was also as disappointed as me.

Does this sound odd to you? Is this a form of discrimination because I am biritsh? 
Can I take this any further?
Many thanks for reading

 No but enough of an issue to post about it on a public forum 🙄

 who says they were not British just talking to each other in a common favoured language. Its allowed you know. 

 No its not discrimination unless you were rejected BECAUSE of your race. Not simply because they hired people not your race. 

ssparks2003

There is a good possibility that the contract that the company holds with the agency either prevents them from recruiting agency staff as permanent staff or they are required to buy the agency staff out of the contract. 

Tahlullah.H

If they have to buy the agency worker out of the agency contract, then this can be significant and I have known many times when a good worker is overlooked as a result.  There is usually a clause that says the company can't employ the agency worker after a period of them leaving the agency as well, to ensure they are not colluding with the worker to avoid paying the agency fees.  This is the most likely scenario.  You should ask the agency you are working with what the terms are regarding finding employment with the company you are working with.

Marcon

thepcbloke said:

Hi all just here looking for some advice.
Scenario - I am currently working for an agency in a warehouse and have been for 1 year.

 however for me to be turned down for a job with a company that I am already doing with an agency just does not add up to me. A team leader approached me and asked if I applied, I told him that I was not successful and he was also as disappointed as me.

Does this sound odd to you? 

If the company advertised the new contracts direct (i.e. not using an agency), then the most likely scenario, as someone else has already suggested, is that it's about cash. The company would have to pay the agency a hefty 'introduction' fee if they took you on as a direct employee - that will be in the contract between the company and the agency, to stop the company 'poaching' agency staff.

General_Grant

Tahlullah.H said:

If they have to buy the agency worker out of the agency contract, then this can be significant and I have known many times when a good worker is overlooked as a result.  There is usually a clause that says the company can't employ the agency worker after a period of them leaving the agency as well, to ensure they are not colluding with the worker to avoid paying the agency fees.  This is the most likely scenario.  You should ask the agency you are working with what the terms are regarding finding employment with the company you are working with.

The contracts I've seen have had a payment on a reducing percentage basis as the length of the agency worker's service increases and are cut to zero after a defined period.  That enables the agency to make a fair amount on the provision of the temporary worker but is not a complete deterrent to taking someone on to the permanent workforce.

74jax

If the COMPANY was advertising and not the agency, was it the HR team of the company who said you had an interview? If so, could you approach one of the managers who expressed you should apply and ask for a telephone number for HR and call to ask? 
100 jobs is a lot and I'm guessing they haven't all been filled in only a week. 
Could one of the managers be a reference too and you could ask HR to speak to them. 
I wouldn't normally take this stance, you get a rejection and take it on the chin, but there's 100 jobs so worth a go. 
If you get to speak to HR I think you need to directly ask if it's an issue you are agency right now as if it is you know not to apply in future sadly. 

CookieMonster

HR incompetence.
Ask your manager/team leader to deal with it, as you've tried and gotten nowhere.