Agency prank calls?

[wogewwabbit]

Hi Guys,

I've been on the bench for 4 months now. Every now and then I receive calls from hidden numbers. Most of the time I just cancel the calls, but sometimes I answer them. Most of the time the conversation goes like this:
Got a contract.
Matches what I'm looking for.
Location ok.
Rate ok. No negotiation.
Some questions about my CV, why did I leave this contract, or that contract.
Some nice chit-chat about my expertise.
No phishing questions, not interested in managers, colleagues, nothing like that.

Then I get a promise, that they will send me a jobspec in 5 minutes, and then hang up the phone.

After this I never hear from them again.

This happened at least 5 times in the last 4 months. Always hidden number, claiming to be an agency, sometimes hard to understand, but here are some I actually understood: Gravitas, ComputerFutures and Vivid. Obviously I don't remember the agent's name anymore, so I can't call their reception back.

WTF is this? What is the point of these phone calls? They often waste 30-40 minutes on the phone, and when everything looks ok in the end, they just drop my CV to the bin? I seriously don't understand this.

On another occasion I had a call from a guy who hung up the phone and said goodbye while I was clearly still talking to him. Again, no phone number, no idea who it was.

[northernladuk]

Have you got tourettes or a nervous tick when you talk? Does the agent feel like commiting suicide after 5 mins talking to you or are you Welsh? If multiple agents are doing it it does make me think there is only one common point left to consider.

Why, if you know this is happening, do you not take their details. Maybe the fact you don't is putting them off?

Maybe you need to get some different mates?

[WTFH]

Rule 1 - remember the name of the person you are talking to. Repeat it back to them
Rule 2 - listen more than you talk.

[mdw]

Hi Guys,

I've been on the bench for 4 months now. Every now and then I receive calls from hidden numbers. Most of the time I just cancel the calls, but sometimes I answer them. Most of the time the conversation goes like this:
Got a contract.
Matches what I'm looking for.
Location ok.
Rate ok. No negotiation.
Some questions about my CV, why did I leave this contract, or that contract.
Some nice chit-chat about my expertise.
No phishing questions, not interested in managers, colleagues, nothing like that.

Then I get a promise, that they will send me a jobspec in 5 minutes, and then hang up the phone.

After this I never hear from them again.

This happened at least 5 times in the last 4 months. Always hidden number, claiming to be an agency, sometimes hard to understand, but here are some I actually understood: Gravitas, ComputerFutures and Vivid. Obviously I don't remember the agent's name anymore, so I can't call their reception back.

WTF is this? What is the point of these phone calls? They often waste 30-40 minutes on the phone, and when everything looks ok in the end, they just drop my CV to the bin? I seriously don't understand this.

On another occasion I had a call from a guy who hung up the phone and said goodbye while I was clearly still talking to him. Again, no phone number, no idea who it was.

I've had exactly that as well in the last month. From what I could tell, there was so little work they were spending their time on the phones pumping contractors for leads to chase. For last contract - more interested in whether it is still ongoing and its location (which shouldnt matter), and where you've been put up for to cold call, verging on rude when they realise you're not going to tell them. Ranstead, Modis, Apollo Solutions were a few.

[SueEllen]

Some of the agents are new and practising their craft. They tend to spend 30-40 minutes and pump for contracts.

Others think there is a role likely to come along so are just checking that you sound nice, polite and sociable on the phone so they can contact you immediately if there is such a role. I've actually managed to get contracts out of people I've spoke to a 1-2 years before such an opportunity has arisen. However these guys spend 5-10 minutes, don't mumble and don't hide their numbers.

[wogewwabbit]

I don't think the problem is on my side (ok, probably everyone would say this). But this thing only happens with callers from hidden numbers. And they don't seem to be junior recruiters, they know exactly the industry, they have spot on questions, etc... The whole conversation sounds like as if they had a serious jobspec on their hands.
I was wondering what would happen if I didn't answer hidden numbers at all? If they are really into some business they would call me from their mobiles, I am sure they know exactly how hidden numbers look to us.

I do have a foreign accent, but it is already clear from my CV anyway that I am not British. And I mean business for them, so this should not come as a surprise to them.

--------- ok this is conspiracy theory, but no better ideas ----------
On a couple of occasions I was rude to some of the agents, basically when they asked the question "and who was your manager at ..." I hung up immediately. I have changed this habit of mine since, and instead hanging up I just tell them that "if you get me a contract you get the info", but even after this some of them kept on asking very arrogantly. I even thought that some of these guys are just calling me to give some false hope and make me feel angry and disappointed, just because I didn't give them names.
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[wogewwabbit]

Maybe you need to get some different mates?

It could be my hair colour too, I haven't thought of that.

I did secure three interviews, those didn't complain me having tourettes. I do have sarcasm tourettes but I keep those for special occasions.

[WTFH]

3 interviews and you didn't get an offer? Might need to brush up on your commas skills.

[wogewwabbit]

3 interviews and you didn't get an offer? Might need to brush up on your commas skills.

I did get to a third phase with one interview, and I told them to stop there. The job was way too far, and at a very low rate.

One of the other interviews was with propellerheads, there is a level in C++ that even I am not good enough for. There is a level that even Scott Meyers is not good enough for - so this should not be a surprise.

Third interview was a mystery, I think part of the reason could have been that the agent modified my CV, and what I told them face to face was slightly different from what they saw in the modified CV. But I also made some mistakes too, not technically, but in other parts.

Before this I always found contracts during the last week of my previous contract, never had breaks as long as this. This is the first time I have this difficulty. I wonder if it has anything to do with the Brexit referendum?

[SlipTheJab]

Solution is to expand your own network & use tools like LinkedIn to circumvent agents, I haven't used an agent to get a role in almost 4 years now, going direct means not having to deal with these shysters which helps my blood pressure