Agents contacting you for a role that exists but they aren't on PSL

[plutocrat]

The market is picking up but I have had a case of an agent phoning me up frantically and going through the right to represent and then saying I've been submitted but subsequently another agent who is on the PSL who looked on the same client's system and not found my CV has been submitted and I subsequently got an interview for that exact same role. I suspect another agent has done the same thing for another job application as another agent called me up for the same role and mentioned the agencies on the PSL which his agency isn't.

I suspect that a lot of agencies are desperate and when they hear of a role, they try snaffle up all the potential candidates via CVs on their system or linked-in and hope that the role gets farmed out when there's dearth of suitable candidates.

How do you guard against this, should I ask if the agency is on the PSL before doing any right to represent?

[edison]

Agents will tell you anything to get the gig and a lot of them are desperate right now.

I had an agent once tell me that they were on the PSL at a client I worked at and I knew they weren't as I was responsible for IT recruitment.

When I challenged it, they then assumed as they had been invited to discuss one role that they would automatically get added to it.

[plutocrat]

So basically there's no way of checking, any warning signs in the conversation to pick up on though?

[WTFH]

So basically there's no way of checking, any warning signs in the conversation to pick up on though?

No way of checking, but you can tell them that they can represent you for a period of x days/weeks, provided they can confirm that the client has stated that they will accept candidates from them.
Make sure that is in writing.

[CheeseSlice]

Not every client operates a strict PSL.
Provided the agent has demonstrated they can find the best CVs where their exisitng recruitment agents can't, the client might just need to onboard them as a new supplier. For some clients this could amount to filling some forms in and adding them to the finance system. Other clients can't do this and they do have a strict requirement to use the PSL.

[northernladuk]

There are cases where there is a master agreement with an agent who is on the PSL but the master agency 'subcontracts' the work out or something weird so a few select agencies can go for it as well. Not sure what the agreement is between the agencies. A big legal firm in Manchester does something similar and it didn't end well for me. Went with an agent who represented me then it all got very complex as the master agency claimed dibs on me because they knew me from a failed representation in the past. Problem is master agency had their candidates in so was in a ridiculous situation where the main agent claimed dibs but wouldn't put me forward, just protecting their submissions. So both me and 'sub' agency were left with nothing. We can't use the winker icon in professional forums but it is the perfect one for the master agents in this situation.

Thinking back I got stuffed in the same way at, is it UKARS or something like that, in the old Bradford and Bingley building in Bingley with a similar setup? Master agency said they knew me so sub agency couldn't put me forward but the master one didn't either. Pontoon were involved I think but can't remember if they were master or sub. Talking 7 odd years ago with that one..

So in a nutshell, everytime I hear this set up my heart sinks in to my boots. Someone always gets stuffed in these set ups it seems.

[ladymuck]

I've had this before. Sometimes a role gets farmed out to second tier agencies if the ones on the PSL can't find the right people.

The last time it happened to me, the agency were very up front that everything would go through the PSL agency. I think all they got was a monthly finders fee for as long as my contract lasted but had no involvement in things like time sheets, payments, extensions, etc.

[avonleigh]

Have this currently. Role that I am really well suited too. Been put forward by the first agency who contacted me, an agency I have never had heard of before. Contacted by another three agencies afterwards and seen at least another four advertising it. No idea if this agency is a supplier or just chancing their arm. Nothing I can do about it.

[edison]

Had something similar myself when I had initial contact with an agency on the PSL list. Long story short, it went cold for weeks and agent ghosted me.

Then saw an ad appear via a second agency for a similar looking role which turned out to be the same company. Somehow second agent managed to wangle it to fill the role but then the original agent got wind of it and tried to represent me (again).

Wasn't sure what to do but thankfully client hiring manager sorted it and I came in via the non-PSL approved second agent.

[plutocrat]

Following up received a call from the first agent that the client rejected me for being "too expensive" but I'm interviewing with the client on Thursday ROFL...

The second job was actually legit and I got interviews via the agent that I was a bit suspicious of so maybe I was being paranoid because of the first job.