The Next Agent That Asks Me .......

[ukiha2011]

The tricks never change. I use to be young and naive. When I got back into contracting after a 2 year absence the same old tricks surfaced.

I put my CV on job boards. A call would surface, usual we don't have an up-to-date CV. errr how did you get my number then?! They would ask everything on the CV and I mean all the details - I said to one or two - have you read my CV....

So at the end of the phone call I always ask them to send me their contact number and email address so i can keep them on a list of people I can contact when my contract is up for renewal. 95% never email me.

[jmo21]

From my perspective, I do this - but I know many who don't. Occassionally I'll suggest that I'm new into the industry, and really need some help to get my knowledge up to speed - but thats the extent of any deception - I generally ask new contractors to me, to help me to help them, and discuss my niche - I give some info, they give some - Quid pro Quo! Unfortunately, there are some particuarly aggressive businesses out there who don't give their consultants the chance to build knowledge before demanding billings - hence you lot get calls looking for information in a quite underhand way.

Well good for you, I'll take you at face value, but that has not been my experience dealing with agencies. Ever.

I'd love to know which agency you work for.

Will you reveal all? (or just the agency name will do .....

[GillsMan]

To be honest, all of my dealings with agents in the last 18 months or so of contracting (and applying for contracts) have been relatively positive. The most annoying thing has been an agent not getting back to me, but I soon figured out what that meant and if I haven’t heard from an agent within 5 working days, I generally know that nothing’s happened. If it’s a role I really wanted, I’ll send a chaser email and that’s it.

I’ve never had the ‘two references’ line, and I’ve never had phone calls where it appears the role is fake. I once got sent an email confirming an interview and there was some apparently standard text that asked for a copy of my passport in line with regulations, blah, blah, blah. I ignored it and nothing untoward happened. I’ve had a fair amount of contact with agents over the last 18 months. Don’t get called every day, but it’s rare I’ll go more than 2 weeks without some sort of unsolicited contact from an agent.

My contract ends in 3 weeks and I emailed 5 agents who I’ve had positive dealings with (none have placed me before) advising them of the situation and giving them an updated copy of my CV. Four replied, two were very friendly replies, one of which was extremely personable. The fifth called me today and has secured me an interview for tomorrow.

I don’t see agents as a necessary evil. They are a vital part of the game. We all begrudge their cut of our daily rate, I’m sure, but without agents I’m sure our rates would be a lot lower. Agents tend to be better salesmen than IT contractors I’m sure (massive generalisation, but I’m sure it’s generally true), and I bet that has something to do with our rates being decent.

I’ll continue to maintain good, positive relations with any agent I come into contact with, and I’m sure I won’t be unduly bothered by some phishing calls. Although, time-wasting agents with fake roles is something I’ve yet to encounter, I’m sure I’d be suitably annoyed should I encounter one, but generally I have a healthy amount of love for agents! Shoot me now.

[The Agents View]

Well good for you, I'll take you at face value, but that has not been my experience dealing with agencies. Ever.

I'd love to know which agency you work for.

Will you reveal all? (or just the agency name will do .....

I do reveal who I am every now and again, but only in PM. The reason for staying anonymous, is to avoid bringing the company into hot water. My opinions are generally forthright, and sometimes I am not on the side of the agents. Hopefully, that allows me to be a valuable member of the community on here. I work for a massive organisation, and that's all I'll say in public!

TAV

[TestMangler]

I do reveal who I am every now and again, but only in PM. The reason for staying anonymous, is to avoid bringing the company into hot water. My opinions are generally forthright, and sometimes I am not on the side of the agents. Hopefully, that allows me to be a valuable member of the community on here. I work for a massive organisation, and that's all I'll say in public!

TAV

I'm actually trying to source someone for any agent role in your area at the moment. Can you just tell me who you work for, just so we can rule out submitting your CV to the same place twice ?

[dack]

To be honest, all of my dealings with agents in the last 18 months or so of contracting (and applying for contracts) have been relatively positive. The most annoying thing has been an agent not getting back to me, but I soon figured out what that meant and if I haven’t heard from an agent within 5 working days, I generally know that nothing’s happened. If it’s a role I really wanted, I’ll send a chaser email and that’s it.

I’ve never had the ‘two references’ line, and I’ve never had phone calls where it appears the role is fake. I once got sent an email confirming an interview and there was some apparently standard text that asked for a copy of my passport in line with regulations, blah, blah, blah. I ignored it and nothing untoward happened. I’ve had a fair amount of contact with agents over the last 18 months. Don’t get called every day, but it’s rare I’ll go more than 2 weeks without some sort of unsolicited contact from an agent.

