Dealing with Agents in the Credit Crunch

[WebSpec]

Having read an earlier post I wondered about peoples' experience with agencies in the credit crunch.

Are agencies a hindrance to contractors as they start to become, it seems, more competitive and unscrupulous in a difficult business environment?

Are some agencies trying to drive down contractor rates in order to protect their margins and in essence try to survive?

Are clients becoming more fussy about costs and using a wider range of agencies to submit CVs to them? or is it a bit of both?

I have wasted a lot of time talking to agents who don't have jobs, don't have specs and are trying to get leads from you. My strategy now is to not return agents calls unless

1) I have applied for the job in question
2) If voicemail is left - there is clear mention of a job title ("I have an opportunity I want to discuss" doesn't really give me enough of an incentive to ring back as 9 times out of 10 it is just phishing)

Wondered what everyone else thinks about contracting at the moment. Are people sticking to daily rates when agents are trying to force you down? Are people going to full time jobs?

My opinion is that there is still quite a high level of demand for good IT and web contractors out there....even if a little quiter there still appear to be a large number of jobs...

[Beefy198]

In my personal experience, a lot of people are going for full time jobs....

[DiscoStu]

In my personal experience, a lot of people are going for full time jobs....

And a lot of companies are replacing contractors with permies, such as current client co

God knows why, it seems to make sense to keep contractors you can get rid of at the drop of a hat if things get worse as opposed to replacing them with permies who are a pain in the arse to get rid of if you decide to bin more people...

[d000hg]

Employees are pretty easy to drop if they've been there less than 1-2 years... many companies have 3 month probation periods initially during which they can give a very short notice period for no reason.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Employees are pretty easy to drop if they've been there less than 1-2 years... many companies have 3 month probation periods initially during which they can give a very short notice period for no reason.

Yes expect to see companies hiring for say six months then suddenly bumping the 'permie' .

Aint life a bitch ?

[ABSTRAX]

I wouldn't let the adverts indicate how many jobs are out there...

There seems to be countless agencies out there that simply advertise jobs that they once recruited for, that don't currently exist!

I'm not sure what you mean about agencies being a hinderance now though, at least not any moreso than usual... agencies will drive down rates at the best of times

It all boils down to a need thing... if you're confident you have the network and ability to secure your own contract then don't bother with an agency... clients seem more open to direct applications right now anyway... but it is tougher as the chance of someone in your network hiring is probably pretty slim

Oh, and if you go direct with a client... I wouldn't expect to secure a rate that reflects no agency involvement... clients are scrimping on pennies at the minute and know what they should pay for a certain position... agency fees are typically considered as separate fees in the equation... an agency might bill a client £380 a day while paying you £300, but if the client can get your direct then they're not going to be paying you £380 - they'll be keeping that £80 for themselves!

[Recruitment Agent]

I have noticed a high percentage of contractors on this forum torment each other with negative stories of fact or suspicion of what an agents actully does which gets each other worked up... chill... The market is hard as you all know a recommedation from me as an agent is to secure contracts inwork mainland europe? the market is not that bad it pays market rates. and you can still get a flight home in time for tea.

[DodgyAgent]

I have noticed a high percentage of contractors on this forum torment each other with negative stories of fact or suspicion of what an agents actully does which gets each other worked up... chill... The market is hard as you all know a recommedation from me as an agent is to secure contracts inwork mainland europe? the market is not that bad it pays market rates. and you can still get a flight home in time for tea.

So no takers for Kosovo on 10 Euros a day then?

[Svalbaard]

The view I have seen at my current client co. (a global insurance co.) is that they have put a freeze on permanent recruitment which should benefit the contractor/temporary market. The point I saw written about companies becoming more fussy in my opinion is mute, as companies issue a requirements spec. to an agency and issue a cap on how many CVs their preferred suppliers are allowed to send in relation to that role. So an agency may get 60 CVs in for an advertised role but are generally only allowed to send in 3 to the client co.

This then is where it all falls over as it is the agency themselves who are responsible for vetting you rather than the client co.; and as we all know - the standard of agency due dilligence more often than not involves nothing more that putting your CV through a database and seeing how many "buzzwords" match their spec. I have always been suspect of CVs with too many acronyms on them and I know a lot of managers who feel the same.

Having been contracting for major companies now for about 15 years I generally see the same agencies listed on PSLs, and there is a reason for that. My strategy has been to take notice of the 5 or so major agencies when they call (and a few smaller SAP specialists) and to dismiss the rest. This may be short sighted to some but it it means I very rarely get called by agencies I have never heard of - and when I do, the conversation is usually very short.

[tim123]

So no takers for Kosovo on 10 Euros a day then?

Do I get accommodation thrown in?

tim