An Elaborate Ruse....

[The Green View]

To get a reference?

I've been out a while now so had my interest piqued by a call from an agent yesterday telling me an old client of mine is looking to hire urgently. Obviously he had a copy of my CV and saw that I had worked there before & was wondering whose team I was working on - I couldn't actually remember off the top of my head but that didn't seems an issue as he sent me a spec and we spent 30 minutes or so going over the role & we agreed he was going to submit my CV. I've since had 2 more calls prodding me for the name of who I reported to & I laboured the point that I couldn't remember off the top of my head. Now just received an email telling me they are not going to submit my CV until I've given them a name as there is high demand for these roles and they don't feel it's worth submitting me without the edge that a recommendation from my old team lead would give me.

I'm feeling this is just an elaboration of the "just need 2 references" nonsense but what a waste of everybody's f***g time as well as raising my hope for nothing.

The agent is Rocsearch, oddly enough calling on a Truro number. ISTR Tank recruitment used to call from there also and they were a bunch of time wasters too. Maybe they're one and the same these days along with Opus.

[Antman]

Doesn't feel like there is a role in the first place. If there was and you had a good CV they wouldn't not send it because of that.

Personal choice, but I don't try and be beholden to recruiters (if that's grammatically correct). Tell them not to send it then.

[northernladuk]

On the face of it it certainly looks like it but I have to say I got a repeat Gov sector gig from the agent getting in touch with the last client manager I worked with so I've experience where this happened and it worked.

In my situation the role the agent was talking about clearly existed as I recognised the area it was working on, what needed doing and they were also happy to tell me who the client lead was who I'd heard of. So the agent was very open and we had a proper discussion about real facts and real people so I was 100% confident this wasn't a ruse. I was happy for the agent to contact my old contact who gave the nod to my new one internally. Ended up getting in without an interview. They submitted the required number of CV's as per the framework agreements and I'd imagine they interviewed to keep the process happy.

So for me this worked very well BUT it was all very transparent and open. What is your feeling from your agent? Is there anyway they are just BS'ing you with a made up role or do you recognise the work and where it sits in the organisation. If this is a real role and the agent thinks the contact name is critial to them getting you the gig then I can see where they are coming from despite being a tad insistant. If an agent can sniff commission then I can totally see why they are being like this rightly or wrongly.

So, IMO you are going to have to make a judgement call from three options.

1) Screw them, agents are scum, you aren't interested. F them off. 0% chance of getting a gig.
2) You are unsure. What they are saying isn't beyond the realms of possibility but you don't know. So what would be the harm in going to dig that persons name out? If there is even a 5% chance the agent is telling the truth then a 5% chance vs nothing is still worth it. No skin of your nose supplying the name either really. Do some digging, find the name and give them it.
3) You are pretty confident the role is real and the agent is right, the edge may make the difference. Get the name and give them it. Help them help you get a gig.

Bearing in mind 2 or 3 have a chance of getting a gig and providing a name doesn't matter to you I'd be inclined to give them it. If you've been fished then so what, shrug and move on. Better than standing your ground with a 100% chance of not getting anything.

[northernladuk]

Doesn't feel like there is a role in the first place. If there was and you had a good CV they wouldn't not send it because of that.

Personal choice, but I don't try and be beholden to recruiters (if that's grammatically correct). Tell them not to send it then.

Olá! Espero que você esteja bem

[malvolio]

On the face of it it certainly looks like it but I have to say I got a repeat Gov sector gig from the agent getting in touch with the last client manager I worked with so I've experience where this happened and it worked.

In my situation the role the agent was talking about clearly existed as I recognised the area it was working on, what needed doing and they were also happy to tell me who the client lead was who I'd heard of. So the agent was very open and we had a proper discussion about real facts and real people so I was 100% confident this wasn't a ruse. I was happy for the agent to contact my old contact who gave the nod to my new one internally. Ended up getting in without an interview. They submitted the required number of CV's as per the framework agreements and I'd imagine they interviewed to keep the process happy.

