Originally posted by Eirikur
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Are recruitment agency fees excessive?
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'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!! -
Yes they are excessive and completely wrong on every level. It’s marvelous each time you go direct and a joy that you don’t have some worthless parasite taking away the fruits of your labour.
I don’t know why so many contractors can’t accept this simple truth.Comment
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Originally posted by hugebrain View PostYes they are excessive and completely wrong on every level. It’s marvelous each time you go direct and a joy that you don’t have some worthless parasite taking away the fruits of your labour.
I don’t know why so many contractors can’t accept this simple truth.
The opposite side of the coin is that many contractors are either too lazy or incapable of sourcing direct work, producing statements of work and contracts etc.
If it was so easy to go direct, everyone on this forum would be doing it and getting a 10-20% pay rise. But it's not.
For my current direct client I ended up starting work three weeks later than planned due to time taken to draw up and negotiate the contract, carry out supplier due diligence, agree the statements of work after about five rewrites and so on. So I had no work for three weeks. Plus I'm having to bill one month in arrears with 30 day payment terms so had to wait two months till my first payment. Not all contractors can cope with that.Comment
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Originally posted by edison View PostMany clients don't want to engage individual contractors - more bureaucracy and paperwork for them, especially at larger organisations with many contractors. Clients also want to keep more of an arms length relationship.
The opposite side of the coin is that many contractors are either too lazy or incapable of sourcing direct work, producing statements of work and contracts etc.
If it was so easy to go direct, everyone on this forum would be doing it and getting a 10-20% pay rise. But it's not.
For my current direct client I ended up starting work three weeks later than planned due to time taken to draw up and negotiate the contract, carry out supplier due diligence, agree the statements of work after about five rewrites and so on. So I had no work for three weeks. Plus I'm having to bill one month in arrears with 30 day payment terms so had to wait two months till my first payment. Not all contractors can cope with that.
'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!Comment
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Originally posted by northernladuk View PostIndeed. It's a model that's worked for decades with happy clients, agents and contractors so it works to a greater extent.
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And that is the difference I mean. More risk so greater pay compared to a bum on seat gig via an agency hence you deserve a better rate. And yes I think you are right with the rest of it but again, talking personally, it's not that I can't cope with it, I just don't need to. Agency work has done me well so far so just don't need to.
They are like intestinal worms, taking a bit of your stuff, you barely notice them. Then you take the Ivermectin and the wriggly little scumbags are all dead. You will feel better so much better afterwards, just knowing they are gone.
As for more risk, I don’t think so. If you go through an agent you are doubling your risk of not being paid (since you now have two organisations that can screw with you) arguably more than doubling since recruitment agencies are typically more sketchy than clients.
Any other contractors ready to admit they are not happy being constantly ripped off? Even the deluded ones that think the agents provide them with some sort of service - do you think they really deserve 50 times your hourly rate?
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Originally posted by hugebrain View PostThe point is that their fees are excessive, they are unnecessary and often corrupt. If all agents died tomorrow, the world would be a better place (not picking on recruitment agents, estate and secret too).
So your statement is ill informed and very general and the second sentence just proves you've got a hell of a bias to it so not really a useful statement.,
They are like intestinal worms, taking a bit of your stuff, you barely notice them. Then you take the Ivermectin and the wriggly little scumbags are all dead. You will feel better so much better afterwards, just knowing they are gone.
As for more risk, I don’t think so. If you go through an agent you are doubling your risk of not being paid (since you now have two organisations that can screw with you) arguably more than doubling since recruitment agencies are typically more sketchy than clients.
Any other contractors ready to admit they are not happy being constantly ripped off? Even the deluded ones that think the agents provide them with some sort of service - do you think they really deserve 50 times your hourly rate?
'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!Comment
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Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
But that's a very sweeping statement. Sometimes, in pretty unique cases it is. The vast majority of contracts are on fixed commission which can be 10% or under.
The agent does maybe half an hour of admin and makes 1500.
So she’s making 32 times your hourly rate, with no particular skills or education or hard work.
Now perhaps you can see why I think it’s excessive.
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Originally posted by hugebrain View Post
OK let’s use your figure. You work 40 hours a week 160 hours a month for say 15000.
The agent does maybe half an hour of admin and makes 1500.
So she’s making 32 times your hourly rate, with no particular skills or education or hard work.
Now perhaps you can see why I think it’s excessive.
Feel free to put some highly inflated numbers from the average to help make your point as well.
Also do you really think that money will passed on to the contractor if an agent wasn't there? A client would pay that much, lose a service and then have to have their people do the work isntead? Not on your nellie. So they take off what the agent skims and you end up with the same in your pocket without all the benefits (which you fail to see) of an agent. Good luck on your 90 day payment terms.'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!Comment
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Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
If that's all you think an agent does then it's pointless arguing with you.
Feel free to put some highly inflated numbers from the average to help make your point as well.
Also do you really think that money will passed on to the contractor if an agent wasn't there? A client would pay that much, lose a service and then have to have their people do the work isntead? Not on your nellie. So they take off what the agent skims and you end up with the same in your pocket without all the benefits (which you fail to see) of an agent. Good luck on your 90 day payment terms.
Going direct didn’t give me ninety day payment terms, but why would I care if it did? Like any contractor I’ve usually got two or three years money kicking around at the back of my sock drawer.
And why would I particularly need extra money passed on to me? I didn’t notice any extra nourishment when the worms died, I was just happier they weren’t there any more.
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Originally posted by hugebrain View Post
I used your figures!
Going direct didn’t give me ninety day payment terms, but why would I care if it did? Like any contractor I’ve usually got two or three years money kicking around at the back of my sock drawer.
And why would I particularly need extra money passed on to me? I didn’t notice any extra nourishment when the worms died, I was just happier they weren’t there any more.
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