BAD Agency! Most blatent fishing yet, What are your experiences??

[DodgyAgent]

No foreplay, asked straight for references and told me nowt about the job.

Jeez... this kind of nonsense makes me so angry!

As an agent, I should probably defend the business, but when people are sinking this low, it's pretty hard.

I always ask people where their CV has already been submitted, from a genuine desire to avoid a conflict of interest on anyone's part. Yes, it's also a useful lead generation exercise, but as often as not I leave off calling companies unless I have something specific to offer them, rather than following some half-baked lead from a contractor.

I try to work very closely with a small number of contractors, and although I have to dig into the "database" at times to find new people, the majority of my contractors have worked for me on multiple projects and client sites and couldn't be happier.

Rant over. It's not you guys, it's the monkeys who think recruitment is easy that make my blood boil...

YAAAAAAAAAAWN

[Diver]

The next time they phone a contractor, they may be fishing for a placement/contract, for You ----Think about it

[expat]

Remember that leads are valuable. Don't just give them away, and don't hide them either. Give them to the guys you like. E.g. if you're leaving a site where the requirement continues (like you're going to a better contract), you know that there is a requirement, and you know the contacts, the exact requirements, the keywords ..... don't tell everybody who calls you, but don't sit on it either: tell your friends. Like the guy who got that next contract for you. Scratch his back...

[LittlestHobbo]

I had a good one yesterday..."We have started a policy of attaching a positive quote or tribute from a recent line manager, with all our CV's, you must supply us with the fullname name and contact details so we can gather this info"...

To be fair if they are honest and i have time i'll usually give them some past contact details most often the not the ones of a manangers that have annoyed me...

remember who gets you the work... if you don't like it go and start phoning every company you can think of Yossa Hughes stylee

Gis a Job...

speaking of which..i'm ending soon any good senior .net positions going anywhere in the south...

[potassium]

As a recent contractor, I have fallen for a one of these, but it was big enough for me to never fall again.

Square One Resources

...asked for references for a client who wanted contractors on retainer!! Dont ask. It all seemed legit and they even said they wanted to interview me and he asked about availability and for references and to complete a summary paragraph. I gave him my two best referee's from previous roles, and as one knows me personally as well, he rang later about some pimp who had called him and mentioned my name but spent most of the time trying to find out about work opps there and tried to get my friend a new role as well.

I was not pleased and called to say so but pimp justified it as just a reference check and it lead to talking opps - as he had by this time given me an interview time and date - I selfishly did not think much of it and called my friend to apologise...but guess what...the confirmation email of the interview never came, and after tracking down this slimy pimp - he just said

"oh the roles been filled";

"What role, you said there was no role, client wanted to get contractors as reserves ready to work on future planned projects?";

"No the role has gone I am......"

I had put the phone down.

I didnt bother answering when he called back and left a polite message "I dont know what happened there but if you aren't happy for some reason and want us to take you off our books...".

I felt abused, but I deserved it for being so naive.

Looking back at the email trail, he had made it seem so real by asking a few times for clarification and tidying up of work statements and he even provided a summary of what he had sent the client. But on closer inspection - he had just copied and pasted paragraphs from my email replies together in one, even the rambling email I wrote about my availability..I doubt the client was sent this. I doubt there was any client at all.

And I thought about calling him back and using impolite language, but why he had what he wanted, why would he care.

He had lost nothing apart from having to call me whereas I had given away two good referees and could potentially have lost the chance to use them again after he had contacted them to fish again.

[expat]

One agent called me to ask if I was available. No, I said, I've just got an extension. Until when, he asked. I don't know for sure, I said, but it should be ..... Oh, he said, so it's not signed yet? He then began asking me about details of project, requirements, manager, etc.

I realised that he was asking for the details he needed to replace me with someone from his lot. That's the most brazen fishing I've seen.

[smiff]

He had lost nothing apart from having to call me whereas I had given away two good referees and could potentially have lost the chance to use them again after he had contacted them to fish again.

Yeah, slimy gimps like that spoil it for others.

Worst one I had last year, I asked about role, much vagueness ensued, obviously nothing doing.

He then asked the question about referees, I said I would only give them out to the client if required, then he went into an amazing spiel about how it was his livelihood and reputation on the line if he didn't get referees first.

He actually hung up on me, as I was sniggering at that point. How unprofessional of me.

[P1mpAndPr0ud]

YAAAAAAAAAAWN

Doesn't this s*1t make you angry? It does me!

[b0redom]

don't tell everybody who calls you, but don't sit on it either: tell your friends. Like the guy who got that next contract for you. Scratch his back...

That's what I tend to do. If someone has just found me a very lucrative new contract, I'll pass on details of other things I was looking at.

[synoniv]

Prefer not to deal with agents, but at times we all have to.

What I normally do is, I ask them back something similar

From the answer, it should not be rocket science to decipher his blabber and say goodbye !!