I just need to get two references ...

[Taita]

New record today for me. I was out having a walk at lunchtime and had some time to spare when I got the call. It took just over 15 minutes ibefore the agent finally gave up in the huff. We went through every permutation of the trick from:

Agent: our clients are very protective of their privacy so we can't give their name
Me: so, you won't give me the potential client company's name but you want me to give you my current contract line manager's details?

Agent: we can't send out your CV without those references
Me: you can contact the agencies I've worked through

Agent: our client will only accept the end-company as a reference
Me: I believe HR at both my last companies can confirm, please send your request to HR, Client X, Client Address.

Agent: sorry, it needs to be the line manager
Me: unfortunately, the line manager has had bad experiences with agencies trying to pull a fast one
Agent: we'd never do something so underhand!
Me: I'd never work for him again if I gave his details
Agent: we'll be discrete
Me: I know he's busy finding replacements for those of us leaving so you might have to wait for me to get permission
Agent: (drooling sounds over the phone)

I did feel a wee bit cruel towards the end...

Serve him right.

Too many 'salespeople' find it impossible to listen to anything their 'target' says.
I find it difficult to believe that so many apparently slow witted, gullible people work in sales. It probably stems from being unable to keep quiet as a child and then being told they should be in 'sales' because they can talk the hind leg off a donkey! Me? I wonder who the Ass really is.

[premiere]

Got a call today from MBA UK. They sent me a 'form' to complete...

If you are interested in moving forward, please could you answer the below:
•Confirm you are happy for MBAUK Limited to represent you for the above role.

•Confirm your daily rate of: £xxx/d)

•Confirm your availability / notice period. (Please advise if you have any holiday booked within the next three months) and your availability to start & interview.
•Please advise, Nationality/Visa Status + provide copy of Visa/passport via email
.Please advise, do you hold any CCJ's.
•Please advise, have you ever been disqualified as a company director.
•Please advise, have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence which is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
•Please advise, if have you worked for xxxx before either directly or through a third party company? *If yes please advise who.
•Please advise, if you have applied for a position at xxxx in the last 6mths, if so what position, who was the Line Manager and what was the outcome
•Please provide two points of reference prior to interview – This is inline with are SLA'S/ ISO 9000 Certification.
•Please provide your NI number, this acts as a unique identifier and stops your CV being duplicated.
•Please note subject to offer you will be require to provide references for the last 5 year/Home Address of the last 5 years/Copy of Passport and a Credit Check will process via MBA.
•Please confirm all dates on your resume are 100% accurate; (In the event that they are not this will not effect application at this stage, however we need to ensure we provide our client with the correct information. Please note should there be an opportunity to go permanent the client will use credit reference agencies to check).

I didn't pursue the contract. Copy of my passport? How do I know how they handle data protection? Don't have a problem with a credit check or references, but I would never give these prior to an interview.

[Taita]

Got a call today from MBA UK. They sent me a 'form' to complete...

If you are interested in moving forward, please could you answer the below:
•Confirm you are happy for MBAUK Limited to represent you for the above role.

•Confirm your daily rate of: £xxx/d)

•Confirm your availability / notice period. (Please advise if you have any holiday booked within the next three months) and your availability to start & interview.
•Please advise, Nationality/Visa Status + provide copy of Visa/passport via email
.Please advise, do you hold any CCJ's.
•Please advise, have you ever been disqualified as a company director.
•Please advise, have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence which is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
•Please advise, if have you worked for xxxx before either directly or through a third party company? *If yes please advise who.
•Please advise, if you have applied for a position at xxxx in the last 6mths, if so what position, who was the Line Manager and what was the outcome
•Please provide two points of reference prior to interview – This is inline with are SLA'S/ ISO 9000 Certification.
•Please provide your NI number, this acts as a unique identifier and stops your CV being duplicated.
•Please note subject to offer you will be require to provide references for the last 5 year/Home Address of the last 5 years/Copy of Passport and a Credit Check will process via MBA.
•Please confirm all dates on your resume are 100% accurate; (In the event that they are not this will not effect application at this stage, however we need to ensure we provide our client with the correct information. Please note should there be an opportunity to go permanent the client will use credit reference agencies to check).

