Is recruitment agent bluffing

[sdyson31]

Hi,

Went for an interview on £50 an hour hourly rates last week, on friday agent told me that it is a good news and offer will come through next week.

This morning had a call from an agent saying offer has come through and i asked him to negociate bit more and try to get £5 an hour more. After an hour he came back saying client is offering £40 an hour, reason ? tight budget and later he said HR didn't know about per hour rates.

He asked me about my final hourly rates and i said i will accept the offer if the client is willing to offer £48 an hour.

This afternoon he said that client can't raise the hourly rate because i don't have skills in that and that area. So it is up to me whether i accept the offer or decline it.

What are my options? Offer is too low.

[SueEllen]

If the rate is too low then find another contract.

Email the client before you do tell the agent, and tell them the rate is below market level so you won't be accepting the role but good luck etc.

[NotAllThere]

Is recruitment agent bluffing

Without even reading your post, I can tell you the answer is probably yes.

[eek]

If the rate is too low then find another contract.

Email the client before you do tell the agent, and tell them the rate is below market level so you won't be accepting the role but good luck etc.

+1. It is also a buyers market with lots of people looking. Granted the market rate might have been £50 for your skills are you sure the current rate isn't £40

Finally £40 an hour may not sound much but it will take you a month at £50 an hour to make up a missed week at £40 an hour

[psychocandy]

So agent put you forward at £50 and now they are telling you client said £40? Sorry client would have been aware of the rate when you were submitted.

Be very surprised if this wasn't the agent trying to take a big slice. Seen it lots of times - the old "client hasn't got the budget after all" scam. They know you're happy to get the gig so won't knock back a small cut just be a bit disappointed. And then agent keeps the "cut". £10/hr is a fair bit though. Seen someone get scammed for £50/day.

Of course, they're hoping that you'll never have the conversation with client - "So about that rate cut then I started".

[dx4100]

What is market rate for what you do...

Personally if they offered £50 at the start then I would view £40 as them just trying it on... I would say £45, take it or leave it to them...

[SlipTheJab]

Yes, 50 notes an hr is less than 400 notes a day, tell pimp to shove it, email client and say thanks but you can't accept due to last minute rate cut of 20%

[doconline]

I don't understand this. Maybe I have just been lucky but this has never happened to me in over 15 years contracting. Only once has the rate changed after the interview and it went up when the client found out the % the agent was taking (about 15%) and told them they wouldn't let them take more than 10% and the rest should be passed on to me, which worked out well.

Surely when you go for a contract, you are put forward at a rate and that is it. The client knows the rate they will be paying and you are assessed (interview / technical test etc) against that rate? If you are offered the gig you don't start negotiating the rate then. If they are saying you don't have the skills, why would they want you any way? Surely they would be better off paying the full amount for someone with the right skills. Did they explain to you which skills you were missing?

I think the agent is trying it on in a big way, they are trying to take 20% of your rate away or using your figures ~£17K-£18K per year.

I would get in touch with the client (linkedin / email etc), and say 'You really liked the role, client, environment etc, but unfortunately would not be able to accept a 20% reduction in daily rates, but good luck with your project...'. See what happens then with the client / agent. remember, there are other gigs out there!

[LondonManc]

I don't understand this. Maybe I have just been lucky but this has never happened to me in over 15 years contracting. Only once has the rate changed after the interview and it went up when the client found out the % the agent was taking (about 15%) and told them they wouldn't let them take more than 10% and the rest should be passed on to me, which worked out well.

Surely when you go for a contract, you are put forward at a rate and that is it. The client knows the rate they will be paying and you are assessed (interview / technical test etc) against that rate? If you are offered the gig you don't start negotiating the rate then. If they are saying you don't have the skills, why would they want you any way? Surely they would be better off paying the full amount for someone with the right skills. Did they explain to you which skills you were missing?

I think the agent is trying it on in a big way, they are trying to take 20% of your rate away or using your figures ~£17K-£18K per year.

I would get in touch with the client (linkedin / email etc), and say 'You really liked the role, client, environment etc, but unfortunately would not be able to accept a 20% reduction in daily rates, but good luck with your project...'. See what happens then with the client / agent. remember, there are other gigs out there!

Never happened to me either. The rate is x, I'm put in at x or a similar figured, get offered gig.
The only time it did happen was when I realised that I was being used to test the water with senior management. The hiring manager was fed up with much cheapness and wanted to get someone in at normal market rates to do a proper job rather than have bob shawaddiwaddi feck it up after six months of guessing. Senior management structure wouldn't go for it and I wouldn't go for the much cheapness rate so their crapness continued.

[sdyson31]

Emailed HR this morning and got the reply straight away. Offer is £40 an hour and i think £50 was never on card.