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

[Liability]

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.

Same here - Ive have 2 that I trust - but they are now in different sectors but give me heads up and info on how things are.

In this instance - dont feel sorry for the Agent 1! NEVER feel sorry for an agent! They do very little for the money MOST of the time - and would sell you out if it meant even more profits. There like the poorer Hedge Funds in terms of practice.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Hope you went for Agent 2

This just gets better....!


HR lady said that she's had this problem with this agency in the past, and doesn't want to deal with them as they are very "pushy" as she said.

As usual Agents up to the old tricks with a new spin.

Agent 2 gets my vote. When I get a response (fingers crossed for a contract) I'll name the rogue Agent.

Thanks all.

FJ

In 1998 an Agent no 1 phsically took me to lunch with the client then the
client said that they had this problem with this agency in the past, and did not want to deal with them as they are very "pushy" but also had received my cv from agency no 2 and would only sign a 2 year contract with their preferred supplier no 2.
When agent no 1 tried to harrass me on the phone I got the client to sort out the problem,which they did. Agent no 1 no longer exists whereas no 2 still exists

Remember you are not the agency's client you are a humble job seeker
If the client will not sign with agent no1 then that is agent no 1's problem not your problem. You have no contract with no1

[The Agents View]

Just to add "the agents view" on this....

The other posters are right on this - Agent 1 doesn't have a hope - basically they've f***ed up and haven't chosen the right people (probably because they haven't qualified the role properly - this is the biggest reason for not getting the right match).

NEVER feel sorry for an agent! They do very little for the money MOST of the time

I understand the use of the word MOST here - but seriously, if you believe that, you should come and do this job for a few months.... I don't often see contractors working 7 'til 9 just to put food on the table, so I'd thank you to think about the bits of this job you don't see - like the thousands of other people like you who we speak to over the course of a month. And very few of us get paid anywhere near the £300 minimum you lot get either (although some of us do when the market is bouyant )

Have a good evening one and all.....

TAV

[NotAllThere]

I did some agency recruitment work once. It's a bloody awful job - hard work, for little returns, unless you're very good or very lucky or a complete smeghead*, and only the criminal insane would pursue it.

* The complete smeghead approach is the easiest, hence why most agents are complete smegheads with the morals of a cat°

° Sorry, I take that back - without the morals of a cat...

[The Agents View]

I did some agency recruitment work once. It's a bloody awful job - hard work, for little returns, unless you're very good or very lucky or a complete smeghead*, and only the criminal insane would pursue it.

* The complete smeghead approach is the easiest, hence why most agents are complete smegheads with the morals of a cat°

° Sorry, I take that back - without the morals of a cat...

Fortunately I like to think of myself at the "very good" end of things - Plus I treat my interims as I would want to be treated if I was in their shoes - regular contact, odd treats (which works for me too as it allows me to get under the skin of my client too) I've even got two of my interims attending my wedding.

I may be insane, and I might do this the hard way (ie walking away from placements if I don't think it's right for either of the parties involved as well as countless other examples). The lucky thing for me is that I'm not purely money motivated - it's nice, obviously, but actually for me it's a by-product of doing the job in the best, most consultative way.

I know I'm different, my interims know I'm different, and I do long for the day that the rest of the industry wakes up to the fact that if they build relationships on both sides of the fence, it results in higher quality, and even higher quantity placements (and often it leads to higher margins too - nobody minds paying a higher margin if the job is done right, and seen through to the conclusion - which contary to popular belief in the recruitment sector, IS NOT the day the interim starts work!!)

TAV

[Amiga500]

Agent 1 underestimated your skillset and did not forward your CV it would seem, reward the faith agent 2 had in you and state that they are representing you.

[Not So Wise]

As others have said, agency that secures the interview is the agency that gets the contract

Hi all

I have now had Agent 1 on the phone saying I am his contractor, and will be represented by Agency 1, for this role, Agent 2 sent the JD over for.

Hope you laughed in his face

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 worth

Never work, agency will not want to be giving out client details before interview request is received, you could either try to cut them out or pass details on to another agency (or you could be a agency yourself, some contractors are both)

Best way to operate is, send CV to agency then regardless of first agency saying they have sent your CV or not, if you see job posted by another agency send it to them as well.

The whole agency line of "client getting multiple copies of your CV might lower your chances" is a bulltulip tactic to increase agencies chances (not contractors) filling the role, either by stopping another agency placing you if they do send in your CV or by taking you completely out of the running if they don't

Only time I would not send a copy to each agency advertising a role is if there are 20 agencies with the role, then just go though your preferred 3/4

And if you run into problem of multiple agencys "claiming you" like you just have, see first line of this post