Worrying trend of Indian agents

[andyc2000]

Has anyone tried these Indian agencies? What has been the experience? Are they worth the price, poor English and all?

I keep getting called by one of these for a role in Dorset, rate advertised is well under half what it should be and I keep telling them this (and so has someone else I've worked with) but still they call... I got them to add £70 to the rate one time (still too low) but the next time they called they couldn't manage this. They also aren't aware that they have called me before, all very wierd.

[TraceRacing]

I keep getting called by one of these for a role in Dorset, rate advertised is well under half what it should be and I keep telling them this (and so has someone else I've worked with) but still they call... I got them to add £70 to the rate one time (still too low) but the next time they called they couldn't manage this. They also aren't aware that they have called me before, all very wierd.

They all share the same contact list? Without appearing racist maybe they all sound the same so you are getting calls from different agents working the same list?

[ascender]

I've had a few calls from this sort of agency, but like others have said, the rate is typically laughable, so its never gone beyond that initial call to be honest.

[andyc2000]

They all share the same contact list? Without appearing racist maybe they all sound the same so you are getting calls from different agents working the same list?

I thought that initially and even though the numbers have been from both uk and abroad it was the same company, although I did have to ask 3 or 4 times...

[phillrow]

yeah just got a call from one of the Indian agencies......offering £180 a day for AIX in Manchester.....considering that there is someone offering £500 a day in Bournemouth for AIX.....and most are offering between £350-450 they are quite below the market.

[craig1]

yeah just got a call from one of the Indian agencies......offering £180 a day for AIX in Manchester.....considering that there is someone offering £500 a day in Bournemouth for AIX.....and most are offering between £350-450 they are quite below the market.

The thing is that they know that if they keep phoning around the Jobserve job-hunters list they'll eventually get a desperate ex-permie who has burned through their redundancy payment and is rapidly maxing out their credit cards to keep up with mortgage payments.

[ChimpMaster]

I wonder if these agencies are undercutting UK agencies, i.e. going in cheap to the client. Or are they trying to rake in a huge margin, aka consultancy style?

I just wish they would FOAD, seriously. I'm MUCH happier with our own agents!

[phillrow]

Got a call from one with very poor English, for an AIX Architect, LPAR/VIO/NIM/HACMP, ie the full gamut, £180 a day! SC too! And London! More exclamation marks!!!

I pointed out the going rate is at least £500 and he reckoned he'd placed 22 already. That's 22 SC'd AIX gurus with VIO etc knowledge. willing to work for peanuts. I doubt there's half that many contractors in UK with those skills SC'd or not. Even wanted POWER7 and I've not seen one of them yet!

Have had my hands on both Power7 p780 & p795, they are out there. The p795 is a nice bit of kit, just still got a few of the new and shiny bugs in it though.

[perplexed]

Did have an Indian fella ring me. Even mentioned the client.

I was utterly bored, had a lot of fun stringing him along.

Abysmal rate, claimed that was all the client was offering. Except other agencies were advertising the same role a lot higher; it was somewhere I'd worked before, having not burnt any bridges, I already kinda knew the rates they were looking to pay.

Spent half an hour winding the agent up. My parting shot was that I got the vibe they were untrustworthy. Agent sounded shocked - what do you mean? I then replied that I didn't for one second believe his real name was Jean-Phillippe Stewart so why would I do business with them?

[stek]

One of the lads I work with is thinking of going for one of these pathetic rates, right up to getting the contract paperwork, and turning it down (before signing) on the grounds he thought it was £180/hr not per day!

That'll learn 'em!