DisHonest Practice

[Captain Dispensable]

If we named and shamed all the agencies we knew employed sharp tactics we'd just end up compiling a list of all the agencies in the UK.

This is an example of where one cap does indeed fit all.

[Bright Spark]

I would say there are different shades of grey, some are definately
more corrupt than others, we should certainly name and shame the
worst ones so that our fellow contractors can avoid them how else
are they going to know?

[DodgyAgent]

I am not going to justify this sort of behaviour but what I will say is this. Firstly (sorry for repeating myself) agencies are amateurs when it comes to using dodgy tactics to increase profits- banks, insurance companies, telecomms companies, media companies to name but a few. You guys are quite happy to take your pay from these people whilst demanding that the (incompetent) govt step in and regulate us.

Secondly, agencies are subject to laws of competition, so if one agency cheats by changing a CV in order to maximise their margin, there is always another agency that will go for genuinely the best contractor even though the margin may not be so high. It is when there is little competition that these practices come out, but it is hardly a threat to the world of IT.

And as I have always said (and my own agency does not use the tactics of which you talk - though I know are right) as long as contractors keep using these agencies then they will continue to use these tactics.

[chicane]

I would say there are different shades of grey, some are definately
more corrupt than others, we should certainly name and shame the
worst ones so that our fellow contractors can avoid them how else
are they going to know?

We'd have to name specific agents rather than agencies. Shaky ground, that.

[Bright Spark]

We'd have to name specific agents rather than agencies. Shaky ground, that.

using 'Regressive' and 'Computer Donkeys' seems like good names to use
I wouldn't suggest direct naming as the board would get sued of course.

using agents names doesn't work as we know they change them around,
and there is high turnover of staff among the corrupt agencies.

hmm, perhaps a whitelist of good agencies?

[andy]

Which begs te question why didn't you go direct. To be honest you sound very naive. Best to sell yourself to the client before discussing rates.

Its not always possible to go direct. all the big companies have PSL and you have no choice in this matter.
Someone should start an online petition to regulate these cowboys.

[chicane]

hmm, perhaps a whitelist of good agencies?

That assumes that all agents within the whitelisted agencies are good. Which means an empty list.

You can see why nobody's managed this in the past.

[Bagpuss]

Its not always possible to go direct. all the big companies have PSL and you have no choice in this matter.
Someone should start an online petition to regulate these cowboys.

of course sometimes you have no choice, but even if they have a PSL, if you know the staff you can sell yourself to the manager first and then pick the PSL list agency.

But the problems our friend who started this post has are a result of not doing the obvious (as below)

1/ you apply for a contract with an advertised rate in your range (forget the tbc/ negotiable ones)

2/ you say you are flexible on rate but refuse to reveal minimum you will work for etc.

3/ Sell yourself to the client

4/ if sold then talk specific rates, knowing that you will get in


IMHO the agents are not the biggest problem in recruitment, HR are guilty of that! Some contractors need to learn the art of negotiation.

[OwlHoot]

I had a call this morning from an agent who had seen my CV on jobsite and wanted to send it to a client, to which I agreed as the role seemed a good fit with my skills.

A couple of hours later he phoned back to say it had been rejected on the grounds that the client had already been sent my CV by another agency, without having contacted me at all.

So what's the deal with jobsite? Can agents pull off CVs at will and send them here and there without the owners' consent, or is this yet another shady agency tactic? (If so, it will backfire in this case as the agent I spoke to is pursuing it and the primary agency for the client will blacklist the rogue agency.)

[The Lone Gunman]

I had a call this morning from an agent who had seen my CV on jobsite and wanted to send it to a client, to which I agreed as the role seemed a good fit with my skills.

A couple of hours later he phoned back to say it had been rejected on the grounds that the client had already been sent my CV by another agency, without having contacted me at all.

So what's the deal with jobsite? Can agents pull off CVs at will and send them here and there without the owners' consent, or is this yet another shady agency tactic? (If so, it will backfire in this case as the agent I spoke to is pursuing it and the primary agency for the client will blacklist the rogue agency.)

If you have not agreed for them to represent you then they have broken the law. Report them to the DTI for breaking the Conduct of Employment agencies law.