Contracting for the RDF Group

[malvolio]

Oh well..if you put it like that it doesn't sound bad at all

Oh yes, still totally carp, but at least you then start from the right premise!

[sunflower]

Thanks to everyone for the replies about RDF.

On a positive note, they seem to pay the invoices.

Hearing the other replies, I think I was right to follow my instincts and be wary of RDF, even though I would have enjoyed doing the project I saw advertised.

A lot of agents have big mark ups unfortunately, but once you have been contracting a while, you start to spot some of the tricks.

£150 a day is a big mark up and I'm sorry to hear they ripped you and the client off like that. Worse still as you say when the then Northern Rock (now owned by Richard Branson) could have done with saving on costs, let alone for you as the contractor. Virgin Money and others could save a lot if it worked with contractors and smaller companies direct or did what some other companies do with their preferred suppliers - fixed their commission percentage.

I knew the RDF rates were low and got an idea from the contracts on their website.

They don't seem to do much for the large mark up either.

I applied for one role and heard nothing for 3 days, so rang up and chased them. I offered them a large discount for a role I applied for, but that was still not enough and they wanted to knock me down a lot more.

I had the impression the agent did not read my cv properly and did not understand technology. (Mind, I once had contact with a different agent there who seemed to want to understand what the roles were about and took more time to discuss them).


On another occasion, they put out an ad at their low rates on jobserve. They could not find anyone for the role. The very same ad went out a week and a half later with a rate increase of £140 per day.

I think a lot of agents try to prey on contractors for roles in Northern locations and Scotland along the lines of the project is in a depressed economic area so the rate is low...

I've met some agents in Europe who discuss their mark up with the candidates. A couple have fixed prices like €7 per hour. I once had 2 companies in between and the margin was still only 15%. They gave me a higher rate to cover payroll costs without me even asking for it. Even better, they actually understood something about technology...

[AnonAgent]

Oh well..if you put it like that it doesn't sound bad at all

They arent an agent, they are a consultancy, so their rates are always going to be higher than an agents as they have more work to do and more guarentees in place.

[cojak]

They arent an agent, they are a consultancy, so their rates are always going to be higher than an agents as they have more work to do and more guarentees in place.

Really? You mean they have their own permies working as senior consultants co-ordinating contractors and fleecing the client by creating additional Work Packages?

Or are they just sorting out their contracts and payroll? That sort of 'consultancy'?

[Sausage Surprise]

They arent an agent, they are a consultancy, so their rates are always going to be higher than an agents as they have more work to do and more guarentees in place.

Jeez.......ffs

I do know that a former director of NR is now in a similar postion at RDF.....read into that what you will.

[Justin Control]

Google is your friend.

Try 'Antoniades and Eurolink'

[sunflower]

Google is indeed our friend.

I googled "contractor opinion of RDF" before posting here and found references to Aristotle, Eurolink and appointments as director of various agencies.

There is a major difference between working for a consultancy and an agency.

IT consultancies who hire contractors direct when too short staffed to carry out projects for clients normally provide more technical information. The matching process works better and faster. Many consultancies arrange an interview with a couple of their senior technologies before sending the candidate to clients for interview.

In the IT consultancy business, candidates normally meet someone who knows the client well for further background on the project before an interview.

Mark ups 10-15% and no higher in my experience.

Recruitment is a different type of service based on sales. Very little background and the client has to do the technical interviews. Mark ups are higher.