BAD Agency! Most blatent fishing yet, What are your experiences??

mpltd · 26th June 2008, 13:57

Hi all,

I've been contracting for a while so I am fully aware of some of the tricks some agencies use to try and bleed you of leads, from the old "If you dont tell me what companies you have been put forwards to, you're risking your chances if I end up forwarding your CV again...." to "We need the names of the people you worked for at your last 3 contracts before I can even enter you on our database..."

But nothing prepared me for the email I received today... lol
(Subject: Congratulations!)
"Hi <x>,

Thanks for sending your CV in for the Contract VB6 role in London.

This e-mail means you have been shortlisted for the role and have made it past the first stage. I am currently in the process of reviewing the list I have compiled to send to my client.

In the mean time, my client has requested i receive an overview of efforts you have made to secure work elsewhere. They are looking to see how keen you are to get involved in an IT position and want to see how you have been doing it.

Please reply to this e-mail with a list of interviews you have had and interviews you have coming up so i can forward this to my client. Please do include the company name, the manager who interviewed you, the location of the office and the position applied for.

This will allow us to update our record of you and will allow our client to get a better understanding of what type of candidate you are.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Regards"

I replied sure, if you give me a list of people, I'll do your cold calling too!!!

What are others experiencing???

Jaws · 26th June 2008, 19:19

A few weeks ago I had one agent phone me asking about attending an interview the following day, I let him know I already had an interview arranged, told him the rough location and the type of business it was.

Only a couple of hours after that I got a call from someone with a remarkably similar voice who hestitated for a few seconds before providing with his name and the name of the agency he was working for. He told me how he'd been trying to get hold of me for days with regard to a contract in the same location for exactly the same type of business, repeating what I mentioned earlier almost word for word. When I mentioned I had an interview arranged already he went on to explain how upset his boss would be with him for not getting hold of me in time and wanted me to confirm the name of the person interviewing me. Full of sympathy, I provided him with a false name and said "better luck next time".

Badger · 26th June 2008, 19:33

Name and shame

Jsecure · 26th June 2008, 20:30

I had the usual 109 year old trick today, on the phone to a recruiter... Oh where did you last work? Oh yes! I know that place, were you working with (insert generic name here)? No, can't say I was... Oh, right, who were you working with? I mean, who'se the development leader out there? (Cue frantic pen scratching noises down phone line)...

miffy · 26th June 2008, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jsecure

I had the usual 109 year old trick today, on the phone to a recruiter... Oh where did you last work? Oh yes! I know that place, were you working with (insert generic name here)? No, can't say I was... Oh, right, who were you working with? I mean, who'se the development leader out there? (Cue frantic pen scratching noises down phone line)...

I got one today as well.

A youngster from Huxley Assoc. Obviously a new tactic for him.

BrilloPad · 26th June 2008, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpltd

Hi all,

I've been contracting for a while so I am fully aware of some of the tricks some agencies use to try and bleed you of leads, from the old "If you dont tell me what companies you have been put forwards to, you're risking your chances if I end up forwarding your CV again...." to "We need the names of the people you worked for at your last 3 contracts before I can even enter you on our database..."

But nothing prepared me for the email I received today... lol
(Subject: Congratulations!)
"Hi <x>,

Thanks for sending your CV in for the Contract VB6 role in London.

This e-mail means you have been shortlisted for the role and have made it past the first stage. I am currently in the process of reviewing the list I have compiled to send to my client.

In the mean time, my client has requested i receive an overview of efforts you have made to secure work elsewhere. They are looking to see how keen you are to get involved in an IT position and want to see how you have been doing it.

Please reply to this e-mail with a list of interviews you have had and interviews you have coming up so i can forward this to my client. Please do include the company name, the manager who interviewed you, the location of the office and the position applied for.

This will allow us to update our record of you and will allow our client to get a better understanding of what type of candidate you are.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Regards"

I replied sure, if you give me a list of people, I'll do your cold calling too!!!

What are others experiencing???

Name and shame!

portseven · 26th June 2008, 20:53

I had a strange one the other day, pimp phoned me to ask if I knew of any architects who had done e-commerce stuff before, I didn't and so fair enough.

He then started asking me what sort of companies and systems that people would normally engage in a e-commerce project. Would they look for a company to do the whole shebang etc.. Strange questions for a pimp I thought.

TazMaN · 27th June 2008, 08:44

I don't mind if they ask me technical/IT related questions, after all they're just trying to learn about the product etc so good for them.

What I don't like is when they ask all these roundabout questions about where I am working, who is the main manager, where I have had interviews etc. It's their job to find business but it's not my job to provide that business to them and I certainly don't like being treated like an idiot with the usual glarb of obvious questions.

Surely these recruiters know they are being cynical with these fishing questions?

I would much rather prefer they just come out and state what they want.

expat · 27th June 2008, 10:09

I don't mind them fishing for leads, it's the job. I do mind crass dishonesty:

Quote:

In the mean time, my client has requested i receive an overview of efforts you have made to secure work elsewhere. They are looking to see how keen you are to get involved in an IT position and want to see how you have been doing it.

Keen enough, mate, or I wouldn't be talking to you.

Epiphone · 27th June 2008, 10:19

Going back a few years an agent I'd used before rang to fish. But wasvery open about it.

"Where are you working now? Anything I can make money off?"

Top marks for honesty and when the client needed another bod I dropped the pimp a mail so he could slime his way in, all because he made me laugh.