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How much do agents take?

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    #41
    Originally posted by malvolio View Post

    That your point is ridiculous?
    Given that his point was that Hays were charging 5%, 5% is very reasonable but even then some contractors are going to complain that it's too much your entire post was both irrelevant and based on a complete misunderstanding of his point.
    merely at clientco for the entertainment

    Comment


      #42
      Originally posted by malvolio View Post

      That your point is ridiculous?

      I think your reading comprehension needs work.

      Comment


        #43
        Originally posted by ensignia View Post


        I think your reading comprehension needs work.
        OK, the bit I was taking exception to specifically was "they only take a pitiful 5%" when it isn't pitiful. It's actually about par for any large agency on a firm PSL contract and they are still making plenty out of it. Otherwise 10-15% for a non-PSL deal and more than that if the rate is at the lower end of the scale or the agency is taking the Michael (and Hays, having worked with them several times, don't do that - although their standard contract is an IR35 nightmare). Also, Hays aren't taking anything, you are.

        But it's more matter of perspective than anything else, which is rather the whole point of the thread.
        Blog? What blog...?

        Comment


          #44
          Originally posted by malvolio View Post

          OK, the bit I was taking exception to specifically was "they only take a pitiful 5%" when it isn't pitiful. It's actually about par for any large agency on a firm PSL contract and they are still making plenty out of it. Otherwise 10-15% for a non-PSL deal and more than that if the rate is at the lower end of the scale or the agency is taking the Michael (and Hays, having worked with them several times, don't do that - although their standard contract is an IR35 nightmare). Also, Hays aren't taking anything, you are.

          But it's more matter of perspective than anything else, which is rather the whole point of the thread.
          Doubling down on your stupidity. Good stuff.


          "they only take a pitiful 5%" when it isn't pitiful. It's actually about par for any large agency on a firm PSL contract and they are still making plenty out of it
          How many others do you know charge 5% margin? And is £150 from £3,000 plenty? You must be one of those guys who'd be satisfied only when the agency is making nothing from "leeching" off you and your highly in demand skills...

          Comment


            #45
            Originally posted by ensignia View Post

            Doubling down on your stupidity. Good stuff.




            How many others do you know charge 5% margin? And is £150 from £3,000 plenty? You must be one of those guys who'd be satisfied only when the agency is making nothing from "leeching" off you and your highly in demand skills...
            In that 5% Hays have to:-

            1) Find the original contractor to fill the job
            2) run all the administration required for the contract paperwork
            3) handle timesheets (and pay the contractor in advance)
            4) (and under the new post April rules) take all the risk when HMRC decides the contract wasn't outside in the first place

            5% is low because I don't think even Hays does it for 5% anymore more point 4 is in place.
            merely at clientco for the entertainment

            Comment


              #46
              There is much to be critical about with agents and certainly the industry has mutated in the last decade to one that has stopped any pretence of being interested in anything that doesn't bring them short term gain, e.g. not telling candidates the result of an unsuccessful interview to the point that avoiding them must take up more effort than a one line e-mail.

              However they do provide a service. As previously mentioned they spend the time tracking down opportunities and putting them on job boards for us to see. More importantly in the majority of cases they essentially offer a factoring service for Contractor businsses by paying us (out commonly now) on 30 day terms while they might be on much longer than that.

              There are a lot of poor agencies and agents out there and at times they don't help themselves but they do have a part to play.

              Comment


                #47
                Originally posted by eek View Post

                In that 5% Hays have to:-

                1) Find the original contractor to fill the job
                2) run all the administration required for the contract paperwork
                3) handle timesheets (and pay the contractor in advance)
                4) (and under the new post April rules) take all the risk when HMRC decides the contract wasn't outside in the first place

                5% is low because I don't think even Hays does it for 5% anymore more point 4 is in place.
                It works if you have a few thousand contractors on your books and PSLs with the major consultancies like they have - economies of scale and all that.

                As for IR35, Hays have always erred on the side of IR35-caught contracts, I doubt they are even trying now, so there's not that much commercial risk involved.
                Blog? What blog...?

                Comment


                  #48
                  Originally posted by malvolio View Post

                  It works if you have a few thousand contractors on your books and PSLs with the major consultancies like they have - economies of scale and all that.

                  As for IR35, Hays have always erred on the side of IR35-caught contracts, I doubt they are even trying now, so there's not that much commercial risk involved.
                  So you haven't got a clue what the post April world looks like - at least you've now confirmed it once and for all.
                  merely at clientco for the entertainment

                  Comment


                    #49
                    Originally posted by eek View Post

                    So you haven't got a clue what the post April world looks like - at least you've now confirmed it once and for all.
                    I have, but it's not relevant to to the original point of the thread about who earns the money and who gets the rake off. Nor, really, about the agency margin rates in general, although I suspect Hays and others have differing margins for inside and outside roles.
                    Blog? What blog...?

                    Comment


                      #50
                      Originally posted by malvolio View Post

                      I have, but it's not relevant to to the original point of the thread about who earns the money and who gets the rake off. Nor, really, about the agency margin rates in general, although I suspect Hays and others have differing margins for inside and outside roles.
                      You've had a nightmare in this thread.

                      Comment

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