Advice Please

[Denny]

Was interviewed for a role at senior level yesterday paying big quids. Agency got back to me and said that they wanted to take up references and I was the only one they had requested that of.

Sent them written ones with confirmation that verbals could be taken up once offer firm on table. Neither the agency or client will commit to this at this stage if verbals have been taken up.

This is really weird to me, because they already have 6 written refs (3 written) and three verbals written out (that can be substantiated verbally). Why can't they be satisfied with that until an offer is in the bag? They want to take up verbals tomorrow but client won't commit either to agency whether an offer will be on the table 'subject to them being satisfactory.'

What do you suggest I do? Do you think client is just taking up refs on candidates he's satisfied with but could be interviewing others and requesting the same of them and then making ref comparisons before deciding on who to take on? If this is the case, then the answer for me a definite no. There's no way I'm having my client/refs bothered and then have to crawl back to them for other references a week later because the offer wasn't made even when satisfactory. Client just have to be satisfied with the written ones until they are sure they're not interested in taking anyone else on.

Any advice on how to proceed? Normally, the written refs suffice until an offer is made because it contains all positive info and the verbals are only likely to verify what's already there. Just another thing, the agency have lied to me about a number of things around opting in and out. As you all know, I'm pretty clued up about this. They are claiming that the contract with candidate is back-to-back with client and only opting out clauses are acceptable with the client. I spoke with Cotterall and Bauer this morning, and Sarah told me that this was rubbish. The agency to client contract has got nothing to do with opting in or out.

Your views please, would be appreciated. Please, just sensible helpful answers for this one.

[ASB]

What do you suggest I do? Do you think client is just taking up refs on candidates he's satisfied with but could be interviewing others and requesting the same of them and then making ref comparisons before deciding on who to take on?

FWIW a number of employers do this in the permanent arena. They also wonder why they have difficulty recruiting....

If this is the case it's mexican standoff time. I would personally tell them they have everything they are going to get until an offer is made. That might not suit your mood though.

[Denny]

FWIW a number of employers do this in the permanent arena. They also wonder why they have difficulty recruiting....

If this is the case it's mexican standoff time. I would personally tell them they have everything they are going to get until an offer is made. That might not suit your mood though.

Thanks for that.

I pretty much have. The agency are going back to the client tomorrow to try and extract some sort of unofficial commitment on where I stand with them. My agent seems to think that I probably do have the role because he put forward other candidates that were interviewed but no request for refs asked for. Only mine have been requested. Therefore, he thinks that this request is a clear signal for the role to be offered. However, he can't or won't say whether that is in fact the case and it may not be if they interview other candidates, say, next week and others are also suitable and the same request made of them. The agent doesn't seem to think this is the case.

Only when I know more will I hand over the phone numbers. I have already given them one phone number that I know they really wanted and requested from a contract I did 5 years or more ago. I don't mind them taking that one up because there is no decent written, only facts on paper I sent them about what I did and how long I was there for, and it's unlikely that she will be contacted again and again for future references too given the time that has elapsed. My more recent private clients, though, are a very different matter. Hopefully, after this one ref. has been taken up that may be enough for them to put their 'cards on the table' about where exactly I do stand before they take up the other two.

What a palava.