Changing agents for a role

[Belle]

Is there anything you can do (devious or otherwise) when you've told an agent they can represent you for a role, then the role is advertised (10 minutes later!) by another more well-known (and probably higher up the supplier list) agency?

[thunderlizard]

This gets debated on here quite a lot and everybody seems to disagree with me.

I say: if you don't fancy your chances with the first agent, go ahead and contact the second. Don't mention the first agent upfront, but if you get asked, be honest. Most likely option is that neither, or only one, of the agents will take things forward, in which case nothing's lost. If they do both get into a squabble, chances are one or both agents will contact the client and the client will have a way of sorting it out. Sometimes recruiting managers would rather let go of their preferred candidate in order to placate a recruitment agent, but they are the spineless ones with whom you wouldn't want to work anyway.

[Joeman]

Is there anything you can do (devious or otherwise) when you've told an agent they can represent you for a role, then the role is advertised (10 minutes later!) by another more well-known (and probably higher up the supplier list) agency?

Phone agent A and tell him you took another role. phone Agent B and ask him to submit you for interview... sorted.

[northernladuk]

Phone agent A and tell him you took another role. phone Agent B and ask him to submit you for interview... sorted.

Not sorted at all. Agent A finds out causes a stink and client kicks out both applications. Happened to me.

[northernladuk]

This gets debated on here quite a lot and everybody seems to disagree with me.

I say: if you don't fancy your chances with the first agent, go ahead and contact the second. Don't mention the first agent upfront, but if you get asked, be honest. Most likely option is that neither, or only one, of the agents will take things forward, in which case nothing's lost. If they do both get into a squabble, chances are one or both agents will contact the client and the client will have a way of sorting it out. Sometimes recruiting managers would rather let go of their preferred candidate in order to placate a recruitment agent, but they are the spineless ones with whom you wouldn't want to work anyway.

I don't disagree totally I just would put extra caution in going with the second. There would have to be a valid reason why you go for B, not just because you think it might double your chances. All the outcomes Thunderlizard explains could happen but I think there is something to be added to the end bit.

In the eventuality that both put you forward and they find out it is possible (and did to me) that all hell breaks lose with both trying to get first dibs on you and pestering the client. The end result that the client bins you because it is just easier than the agents hassling him. He engaged them to reduce the hassle not deal with it.

Engaging two agents at once could quite possibly end in tears.

A better option would be to give the agent a time frame. Let him put your forward and if you don't hear anything in the next 5 days you are a free to be represented by someone else. Give agent A a bit more reason to push you faster and if he doesn't you are free to go to B? Never done it but been suggested here before.

[Joeman]

Not sorted at all. Agent A finds out causes a stink and client kicks out both applications. Happened to me.

Only if Agent A has already submitted the CV... if he's not presented to the client yet, no stink to kick up, as the client will rightly point out, that Agent B was first to present the CV. probably lost the window of opportunity now, unless Agent A is banking CV's and waiting for his deadline to send in his quota, in which case, unless the OP is in his top 3, the client may not even get the CV from agent A!

[Joeman]

A better option would be to give the agent a time frame. Let him put your forward and if you don't hear anything in the next 5 days you are a free to be represented by someone else. Give agent A a bit more reason to push you faster and if he doesn't you are free to go to B? Never done it but been suggested here before.

Also, ensure both agent are on the client's PSL. There is a lot of fishing going on right now, and an agent whos not on the clients PSL will use a good CV to try to impress the client and get on their PSL.

Best ask them both to confirm they are indeed on the PSL. if they are not, then go with the agent that is on the PSL, as the one thats not wont argue with the client as hes trying to build bridges, not burn them

[Belle]

Thanks for the replies - all useful. I decided to go down the honest route when Agent B called me about the role and told them I had already submitted my CV through Agent A at which point he replied "Good luck". Next time I'll ask about the PSL - although do we really expect them to reply honestly??

[northernladuk]

Thanks for the replies - all useful. I decided to go down the honest route when Agent B called me about the role and told them I had already submitted my CV through Agent A at which point he replied "Good luck". Next time I'll ask about the PSL - although do we really expect them to reply honestly??

Now that is a good question!!

I can shoulder most of the crap that agents ply us with but if they lied about this one to me I would be severely pissed and wouldn't think twice about letting the client and the real PSL know they said this. White lies and cloak and daggers is ok(ish), this wouldn't be.

I would like to think they wouldn't about this one.

[TheFaQQer]

do we really expect them to reply honestly??

If the agent will put it in writing, then it is more likely than not to be true. If the agent refuses to put it in writing, or wriggles about it, then they aren't on the PSL.