How deal with disclosure requests from agencies?

[Orkwood Cylons]

Hi forum,

hope I picked the right forum for this and am not off topic.

I contract in IT and find it's becoming increasingly difficult to avoid getting my CV doubly (or multiply) posted to clients. I used to think it reasonable to expect that an agent would have to disclose to me who the client is if he wants to forward my CV, so that I could proactively avoid double forwards.

Now I come across more recruiters who wish to forward my CV without telling me who the client is--not a problem if you only apply for a single contract at one time (not very realistic, obviously), but clearly problematic when applying a lot.

Recently I was on the phone with a recruiter from Computer People (Adecco), who demanded from me to disclose any contracts that my CV's recently been forwarded to (and also demanding references up front), while at the same time insisting he would then forward my CV without telling me the client.

Clearly, it's not in my interest to disclose my ongoing applications to other recruiters, and would be incorrect towards those other agencies. Also, by not telling me who he forwards my CV to, he would make it impossible for me to keep track myself and avoid future double forwards.

A day earlier a colleague of his had called my up about references while clearly trolling for Business Intelligence (asking team sizes and such).

How best deal with recruiters like that? Not doing business with them seems a big loss, as they are so large, but the terms seem unacceptable?

[deckster]

Recently I was on the phone with a recruiter from Computer People (Adecco), who demanded from me to disclose any contracts that my CV's recently been forwarded to (and also demanding references up front), while at the same time insisting he would then forward my CV without telling me the client.

Simple - if they won't tell you who it is, want to know who you've been talking to, and want references up front, they don't have a role to put you forward for. Tell them to fark orf.

[expat]

....How best deal with recruiters like that? Not doing business with them seems a big loss, as they are so large, but the terms seem unacceptable?

It may seem a big loss but this is an illusion. Just because they are large doesn't mean you need to deal with them. If they don't actually have a contract for you then it doesn't matter how large they are. The terms are unacceptable.

Look at it this way: Computer People ask you to tell them where your CV has been sent to. How would you know, unless the agencies that sent it have told you? So why won't Computer People tell you? What makes them special?

[PAH]

There's a very simple solution to agents wanting to know who else you've sent your CV to as a precursor to the whole fishing trip:

Tell them "No-one, you're the first one as I've only just started looking.".

Works for me everytime.

I'm sure some of the brighter agents know it's bollox, but there's absolutely nothing they can do about it to recover back to fishing.

[TheFaQQer]

If you want to say that you've applied to a couple of places, tell them that they are all classified projects that you can't talk about because of the Official Secrets Act. I occasionally tell them "I could tell you, but the people that I'm talking to would come round and detain you somewhere unpleasant if I did / I could tell you, but I'd have to have you killed / etc."

Implies that you have been talking to people about real roles, but are not allowed to give them any more information, which gets rid of their awkward questions.

[expat]

There's a very simple solution to agents wanting to know who else you've sent your CV to as a precursor to the whole fishing trip:

Tell them "No-one, you're the first one as I've only just started looking.".

Works for me everytime.

I'm sure some of the brighter agents know it's bollox, but there's absolutely nothing they can do about it to recover back to fishing.

I like it! Though it does conflict with my usual attempt to suggest that I am in great demand...

[TheFaQQer]

I like it! Though it does conflict with my usual attempt to suggest that I am in great demand...

Not if you imply that you've only just started looking because you've been so busy up till now, and don't really need the work.

[PAH]

Or just got back from a well earned holiday, batteries recharged.