Agency to avoid - Hays Corporate Accounts

[mace]

My core skill area is comparitively niche and I spent months trying to hire developer positions for it by using agencies such as Hudson, Huxley, MA Associates, Arrows Group etc. plus had many other unendorsed agencies send me prospective CVs. During that entire time, I had next to no CVs which covered my skill area so had to widen the net.

On Saturday, I spotted an ad by Hays Corporate Accounts covering exactly the skill area which I'm involved in, and for which I'd be a perfect match. I rang this morning and was told that the recruiter was on holiday but had in any case covered off all of her roles before leaving. I said that the role had only been advertised on Friday afternoon. The receptionist said that she'd check. Came back and said the maximum number of CVs had been submitted. I said that I had recently been a hiring manager and had tried to recruit a candidate with just 1 of the skills mentioned for months with limited success and that I was a perfect match. She said that nevertheless they'd submitted CVs already and that they had a lot of CVs on their database. I said that if they had CVs on their database why did they need to advertise the role. She cut me off.

[NotAllThere]

Agency to avoid - Hays Corporate Accounts

Avoid agencies.

Most agencies will behave the same way.

[RichardCranium]

There are a handful of people in the country with the same skillset as my ideal role.

I spotted an ad for which I'd be a perfect match.

I apply to those then 'phone within an hour of advertising and get told it's gone for one reason or another. Various agencies.

I rang and was told that the recruiter was on holiday

Weird, innit? It is actually code for "I'm not taking any more calls on this role."

Came back and said the maximum number of CVs had been submitted.

That's code for "We're not taking any more calls from whiny, begging, benched contractors".

She said that they'd submitted CVs already and that they had a lot of CVs on their database

She's a 'gatekeeper'. She is paid to not put you through.

[/QUOTE]I said that if they had CVs on their database why did they need to advertise the role. She cut me off.[/QUOTE]The agencies are getting hundreds of applications from people without the necessary skills for every role. They write, email and 'phone. Thanks to them, we cannot get through.

If you blacklist every agency which does this, there will be none for you to use.

Yes, it is that tulipe out there.