Stupidity?

[utrinqueparatus]

I had a call off an agent from SLS services recruitment about a contract role in horsham yesterday. Anyway the agent in question calls me goes through my work history not once asking for names of companies only asking purely about my skills/technologies I have worked with, person strengths blah blah blah. Anyhow he was on the phone for about half an hour not once asking for references or company names/contacts and then he drops the name of the clientco and says he'll get back to me if he has feedback.

So i pop along to clientco's website and notice on the about us page it states in bold caps WE DO NOT USE RECRUITMENT AGENCIES. This rings a little strange to me so I call clientco and query the use of recruitment agencies, receptionist isn't sure so transfers me to director who states in no uncertain terms that they never have nor never will use a recruitment agency and always take on perms directly. This leaves me slightly bewildered so I give the director the name of agent/recruitment agency and inform him that they are using his company name.

Was this the right thing to do and has anyone heard of anything like this before?

[SueEllen]

Yep.

One of the many tricks RA use.

[swamp]

Well done that man.

[Beefy198]

I had a call off an agent from SLS services recruitment

This lot?

http://www.sls-services.co.uk

If so, they have a hilarious quote on their website:

As members of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, we work to a strict code of conduct, offering candidates and clients the most professional standards at all times.

We at SLS Services Ltd adhere to the code of the ‘Good Recruitment Practice’, which has been created in consultation with industry stakeholders.

We apply this practice across all areas our business and to all the services we provide.... Remember; always choose a REC Member.

[utrinqueparatus]

Thats the one they have now relisted the job post as perm with exactly the same wording :- http://www.sls-services.co.uk/details.asp?ID=970620

[TheRefactornator]

REC - Reeks of Exceptional Crap

[KentPhilip]

So, pardon me for being ignorant, what is the agent doing spending 30 minutes on the phone to the contractor, when there is no role. What does the agent gain from this?

[Mephisto]

So, pardon me for being ignorant, what is the agent doing spending 30 minutes on the phone to the contractor, when there is no role. What does the agent gain from this?

Same... I'm all ears (eyes)

[Fred Bloggs]

He was bored, his call count was down and he needed to look like he was being proactive to others in the office.

[DocP]

Well lots of companies say they don't use agents but actually do. They tend to use them when they can't find someone they really need. It's the ability to find the right person that they are paying for.

I know of several companies that have done this.