My contract ends in 3 weeks and I emailed 5 agents who I’ve had positive dealings with (none have placed me before) advising them of the situation and giving them an updated copy of my CV. Four replied, two were very friendly replies, one of which was extremely personable. The fifth called me today and has secured me an interview for tomorrow.

I don’t see agents as a necessary evil. They are a vital part of the game. We all begrudge their cut of our daily rate, I’m sure, but without agents I’m sure our rates would be a lot lower. Agents tend to be better salesmen than IT contractors I’m sure (massive generalisation, but I’m sure it’s generally true), and I bet that has something to do with our rates being decent.

I’ll continue to maintain good, positive relations with any agent I come into contact with, and I’m sure I won’t be unduly bothered by some phishing calls. Although, time-wasting agents with fake roles is something I’ve yet to encounter, I’m sure I’d be suitably annoyed should I encounter one, but generally I have a healthy amount of love for agents! Shoot me now.

Totally agree.

Many contractors I've worked see agents as 'pimps' and fail to realise that they are an integral requirement to the contracting model.

During lean times, agents will need to spend more of their time fishing for contacts which I'm happy to pass on - but not for free. Just like agencies, I build contacts as part of my business.

[ShandyDrinker]

Totally agree.

Many contractors I've worked see agents as 'pimps' and fail to realise that they are an integral requirement to the contracting model.

During lean times, agents will need to spend more of their time fishing for contacts which I'm happy to pass on - but not for free. Just like agencies, I build contacts as part of my business.

Too right. Having been contracting for the last few years I'm always amazed at the animosity towards agents; sure, for some of them the animosity is well founded but in a lot of cases it's a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours situation.

Although like every other contractor I want to get the best possible rate but have to accept that the agent is doing the sales work for me (which having worked in a sales department I can safely say never again) and as such deserves some recompense for the work that I don't want to do myself.

Agents and agencies are a necessary evil unless you are fortunate enough to have built a big enough contact list to obtain work directly.

[The Agents View]

I'm actually trying to source someone for any agent role in your area at the moment. Can you just tell me who you work for, just so we can rule out submitting your CV to the same place twice ?

Errr...No. I'm gainfully employed, and not looking to move. Thanks.

[thunderlizard]

Errr...No. I'm gainfully employed, and not looking to move. Thanks.

Not a problem (although of course, it fundamentally is). I'm just making a note to definitely call you when something more suitable comes up. No, I really am. Do you know of anybody else who might be interested? Because we offer an excellent referral bonus of £500 out of the £10,000 we'll be getting, which we'll find an excuse not to pay you anyway.

[craig1]

Too right. Having been contracting for the last few years I'm always amazed at the animosity towards agents; sure, for some of them the animosity is well founded but in a lot of cases it's a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours situation.

Although like every other contractor I want to get the best possible rate but have to accept that the agent is doing the sales work for me (which having worked in a sales department I can safely say never again) and as such deserves some recompense for the work that I don't want to do myself.

Agents and agencies are a necessary evil unless you are fortunate enough to have built a big enough contact list to obtain work directly.

There are many good agencies out there who work well with contractors and clients and genuinely add value for their daily rate. The one I'm working through now is like that and I don't grudge them a single penny of their cut.

Then there are some agencies and agents out there who genuinely amaze me that they're still in business. Almost invariably, an agent that annoys contractors will do the same with clients in the long run with sharp practices. They're one reason for PSLs for agencies, clients keep those who will do the job and shut the door firmly on everyone else.

I'll give you an example. In one contract I had in 2006, I had a difficult relationship with the agency who struggled to pay me on time and liked querying timesheets and invoices about 10 minutes before the payment cut-off date for that month. Agency refused to negotiate a rate rise at renewal so I approached client directly and negotiated a £50 a day rise, agency account manager called me the day after my first invoice on the new rate and said that the client had changed their mind on the rise so could I resubmit my invoice on the old rate. I asked client directly who told me the rate was approved and in their system.

Agency refused to pay any invoice at that new rate for the next three months despite billing the client the new rate. Eventually they told me that they were prepared to increase my rate by £20 a day as a "good-will" gesture as the rest of the rate rise was being swallowed by their increased admin costs for my contract as they were having to spend far more time administering me than normal. Again, a discussion with the client brought up that they'd had far too many issues with them and they were being dropped as a supplier. They refused to negotiate a release for me and told me they'd rather lose a pay-off than let me go to another agent for that client, they gave the client an ultimatum, keep them as a supplier or lose me and the other three contractors. Client told them to get stuffed and I had to go find another role.

About four months later, the same agent who placed me the first time called and said he had a great role for me. He got very narked when I told him I'd rather be unemployed than work through them again.