2 Agents, 1 Interview, 1 Client.....Ugh!

[expat]

Thats a new one on me! Any agent who tries that can f**k right off seriously.

Damn right! They are not representing you, just keeping you off the market.

[Ivor Bigun]

This just gets better....!

Phoned client's HR Dept. HR lady told be that Agent 1 did not submit my CV, however Agent 1 did submit my name, as a "reserve" candidate.

Turns out Agent 1, has "new policy" of submitting 3 CV's (agents best 3 candidates) and also submits a list of candidates (names only no CV's) that they represent. So Agent 1 is hedging their bets, in what I see as a very sly and underhanded way.

Agent 1 sent over email to me this morning (at 7:13am...do those guys actually work at that time.....) saying they are the preferred supplier.I havn't replied.

FJ

First thing to check - who is on the PSL. If agent 2, then go with them.
If not, go with agent 1. You must do this with HR.

OK, lets say you agent 2 is OK.
You email the 1st agency and say "As you have not submitted my CV - you are not representing me."

Anyone can put names down - even without your permission. You have to say politely to the agent that you only gave approval to the pimp for your CV to be submitted to the client - not for your name to be put on the reserve list.
Tell the pimp you have told the client that you are going through with agent 2 as their representative secured you the role. Offer sympathy to the pimp and that say that you'd like his agency to consider you for other roles the agency has in the future as you have no problems with the agency but if further complications arise, you will ensure that any illiicite actions that the pimp may make, are highlighted to the client and to his/her upper management.
Try to establish to the pimp that you are separating him from the agency.
NEVER badmouth the agency.

Put the ball in their court so that the pimp gives the standard agency line of "We have long memories".
Once the pimp says that, you know you're OK. A pimp only says that in warning mode knowing he's lost.

[expat]

...
Put the ball in their court so that the pimp gives the standard agency line of "We have long memories".
Once the pimp says that, you know you're OK. A pimp only says that in warning mode knowing he's lost.

[Ivor Bigun]

But I do have to hand it to him, this is more brazen than even I thought an agent could get!

Expat, you suprise me. This happens on every contract. However, the list of suppressed names is rarely given to the client.
Chances are, the list WASN'T given to the client - Agency 1 is bluffing.

Just to be clear here.

EVERY AGENCY PUTS CANDIDATES IN RESERVE

IMO, there are so many candidates now, that every agency has to deceive the unlucky ones. If they don't, they will be candidates through another agency.

It doesn't mean that the client sees the list though.

The tough one is when the agency says "Are you going through another agency?" There is no strict answer to this - just best to be forewarned as to what happens.
Interestingly, you won't get agents reponding to this thread. They don't want you to know what they get up to - they want the candidates to be kept in the dark until all is clear. Even then - if they have a choice, they will still keep the candidates in the dark.

Agencies work on the principle of
"only tell candidates just less than the minimum they need to know"

[expat]

Expat, you suprise me. This happens on every contract. However, the list of suppressed names is rarely given to the client.
...

I do know that agencies will always tell those that they don't put forward, that they have been put forward in order to keep them out of the running.

What I find brazen is to claim that, whether or not these names were actually on a list, this gives them dibs on that contractor just as if he had been put forward.

[NotAllThere]

When a rather aggressive agency tried the same thing a few years back when I was a hiring manager, hiring for permanent staff, the regressive agency (who'd been picked by HR), found themselves suddenly sacked.

Agents and agencies have very short memories. Contractors rather longer and many clients very much longer.

I've been involved in the hiring process in quite a few places. Those agents and agencies that have in some way annoyed me get a bit of a shock when they find they can't get into the client...

[Farmer jones]

Right here's the update:

Phoned HR and Agent 2. HR confirmed that Agent 2 secured interview, and that Agent 2 is on PSL. So if anything comes of it I'll go with Agent 2.

This info was passed over to Agent 1 this morning, whilst I was in transit to next interview. Agent 1 was not too happy and suggested that I was out of order etc etc. I suggested that if he wanted to insult me, that was fine, othewise foxtrot oscar.

Nothing has been heard from Agent 1 since. So that should be that.

In the mean time, it occurs to me that I need a strategy to prevent this happening again, so here's my initial thoughts, which you may like to ponder...

Pimp phones up and says "I have great role for you...." (then go through usual checks to make sure pimp isn't fishing for leads etc). Once pimp has cleared usual checks, and all lsounds OK...I agree for pimp to send my CV to client on the basis that:

1. Pimp forwards to me a client email address so that I can ascertain that pimp has done what he /she said they would. (If so I am solely represented by pimp for this role).

2. If pimp doesn't comply, I assume that pimp is underhand, dodgy etc and pass role to pimp who is relatively trust worthy.

Now I know this is a far fetched and probably un workable solution with lots of available contractors at the moment, but for those with niche skills or in times of major contract demand it might just get the pimps to behave a little.

You guys, of course, may know of another method to manage the pimps....

FJ with Fingers Crossed....3 interviews in 1 week, summats gotta drop here !

[JoJoGabor]

No agent will want you talking direct to the customer - I think you'll be shooting yourself in the foot asking for the email address. I think the best you can do is to ask the agent to drop you an email confirming they have sent in your full CV to the client. If they ask for confirmation that they can represent you, state clearly in the email that they can only represent you if a full CV is sent to that client

[expat]

No agent will want you talking direct to the customer - I think you'll be shooting yourself in the foot asking for the email address. I think the best you can do is to ask the agent to drop you an email confirming they have sent in your full CV to the client. If they ask for confirmation that they can represent you, state clearly in the email that they can only represent you if a full CV is sent to that client

Sounds right. But you wouldn't think you had to say that, would you? As in, "represent" = put your name on a list of people not submitted.

[NotAllThere]

Over the years I've built up relationships with a few agents. These are the ONLY agents I'll deal with. I trust them enough that they'd not deliberately lie, though misleading each other is certainly part of the game.

They want to place me, because I get renewals.