Agencies to avoid....

[AussieDigger]

The opting out thing - a few agencies try this. Ranges from an email telling me "I've forgotten to fill in the form" to "every other contractor opts out" to "if you dont opt out your inside IR35". Sometimes they keep asking even when you say no thanks.

Even had one who send an arsey email saying I couldn't continue unless I opted out. Then is the time to ignore/screen calls. They are not going to drag you out of a client just because you refuse to opt out. Ignore them.

So isn't that kind of behaviour harassment or bullying behaviour by an agency ?

[northernladuk]

So isn't that kind of behaviour harassment or bullying behaviour by an agency ?

It's doing businesses. Not good business to be fair but business. They want to get their way, you don't want it so act accordingly.

I guess if you are a wilting wall flower unable to handle hardnosed business then I guess you could see it as that. If you do see it as that it might be best not mentioning it so your peers don't think you are a wet lettuce. HTH

[cojak]

How about proven conjecture?

OK - Conjecture.

[JustMe]

Incompetence has a name.

From personal experience, I would recommend you not to work for ITECH Consulting AG from Baar (Switzerland)

[Yonmons]

everyone in Tek? Or just one agent?
Experience tells me that all agencies have some idiots and some good 'uns.

I finished a 6 month gig with Tek/Allegis this year, no complaints at all, I don't recognise any of the foregoing issues myself. TBH the agent based in the M/cr office was one of the best I have dealt with.

[MonkeysUncle]

One I would never work with again is Cadence Resourcing. This was my first ever contract.
Got a gig through them for an Investment Bank.
Started on the new job, found that they had my name wrong...it was wrong on the CV that was sent to them (it most definitely was not wrong on my CV).
Hiring manager brought up my CV and turns out Cadence had sent them a word copy of my CV in a completely different layout with my name spelt incorrectly.

While I am not against them changing the layout of my CV to fit a 'standard' what I was annoyed about was the fact that they didn't tell me they would do this (I have learnt from this and now send CV in PDF format).

The kicker though was that a week later I suddenly had 2 mobile contracts and 1 mobile phone insurance plan taken out under my name...but with the exact same error in spelling that Cadence had made (which is the only time my name has been spelt incorrectly like that).

2 suspects: Someone at Cadence Resourcing or the very large investment bank I was at. I asked my contact at Cadence to investigate....basically got fobbed off.

While I cant blame the whole company and cant even 100% confirm it was them. I just wouldn't risk working with them again because they couldnt/wouldnt let me know who had access to my information or if they even investigated this or not.

[Redbrick]

Fake job -References befpre interview

Just wanted to chime in on this agency. I had a call off them about a role that they are looking to fill, it fits my cv/skillset perfectly and told him that I was happy to be put forward. The agent asked me for two or more references for the previous roles I'd been in. Whenever I've previously been asked this I give them the name/number/email of the agent who put me in the role so I provided him with the agent details. I get a call back after he's rang the first one, he's really annoyed that I've put him in touch with another agent. He basically says he wants the names and numbers of the hiring managers at the client co. - I've just told him to GFR; clients don't want to be disturbed by agents wanting to talk to agents about former contractors. They're looking for leads. Don't even think the role exists. When I told him he'd not be getting those details he hung up.

I had a similar experience from Kite Consulting and Masento asking for references even before setting up an interview. I believe they wish to call up my previous Manager and ask for roles ..However this seems truly unrealistic as Client do not entertain agency calls and ask them to go through the recruitment channel. I wish they could understand this process does not work.

[northernladuk]

I had a similar experience from Kite Consulting and Masento asking for references even before setting up an interview. I believe they wish to call up my previous Manager and ask for roles ..However this seems truly unrealistic as Client do not entertain agency calls and ask them to go through the recruitment channel. I wish they could understand this process does not work.

I wish you would understand why they do it

[Brenning]

. They are not going to drag you out of a client just because you refuse to opt out. Ignore them.

Was having a quick read through the latter posts of this topic and spotted a quote from your post. I'd normally agree but speaking to a colleague recently, she had a typical interview Friday start Monday contract and ended up breaking the golden rule (turning up on site without a signed contract) as the agency were that desperate to get her through the door and thus get invoicing for themselves. Turned out the agency point blank refused to engage on an opt in basis and sent her packing, much to the clients dissatisfaction and tried to get someone else in the same day. A few weeks later she spotted the contract re-advertised (client wasn't happy with the other candidate perhaps? Go figure). Agency was Oscar associates IIRC.

Just goes to show, firstly don't turn up onsite without a signed contract, and second - agencies never cease to amaze....

[BlackCountryContractor]

Was having a quick read through the latter posts of this topic and spotted a quote from your post. I'd normally agree but speaking to a colleague recently, she had a typical interview Friday start Monday contract and ended up breaking the golden rule (turning up on site without a signed contract) as the agency were that desperate to get her through the door and thus get invoicing for themselves. Turned out the agency point blank refused to engage on an opt in basis and sent her packing, much to the clients dissatisfaction and tried to get someone else in the same day. A few weeks later she spotted the contract re-advertised (client wasn't happy with the other candidate perhaps? Go figure). Agency was Oscar associates IIRC.

Just goes to show, firstly don't turn up onsite without a signed contract, and second - agencies never cease to amaze....

Agencies nowadays get very pissy about the whole business of opting in to the point of trying to be a bully on the phone/gaslighting tulip out of you on opting in. I had a similar monkey buisiness awhile back but it says more about the agency how professional they are if they can't handle a simple legal request.