So for me this worked very well BUT it was all very transparent and open. What is your feeling from your agent? Is there anyway they are just BS'ing you with a made up role or do you recognise the work and where it sits in the organisation. If this is a real role and the agent thinks the contact name is critial to them getting you the gig then I can see where they are coming from despite being a tad insistant. If an agent can sniff commission then I can totally see why they are being like this rightly or wrongly.

So, IMO you are going to have to make a judgement call from three options.

1) Screw them, agents are scum, you aren't interested. F them off. 0% chance of getting a gig.
2) You are unsure. What they are saying isn't beyond the realms of possibility but you don't know. So what would be the harm in going to dig that persons name out? If there is even a 5% chance the agent is telling the truth then a 5% chance vs nothing is still worth it. No skin of your nose supplying the name either really. Do some digging, find the name and give them it.
3) You are pretty confident the role is real and the agent is right, the edge may make the difference. Get the name and give them it. Help them help you get a gig.

Bearing in mind 2 or 3 have a chance of getting a gig and providing a name doesn't matter to you I'd be inclined to give them it. If you've been fished then so what, shrug and move on. Better than standing your ground with a 100% chance of not getting anything.

So call the client and ask them? You don't need the agency at this stage if you can go around them. While you may have to use the agency if a role appears, I wouldn't rely on someone making threats about submitting you to get you an interview...

[Antman]

Olá! Espero que você esteja bem

Muito bem, brigadao viu!

[The Green View]

So, IMO you are going to have to make a judgement call from three options.

1) Screw them, agents are scum, you aren't interested. F them off. 0% chance of getting a gig.
2) You are unsure. What they are saying isn't beyond the realms of possibility but you don't know. So what would be the harm in going to dig that persons name out? If there is even a 5% chance the agent is telling the truth then a 5% chance vs nothing is still worth it. No skin of your nose supplying the name either really. Do some digging, find the name and give them it.
3) You are pretty confident the role is real and the agent is right, the edge may make the difference. Get the name and give them it. Help them help you get a gig.

Bearing in mind 2 or 3 have a chance of getting a gig and providing a name doesn't matter to you I'd be inclined to give them it. If you've been fished then so what, shrug and move on. Better than standing your ground with a 100% chance of not getting anything.

Well ultimately it's no skin off my nose if it's a fishing trip for references so long as the agent doesn't mention my name and make it look like I've name dropped my ex team lead to an agent because he'll be less likely to out in a good word for me in the future should I need it.

It's just the time wasting and raising of expectations that pees me off. Especially in a very lean period.

[The Green View]

So call the client and ask them? You don't need the agency at this stage if you can go around them. While you may have to use the agency if a role appears, I wouldn't rely on someone making threats about submitting you to get you an interview...

Very big client (MOD) so don't know which team is hiring. It's not joined up at all over at Abbeywood!

[northernladuk]

It's just the time wasting and raising of expectations that pees me off. Especially in a very lean period.

To be fair I'm quite happy to put extra work in in a lean period rather than cutting my nose of to spite my face. Again with the percentages, 1% chance of a gig is better than 0% particularly in a lean period. More so now would I fold to a stupid agents game in the hope something might come off. Only in good times do I not need the crap and cut the agent off if you get me.

Very big client (MOD) so don't know which team is hiring. It's not joined up at all over at Abbeywood!

Ugh.. so either the role is real but unfortunately the clueless agent is getting giddy over something that is unlikely to help but isn't clever enough to know, or it's a fishing trip.

If the agent can't prove that the contact you will provide could be directly related and known to the hiring manager I'd have to lean towards the fishing line here. But as you say, no skin of your nose I suppose.

I'd say it's up to your gut feel and level of desperation on this one...

[Paralytic]

To get a reference?

I've been out a while now so had my interest piqued by a call from an agent yesterday...

I know it happens in the perm world, but do they now promote positive discrimination towards the contractor LGBTQ+ community?