Anti Competitive behaviour

[threaded]

I think this is the flaw in your arguement
The entire cycle of employee mobility was not being powered by engineers being in a position of super high demand and being dragged away to another company desperate for their expertise.
The cycle was being powered by agents pushing people round and creaming the commision off the top.

Now that the market has bitten back, employee mobility has slowed to a more natural rate.
If it was the case that engineers were in short supply then the gentlemans agreement you speak of would soon fall apart as each company tried to secure the best engineers.

The artificial market created before was naturally unsustainable and had to be brought to a close.
The market as it is now with the fixed commissions won't last forever either, the dynamics will change.

Well, when the roundabout was going on, the client would seek the person with most of the skills they wanted and it was pretty much a given that they would give you the training on the skill set you were missing.

Now, they don't give out much training either.

And then whining about not being able to attract staff.

Can't have you cake and eat it.

[AtW]

So what do you think headhunting is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_search

In IT non-executives can be head hunted - usually they are top people (among their peers), some of the main signs of real head hunt are:

a) small number of people - very high value
b) people are often named, ie - head hunt Bill Gates or limited to people who are top in a given field (up to agent to find them)

I doubt you do head hunting

[AtW]

The question is whether such cartels/gentlemans agreements are legal or not.

Why won't you ask it to your company lawyers? Whilst at it ask them why their charges are so high across most lawyer firms...

[Spacecadet]

No matter how much coercing, begging, pleading, crying promising an agent does surely the decision rests with you as to whether you take a job or not?

Indeed
But without the agents how many would have to make that decision in the first place?

[oracleslave]

Indeed
But without the agents how many would have to make that decision in the first place?

Hence why I am on DA's side with this. I just don't think regulation will help, happy to be proven wrong though.

[AtW]

No matter how much coercing, begging, pleading, crying promising an agent does surely the decision rests with you as to whether you take a job or not?

The final decision on how much to pay agents rests with the company - they might just refuse to pay anything and invite people to apply direct: they won't owe agents a living, in fact if the system functioned correctly in the first place there would be no need for agents in the first place. They would only be feasible for high value head hunting jobs, ie: £1 mln+.

[DodgyAgent]

The final decision on how much to pay agents rests with the company - they might just refuse to pay anything and invite people to apply direct: they won't owe agents a living, in fact if the system functioned correctly in the first place there would be no need for agents in the first place. They would only be feasible for high value head hunting jobs, ie: £1 mln+.

[DodgyAgent]

Why won't you ask it to your company lawyers? Whilst at it ask them why their charges are so high across most lawyer firms...

cheaper to get the OFT to do it

[AtW]

What makes you think companies owe you a living? If agents were providing really valuable services in that case then companies would continue using them. If you actually get them people who make money add value, then there is problem paying you a %-tage of that. Simples?

[AtW]

cheaper to get the OFT to do it

Why won't you start with lawyers first then - they've got artificially limited supply using monopoly of Law Society, first deal with them, and after you succeed you can move over to your alleged cartel.