Indian recruitment consultancies operating in the UK

[Jonas230]

Identity fraud?

I have had a number of these calls from mostly from Indian recruiters
All from UK numbers some really bad quality voip numbers.
The statements in this thread are familiar they stress through
A list of skills for what they say is a well known client in the UK
Sweden or Belgium working from home and contract via ltd.
Then after you have given them permission to represent you
And send off cv (where they sound as the job is practically yours) total silence. In one instance I was contacted back saying that
The client had "gone for an internal talent".

I don't want to sound paranoid but I wonder if they just hoover up a bunch of UK based CVs and then actually hire their own Indian people and as it is WFH due to pandemic the end company thinks they are getting the job done by a British/Belgian/Swedish contractor when infact the work is done in an IT sweatshop on Bangalore.
The potential security issues are enormous if this is true.

It would be interesting to know if anyone actually get one of these "jobs".

[frlynnlives]

Yep! Currently being got by this Scam. I am at second interview and for weeks; they went through a bizare phase of sabortaging their own interview process . They would give me short notice time slots and then cancel . We finaly have a date set for next week, but I am really not motivated at all. It feels like I am being set up.

It seems its now even harder - as many consultancies work like this UK Consultancy->Indian Agency->Client. So you may be tricked and find out at the time of the interview that actually there is still Indian crappy agency that will use your profile to trick the client...

In hindsight, I should have done exactly what you did: nip it in the bud. Instead, I have entertained these people probably over 100 times during this the age of Covid alone.

There is definately some regulations scam happening when it takes 3 Companies to hire one person.

Funny you say this, had today a conversation with a well known Uk and European agency who refused to name the end client but said the interview will be with TCS, but when I made some noises like I'm not very happy with that, he assured me "you won't be working for them, they are just an intermediary, you will be working for the end client", ok sounded dodgy but agreed to have the interview, The first thing they said in the interview, you will be working for TCS, so I finished the interview within 3 minutes.

I am currently at the second stage of interviews with such an arrangement: UK Agencie >> Indian Professional Services Company >> European end client .

The uk agent let slip that the Indian company currently has a certain stratergy: Everyone was sent off site to work from home during Covid. For new projects, they are scouering every inch of Eastern Europe for cheap WFH staff. I bet this is half the story . Any way, he told me this to soften me up to accept the same rate as they may expect to pay an Eastern European . It all sounds so shady. There must be some reason why they are now working with UK agents and it is probably some regulatory scam.

Don’t be ridiculous.


Why would a client engage an Indian agency, to pay consultancy rates?

And why would a consultancy let an agency dip into their profit margin?

I have recently started to follow your lead: hang up if I hear a strong Indian accent.

They have become a real pest over the last couple of days. Now also calling from what look like Birmingham numbers, also on the bankholiday (more proof they are actually calling from India else they would have known it was a bankholiday)

Some examples from the last couple of days including bankholiday Monday
Smartedge (3 different callers/emailers about the same role)
Aguila same role as above
L&G same role as above

I now hang up immediately if I hear a strong Indian accent The blocked number list keeps growing and growing

Mate,

They suck the life out of me. Something to do with the way they speak English. Its not the worst English in the world, but there is also something desperately off about it .

I get contacted by Indian recruitment firms for London based FS roles all the time. The conversation always goes something like this:

Agent: I have a contract with a prestigious client in London for 6 months. Tell me, what would be your day rate for this assignment?
Me: I'd have to know more about it.
Agent: As I say, it is a BA role for a prestigious banking client in London. What would be your day rate for this assignment?
Me: I tell you what, why not send me spec and if it's my sort of thing I'll let you know and also what my rate would be.
Agent: I will send you a specification when I have it but what is your rate?
Me: Well I can't tell you until I see the role. I don't even know if my background is suitable since you haven't even given me a single detail.
[Sometimes this can get to the point where I just hang up on them

Half the time after that, a spec isn't forthcoming and on the off-chance that one is and I'm interested the rate is pitched at 25-30% below what you would expect from a non-Indian agency.

Of course sometimes I've been between roles so you do what you must, only for the £450/d initially agreed to suddenly get dropped to £400 when the client shows interest. I also strongly suspect that the agent is either a) trying to gauge the market rate and/or b) trying to get you to "apply" but not submit you so their favoured (i.e. cheaper) candidates are the only ones the client gets face time with.