I didn't pursue the contract. Copy of my passport? How do I know how they handle data protection? Don't have a problem with a credit check or references, but I would never give these prior to an interview.

Request for copy of passport is just another compliance issue that has been foisted on 'employers' and by association their 'agents' bu the Home Office in recent years.

The rest are questions which are legitimate but unlikely to be required in full in every case. Seems this particular company is oblivious to the need to establish a working relationship with a distinct purpose of possible benefit to the applicant, before asking for a lot of personal information which nobody likes to give to strangers. Not very conducive to a good sales outcome in my view.

[TheSurfer]

I actually don't mind the usual agent tricks……asking for references etc to get leads for themselves, posting fake jobs to build up their CV database etc… That's just business, and every business needs to generate leads and it must work for them or they wouldn't keep doing it. I see it as part of the contracting game.

The thing that really pisses me off though, and I call agents on this when they try it, is the question "So can you tell me which other companies you have had your CV submitted to or are in consideration for?". In this case they will fire off CV's to the client to directly complete with your CV and its a s***y trick!

[sharper1]

The thing that really pisses me off though, and I call agents on this when they try it, is the question "So can you tell me which other companies you have had your CV submitted to or are in consideration for?". In this case they will fire off CV's to the client to directly complete with your CV and its a s***y trick!

I know! Especially as they explicitly ask you not to reveal the company when they submit your CV for a role. I just say I have a confidentiality agreement with the agent and can't reveal any information.

Have to say this thread has been really useful for me as someone new to contracting and still learning the tricks agents use. My CV is pretty young, despite plenty of permie experience, so I'm sort of expecting I'm gonna have to put up with their chaff until I'm in a stronger position?

[Fra]

Ok I've got an agency call, they want to set up two interviews but the guy is pushing me for two references, the excuse is that he wants to be sure I am a real candidate and that I am not going to steal him the business(I haven't really understood the meaning of this...), the first interview has already been organized so I am not 100% sure this is a 100% trick but I am not really sure about what to do indeed.

[craig1]

Ok I've got an agency call, they want to set up two interviews but the guy is pushing me for two references, the excuse is that he wants to be sure I am a real candidate and that I am not going to steal him the business(I haven't really understood the meaning of this...), the first interview has already been organized so I am not 100% sure this is a 100% trick but I am not really sure about what to do indeed.

There is a growing number of desperate agents pretending to be candidates to attempt to steal clients and contracts. I'd compromise in this situation and offer to prove I'm a real person by sending copies of my passport or driving license.

[TheFaQQer]

There is a growing number of desperate agents pretending to be candidates to attempt to steal clients and contracts. I'd compromise in this situation and offer to prove I'm a real person by sending copies of my passport or driving license.

If they are that worried that you are a genuine candidate or not, then they should be happy to accept a reference from any other agencies that you have worked through.

[SueEllen]

Ok I've got an agency call, they want to set up two interviews but the guy is pushing me for two references, the excuse is that he wants to be sure I am a real candidate and that I am not going to steal him the business(I haven't really understood the meaning of this...), the first interview has already been organized so I am not 100% sure this is a 100% trick but I am not really sure about what to do indeed.

Either give them:
1. a previous agency you worked for stating that the client doesn't give references to contractors, or,
2. another contractor you worked with who had the word "manager" in their title and you get on with.

The latter will know how to deal with agencies and you can both have a bit of fun with agents who lie. However if you give them another contractor's details don't say they are a contractor.

Most agencies who ask for references I ignore.

The genuine ones will ask again once you get the contract they are also happy with:
1. References being from agencies, other contractors or the client's HR department
2. References missing out telephone number or email addresses/
Some of them don't actually do anything with the information they collect while others will contact the person but not hassle them.


The shysters get very upset if you don't give them a person's name, telephone number and email address. This is funny because once you know a person's name, company name and company address working out a telephone number and email address isn't hard.

[stek]

Why not give them the name of the company you work for, ie your own limited and write your own reference?