Agency asking for references prior to submitting application...

[TopNotch]

Not new to this game and thought I'd seen everthing but recently an agency asked a colleague for references from two of his previous employers before submitting his details. I told him I suspected it may be a scam to allow the agency to get contact details from his previous companies and suggested he offered the references AFTER a job offer had been made.

But he said that he had been shown the job details and told the company's name but the agency still will not submit his details unless hs provides references which they want to check prior to the submission.

Not sure what to suggest

Views and thoughts appreciated

[MaryPoppins]

Lots of debate around this one here.

If he's a contractor, he can give them agency rather than direct client details.

If they then become adamant they want details of previous clients, I'd become suspicious.

[Brussels Slumdog]

You have got the name so whats the problem

But he said that he had been shown the job details and told the company's name but the agency still will not submit his details unless hs provides references which they want to check prior to the submission.

Not sure what to suggest

Views and thoughts appreciated

I suggest he gives the name of the company to another agent who he has worked for before and would not require references.
I have a list in my head of agents who never ask for references and a list agents who ask.
Avoid the ones who do.

[Not So Wise]

Generally assume it's a scam (easy to give a company/contact name. Does not mean they are real)

Sometimes it will be the wrong assumption, but generally it will be the right one

Personally agencys generally stopped trying this one on me a few years ago, think it is something they reserve for relative newbies , they know experienced contractors (> 5 years with multiple contracts) just laugh at them

PS: How can you say not new to this game and not have seen this before? Hell it’s so common it’s the first sticky thread on this forum.

[TopNotch]

Apologies for this guys - as previous mentioned it has a huge number of replies in previous posts

Doh!

[kaiser78]

What should one do if a role comes up at a previous clientco and the agency say that need the internal reference to progress the app ? This has happened twice this week to me and I have gievn the contact of the previous agency.