Contacts at end clients say that contractors through these firms (who are always recruiting for on-site 'consultancies)' say the following:

1) The contractors are whipped like Tennessee cotton pickers
2) There is always downward pressure on rates at renewal time. Rate risers are unheard of.
3) Contractors are used to train their permies so you can be shown the door.
4) Forget any kind of work flexibility like early finishes a few days a week to pick your kid up from day care or WFH. Trust in the contractor is rock bottom. SDC is very high.

Conversations I've had with specialist UK recruiters in the same space echo those points.

My opinion - sometimes we do what we must, but given the choice I'd steer a wide berth.

[Eirikur]

updated list:

Adroit People Ltd
Aguila consulting
AlphaYotta
Avance Consulting
Axiom Software Solutions Limited
Bluepace
Code Convergence
Cubestech
Dabster Systems UK Limited
Damcosoft
Data Inc UK
eTeam
First Tek Inc.
HyreU-UK Limited
Infinity Quest
Infoplus Technologies UK Ltd
IxCeed
JK Technosoft Ltd
L & G recruitment
M-Power plus
Nityo Infotech
NP Tech Solutions Limited
OneSource (pretend to call from Belgium)
Orbit resourcing
Quantumworld
Reliason
SidTech
SilverLink
Smartedge Solutions Ltd
Staffing Prime
Test Yantra Software solutions
TESTQ Technologies Ltd
TGC World
Ubique Systems UK Limited
Winborough Technologies

Added AlphaYotta

[Eirikur]

Lately some of the British agencies are on the same hustle on behalf of TCS/Indra/Wipro . From now on, I will bounce them. Very sad for them to be doign this in this day and age.

Funny you say this, had today a conversation with a well known Uk and European agency who refused to name the end client but said the interview will be with TCS, but when I made some noises like I'm not very happy with that, he assured me "you won't be working for them, they are just an intermediary, you will be working for the end client", ok sounded dodgy but agreed to have the interview, The first thing they said in the interview, you will be working for TCS, so I finished the interview within 3 minutes.

[frlynnlives]

I feel so stupid to have given these people so much of my time. They have been the only responses I have been getting for months and my phone has been ringing off the hook from them. By now, it is obvious that they are playing some sort of game : they don't appear that interested in working within the expectations of the UK, or even Europe.

They call you in a hurry for an urgent interview and then go radio silence until they have yet a new position for you. Lately some of the British agencies are on the same hustle on behalf of TCS/Indra/Wipro . From now on, I will bounce them. Very sad for them to be doign this in this day and age.

Indian so-called recruitment agencies working on behalf of TCS, Infosys, Wipro etc are actually not that interested in recruiting somebody in the UK. They want a CV (as evidence of that they have spoken to you) and the rate (so that they can use that as evidence of that you are too expensive). They have to try finding somebody within the UK for a few weeks before they are allowed (in many cases) to bring somebody in from India on an ICT visa, and they must show evidence of having tried and failed.

I was today called by somebody representing TCS for a senior agile coach role in the Netherlands - at €350 per day, max, all-inclusive.

Yep! Currently being got by this Scam. I am at second interview and for weeks, they went through a bizare phase of sabortaging their own interview process . They would give me short notice time slots and then cancel . We finaly have a date set for next week, but I am really not motivated at all. It feels like I am being set up.

It seems its now even harder - as many consultancies work like this UK Consultancy->Indian Agency->Client. So you may be tricked and find out at the time of the interview that actually there is still Indian crappy agency that will use your profile to trick the client...

[Bluenose]

What do you know about Mindtree?

Seems like another Indian tulipstorm...

They are legit, not an Indian shell.

[Plonitus]

MindTech

Has anyone heard of MindTech? Looks like a foreign outsourcing company.

[bootham]

What do you know about Mindtree?

Seems like another Indian tulipstorm...

tier2 level IT vendor and outsourcing company from India

[Michail]

What do you know about Mindtree?

Seems like another Indian tulipstorm...

[Eirikur]

I received a call a few weeks back from an Indian recruitment firm for a position with an Indian msp. Been there a week back and I have to say I'm enjoying it so far!

Wait until you need to get paid