Agents

[hyperD]

Have you all had bad experiences or is this based on "tales"

There are agents out there that are professional and well mastered at the recruitment business and until the business model changes, are a necessary part of uniting temporary skilled services to companies that require them.

However, they are essentially salesman (aren't we all to some degree) and like any other business sector, it is tainted by the chancers, the barrow boys, the weak minded, the sly, the feckless wombats, the lazy, the entitled, the cocksure bulltulipters and all the other imbeciles that we have to endure from time to time.

It is your own responsibility to spot them.

The difference between the noobs and the veterans is that:-

1. Noobs have to go through the same learning curve as veterans did when encountering the cheesy patois and linguistic sleight-of-hand gymnastics that are characteristic of the recruitment agent.

2. Old timers can spot a fishing trip from the first three words of the telephone call. Normally the phrase "Does John still work there? No? Oh, who does then?" is your first starter for ten.

3. For god's sake know your market and the associated labour cost of the skills. The number of noobs that get greedily excited by being transfixed at the hourly rate figures, without understanding the impact and costs of IR35, employers and employees NI, pensions, health care, third party insurances, contract continuity issues, tax, accountant fees, importance of self-training, global market variability, technology deprecation and above all, being an ambassador to yourself and promoting your skills, your company (i.e. you) and being seen to be going above and beyond the duty within a client team (your mileage may vary in this respect).

4. Recruitment businesses exist with one purpose: profit. Understand what margin is and what a factoring service does and know your market.

5. Don’t be rude, just be confident of your skills as a negotiator. When you get an obviously young recruitment agent that’s trying the tricks he/she’s been trained in, have fun with it. You’ll learn not to get pissed off with the underhand shenanigans but you can toy with them in endless ways that is as fine a sport as peasant shooting.

6. Think agents are a waste of time? Right, get on the phone and market yourself. Not quite so easy is it when you first start out, is it? No, but when you start building up your clients you can maintain relationships with your line managers. It doesn’t always work: Human Remains, PSLs and a whole host of other roadblocks can be in the way, including the old psychology of having a third party recruitment agency to blame when the middle manager’s project goes tango uniform.

7. You do make an effort and build relationships don’t you? You don’t just do the work and think that’s enough? By all means you can do that, but think of the opportunities you are missing in building relationships and increasing the chances of not just repeat business, but direct business.

There’s so much more but I’m looking at a bottle of Laphroaig and it is pleading for me to consume it. I wish you luck and good hunting.

This is simply my experience of migrating from plain vanilla contracting into building up a client base and doing business direct in the oil and gas industry. Not everyone does it. Not everyone can. But it’s potentially there for those that put the effort in.

[Zippy]

I wouldn't volunteer info to agents. Most of the time you will be used.

The good ones will tell you up front what/who the role is with and how much they are paying. Basically they will try to talk you into applying (try saying you are not sure and guage the reaction). Do a good job (i.e. help them earn their money) and some of them will remember you and call you with other opportunities.
If the call starts with "how are you finding the market?" it's a fishing trip.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Have you all had bad experiences or is this based on "tales"

Numerous bad experiences here - doesn't mean there are no good agents - I've just been unlucky.

[Alf W]

I've read a few comments about dodgy Agents - when Agents ask questions about who's hiring, etc.

I just wondered why scratching the back of an Agent by offering this info was as bad thing - surely you would earn some credit with said agent for the future?

Simple rule to remember. Agents work for 'clients' not 'contractors'. You are the commodity. If they get you paid work then reward them with a bone. Fair's fair. If they want something for nothing then 'do one'.

[Chaffinch]

There are agents out there that are professional and well mastered at the recruitment business and until the business model changes, are a necessary part of uniting temporary skilled services to companies that require them.

However, they are essentially salesman (aren't we all to some degree) and like any other business sector, it is tainted by the chancers, the barrow boys, the weak minded, the sly, the feckless wombats, the lazy, the entitled, the cocksure bulltulipters and all the other imbeciles that we have to endure from time to time.

It is your own responsibility to spot them.

The difference between the noobs and the veterans is that:-

1. Noobs have to go through the same learning curve as veterans did when encountering the cheesy patois and linguistic sleight-of-hand gymnastics that are characteristic of the recruitment agent.

2. Old timers can spot a fishing trip from the first three words of the telephone call. Normally the phrase "Does John still work there? No? Oh, who does then?" is your first starter for ten.

3. For god's sake know your market and the associated labour cost of the skills. The number of noobs that get greedily excited by being transfixed at the hourly rate figures, without understanding the impact and costs of IR35, employers and employees NI, pensions, health care, third party insurances, contract continuity issues, tax, accountant fees, importance of self-training, global market variability, technology deprecation and above all, being an ambassador to yourself and promoting your skills, your company (i.e. you) and being seen to be going above and beyond the duty within a client team (your mileage may vary in this respect).

4. Recruitment businesses exist with one purpose: profit. Understand what margin is and what a factoring service does and know your market.

5. Don’t be rude, just be confident of your skills as a negotiator. When you get an obviously young recruitment agent that’s trying the tricks he/she’s been trained in, have fun with it. You’ll learn not to get pissed off with the underhand shenanigans but you can toy with them in endless ways that is as fine a sport as peasant shooting.

6. Think agents are a waste of time? Right, get on the phone and market yourself. Not quite so easy is it when you first start out, is it? No, but when you start building up your clients you can maintain relationships with your line managers. It doesn’t always work: Human Remains, PSLs and a whole host of other roadblocks can be in the way, including the old psychology of having a third party recruitment agency to blame when the middle manager’s project goes tango uniform.

7. You do make an effort and build relationships don’t you? You don’t just do the work and think that’s enough? By all means you can do that, but think of the opportunities you are missing in building relationships and increasing the chances of not just repeat business, but direct business.

There’s so much more but I’m looking at a bottle of Laphroaig and it is pleading for me to consume it. I wish you luck and good hunting.

This is simply my experience of migrating from plain vanilla contracting into building up a client base and doing business direct in the oil and gas industry. Not everyone does it. Not everyone can. But it’s potentially there for those that put the effort in.

Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough response. Appreciated.