Is an Agent obliged to tell you the company name before submission?

[Tasslehoff]

Whenever I am told by an agent that I am being submitted to a company and I receive an email asking for me to confirm I am happy to be submitted and importantly who the company is.

It’s happened on all of the roles I have been submitted for in roughly the same “format” so it feels a bit like a “legal requirement” that they do to cover themselves.

However I had a call last night which sounded like a amazing role (5 mins from home, great rate, great fit) but the agent said even though he was going to be submitting me , he could not tell me who it was for. He also asked the tell-tale “Who else have you be submitted for so I don’t cross over” BS, which I refused to answer obviously.

I assume I have just been trolled, but I am wondering is an agent obliged (legally or otherwise) to tell you who the role is for before they submit you?

[tractor]

...

Whenever I am told by an agent that I am being submitted to a company and I receive an email asking for me to confirm I am happy to be submitted and importantly who the company is.

It’s happened on all of the roles I have been submitted for in roughly the same “format” so it feels a bit like a “legal requirement” that they do to cover themselves.

However I had a call last night which sounded like a amazing role (5 mins from home, great rate, great fit) but the agent said even though he was going to be submitting me , he could not tell me who it was for. He also asked the tell-tale “Who else have you be submitted for so I don’t cross over” BS, which I refused to answer obviously.

I assume I have just been trolled, but I am wondering is an agent obliged (legally or otherwise) to tell you who the role is for before they submit you?

Agents used to do this a lot and given the fairly rapid turnover of their phone-monkeys, perhaps some are reinventing the wheel. I always used to say to them well, I have had three enquiries today that sound similar, if I don't know who it's for, how can I give you exclusivity for any length of time whatsoever. If they were trying it on, they ended the call quickly and quite sheepishly and if it was genuine, they had no choice but to back down and name the client.

[jmo21]

Whenever I am told by an agent that I am being submitted to a company and I receive an email asking for me to confirm I am happy to be submitted and importantly who the company is.

It’s happened on all of the roles I have been submitted for in roughly the same “format” so it feels a bit like a “legal requirement” that they do to cover themselves.

However I had a call last night which sounded like a amazing role (5 mins from home, great rate, great fit) but the agent said even though he was going to be submitting me , he could not tell me who it was for. He also asked the tell-tale “Who else have you be submitted for so I don’t cross over” BS, which I refused to answer obviously.

I assume I have just been trolled, but I am wondering is an agent obliged (legally or otherwise) to tell you who the role is for before they submit you?

I doubt there is anything "legally" forcing them to do it, but that doesn't matter.

I view any agent that will not tell me the company name as a bulltulipter.

Either:
- there is no role and they are trying to get other company names that are hiring out of you like you said.
- there IS a role, they have already got their quota of CV's to submit, and they are actively trying to take you off the market for it by saying they've put you forward. They often WILL tell you the company name when doing this too.

[TheFaQQer]

Agents used to do this a lot and given the fairly rapid turnover of their phone-monkeys, perhaps some are reinventing the wheel. I always used to say to them well, I have had three enquiries today that sound similar, if I don't know who it's for, how can I give you exclusivity for any length of time whatsoever. If they were trying it on, they ended the call quickly and quite sheepishly and if it was genuine, they had no choice but to back down and name the client.

+1

The only situation I can think of would be if the contract was with MI5 or similar - but even then they would tell you the client is Ministry of Defence or something plausible.

[Tasslehoff]

- there IS a role, they have already got their quota of CV's to submit, and they are actively trying to take you off the market for it by saying they've put you forward. They often WILL tell you the company name when doing this too.

Wow, I never even thought of that. That is very clever...

[jmo21]

Wow, I never even thought of that. That is very clever...

Surprised by that, this "tactic" is mentioned now and again on here.

[Cenobite]

Yesterday I saw an advert on Jobserve that was advertised in my home city. Sent my CV over and agent asks me to call him back.

He ends up really putting me through the mill and questioning my abilities more than any other agent has done since I left university and he really concentrates on my experiences with a client five years ago. Then he asks if I can provide a reference from this client before putting me through, so I said I'm not going to go to the trouble of doing that just to secure having my CV submitted.

Then he tells me the contract is actually with that client and 80 miles away from my home town. If it'd had the real client location on the ad then I'd have known who it was and replied direct. He's still pushing me for a reference, and I tell him it's just as easy for me to apply direct rather than go to the hassle of asking for a written reference. He then tells me if I apply direct I'm acting unprofessionally and he has such sway with the client that I'll be blacklisted so I say "who's the client going to believe, someone who worked there before and probably with or a f'ing agent?". He tells me again that I'll be blacklisted and I tell him to "F off!" and I hung up.

If he told me upfront who the client was and the real location I might have let him put me through, but instead he put me through the mill and was being deceitful. I reckon if I'd got him the reference, then he'd have sprung it on me that it was my old client and it'd be too late for me to apply direct.

Really he should have read the old client name on my CV and never replied after receiving my CV: I could understand that.

[jmo21]

Yesterday I saw an advert on Jobserve that was advertised in my home city. Sent my CV over and agent asks me to call him back.

He ends up really putting me through the mill and questioning my abilities more than any other agent has done since I left university and he really concentrates on my experiences with a client five years ago. Then he asks if I can provide a reference from this client before putting me through, so I said I'm not going to go to the trouble of doing that just to secure having my CV submitted.

Then he tells me the contract is actually with that client and 80 miles away from my home town. If it'd had the real client location on the ad then I'd have known who it was and replied direct. He's still pushing me for a reference, and I tell him it's just as easy for me to apply direct rather than go to the hassle of asking for a written reference. He then tells me if I apply direct I'm acting unprofessionally and he has such sway with the client that I'll be blacklisted so I say "who's the client going to believe, someone who worked there before and probably with or a f'ing agent?". He tells me again that I'll be blacklisted and I tell him to "F off!" and I hung up.

If he told me upfront who the client was and the real location I might have let him put me through, but instead he put me through the mill and was being deceitful. I reckon if I'd got him the reference, then he'd have sprung it on me that it was my old client and it'd be too late for me to apply direct.

Really he should have read the old client name on my CV and never replied after receiving my CV: I could understand that.

Sounds like normal reference fishing to me (or rather, over the top reference fishing).

Doubt there ever was a role in the first place, he wants a foot in the door at that client.

The first try was the carrot of a great local role, I need reference from Old Client co.

Second try was more subtle, it's actually with Old Client Co, if you can tell me who you worked with there I can contact them and it should be easier to get you back in.

[Cenobite]

Second try was more subtle, it's actually with Old Client Co, if you can tell me who you worked with there I can contact them and it should be easier to get you back in.

I actually had an agent try something on like that some time back.

A contracting mate tells me he knows a good agent and I should send him my CV, so I do this and the agent rings me up.

Agent: You've got some great names on your CV, I can get you in some great places.
Me: Okay where?
Agent: Well I've never worked with two of your biggest clients so if you can give me their contact details I'm sure I could ring them up and find you something there.
Me: You've got to be kidding!

Told my contracting mate about this too.

[Cenobite]

Doubt there ever was a role in the first place, he wants a foot in the door at that client.

The first try was the carrot of a great local role, I need reference from Old Client co.

As it turns out, the role appears to be genuine as I've asked around and been submitted direct. I think he was just trying to make sure I wouldn't go direct. However, if I were him I'd just have ignored my CV.