Recruitment Consultants, discuss.

[DodgyAgent]

agents heh

They pimp human flesh to the lowest bidder. Rather like a butcher with a blunt knife, they hack away at the carcass, and then ram it down the barrel of a large scattergun. Then they go around spray painting the blood of jobseekers all over the recruitment market until some lump of offal sticks down the throat of a potential employer.

Now that the pleasantaries are out of the way let us get down to business

Firstly If you have your own business you should already understand how cintractors feel about agencies.

Secondly if you need to come onto this site in order to get an objective opinion about anything. let alone recruitment agencies you are either naive or a troll

[voron]

Reformation, I find myself in a unusual position of agreeing with an agent I suppose there is a first time for everything!

Yes, contractors have many faults and flaws, and there are quite a few out there who give the rest of us a bad rep. I actually do not mind helping an agent out if they are nice, polite and honest. What I can't stand is an agent working like a sneak, trying to fool me into helping them (as if I don't notice what they are really up to).

My advice would be to work with contractors. Always be honest, open and professional with us - we are likely to respond in kind. Most of us are adult enough to understand how the game really works (you represent the client, not the contractor) and don't have a problem with that. You should find contractors returning to you when their engements end or when they need additional resources.

[reformation]

Now that the pleasantaries are out of the way let us get down to business

Firstly If you have your own business you should already understand how cintractors feel about agencies.

Secondly if you need to come onto this site in order to get an objective opinion about anything. let alone recruitment agencies you are either naive or a troll

Look mate im just here to talk and see how contractors talk amongst themselves, as it were, rather than to me directly, if i ask a contractor 'what do you think of agents' most wont say 'i think youre a *****', so im here. Sorry if that offends you but im only talking and trying to say sorry, also have the guts to post as yourself if you'd like to sling mud.

[handsfree]

I like em

They find me contracts I wouldn't otherwise have found, they pay my invoices quicker than they themselves get paid by the client, and they, like me, want to get paid as much as they can for their services.

I don't get annoyed by fishing. Just politely decline to give them the leads they're chasing. I really don't see this as a big problem.

As long as one proceeds from the understanding that they routinely and habitually lie to both you and the client in order to maximise their profit, and you don't fall for any of the bullsh1t, they are no more than an occupational nuisence.

Although granted, I've never been truly shafted by an agency, and I know plenty of contractors who have.

Anyway, this guy is clearly a troll so I don't know why we're wasting our breath. No agent would ever ever EVERY utter the following sentence in earnest:

as an agent you're dealing with well educated people in a professional environment, treat them that way and you will be treated in kind.

[reformation]

Reformation, I find myself in a unusual position of agreeing with an agent I suppose there is a first time for everything!

Yes, contractors have many faults and flaws, and there are quite a few out there who give the rest of us a bad rep. I actually do not mind helping an agent out if they are nice, polite and honest. What I can't stand is an agent working like a sneak, trying to fool me into helping them (as if I don't notice what they are really up to).

My advice would be to work with contractors. Always be honest, open and professional with us - we are likely to respond in kind. Most of us are adult enough to understand how the game really works (you represent the client, not the contractor) and don't have a problem with that. You should find contractors returning to you when their engements end or when they need additional resources.

I know, agent and contractor agreeing with each other! Maybe satan will skate to work tomorrow ;-) Yeah i completely agree and to assume contractors are stupid and to sneak around only makes you look a fool as an agent, i have very good relatioships with my contractors and permies so i must practice what i preach!

As you say you guys know the score so why pretend? If you get on with each other then theres a chance you will use the agent that placed you to hire staff, it not only makes good moral sense but good business sense too.

[reformation]

They find me contracts I wouldn't otherwise have found, they pay my invoices quicker than they themselves get paid by the client, and they, like me, want to get paid as much as they can for their services.

I don't get annoyed by fishing. Just politely decline to give them the leads they're chasing. I really don't see this as a big problem.

As long as one proceeds from the understanding that they routinely and habitually lie to both you and the client in order to maximise their profit, and you don't fall for any of the bullsh1t, they are no more than an occupational nuisence.

Although granted, I've never been truly shafted by an agency, and I know plenty of contractors who have.

Anyway, this guy is clearly a troll so I don't know why we're wasting our breath. No agent would ever ever EVERY utter the following sentence in earnest:

I have no idea what a troll is, i asusme it'sa liar? Would you like my phone number and web address, gosh you can even call me to make sure im not a total spazz.

[TwoWolves]

Put your money where your mouth is my friend. Details on your profile please.

[reformation]

Put your money where your mouth is my friend. Details on your profile please.

This is far quicker

www.huntersolutions.co.uk

My name is Dan Hunter and i own the company, phone numbers and whatever else you need are on there. Im not a liar or a 'troll' or anything else other than an agent that actually gives a sh1t about being human.

[Spartacus]

No, I'm Dan Hunter!

[ancient]

Good and Bad

I have found LA International and Nesco quite good, e.g. they let you know if you were put in, and also give feedback.

Hays and Alexander Maan can be a bit of a black hole, need to speak the right words, bow down and beg especially where they are the monoply provider.

Ocassionally get a call from Computer People from some lad fresh out of school, offering a fantastic job as a Java or SAS programmer, even though that is not what I do.

Then there are those agencies who place an advert as contract and it turns out to be a permie role, but ask can they put you forward anyways.

Not to mention piddly/permie pro-rata rates three hundred miles away for a four week contract to redfine the universe. Something the organisation has failed to do in the last three years.

Then there are those positions covered by several agents, you think you have a good chance but do not get put forward as part of the last minute sift and are locked out, probably because the rate is too high.

Then the adverts, - able to do a,b,c,d,e,f and must have 10 years in x industry and speak fluent language y;