Cutting out the agent

[DodgyAgent]

Contractors wouldn't have to resort to being ruthless and cynical if it wasn't for badly behaved agents. Over the years agencies have lost out on a lot of business from me that I'd have been happy to pass on but for their atittude.

Many times I've negotiated directly with the client when an extension was due or by contacting them directly about a role or even the client contacting me for a return gig having been there in the past. Never once had to go through an agency to get paid the client being happy for me to invoice them directly.

Back in the day agencies looked after their contractors but those days have long gone, as you say business is business.

Fair enough but by stooping to the professional levels of the most dubious of agents you are now in their league. It seems to me that here was an agent calling about a genuine job and not trying to coerce references or pursue any other agenda than to make his client happy. Along comes some slimey little ex con opportunist to undermine someone who seems perfectly honorable and genuine. You guys get the agents you deserve.

[MarillionFan]

Fair enough but by stooping to the professional levels of the most dubious of agents you are now in their league. It seems to me that here was an agent calling about a genuine job and not trying to coerce references or pursue any other agenda than to make his client happy. Along comes some slimey little ex con opportunist to undermine someone who seems perfectly honorable and genuine. You guys get the agents you deserve.

In that case, how come you're my agent????

[d000hg]

In that case, how come you're my agent????

The answer to that question is easily answered when we remind ourselves that you're having to work the weekend to get stuff finished in time.

[DodgyAgent]

In that case, how come you're my agent????

You've been done

[thunderlizard]

An agent phoned me up about a gig after seeing my linkedin profile.

i.e. he already knew you had a connection with the hiring manager before trying to get you into the role sharpish. Did he stop and think "Is it unethical to get myself in the middle of a supply relationship that already exists? Surely it's only fair to let the client in whose interests I act continue to engage this supplier directly, thus saving them the 20% commission that is only really justifiable by my having introduced the two parties who would not otherwise have found each other"? It appears he did not. Go for it.

[aussielong]

Fair enough but by stooping to the professional levels of the most dubious of agents you are now in their league. It seems to me that here was an agent calling about a genuine job and not trying to coerce references or pursue any other agenda than to make his client happy. Along comes some slimey little ex con opportunist to undermine someone who seems perfectly honorable and genuine. You guys get the agents you deserve.

The agent is a very nice chap. Do you think that for cruising linkedin and matching my skillset up to the client he deserves 20% of my day rate for 6m+? How can you possibly justify that? I think he deserves maybe to be taken out for dinner, or a one off payment of 200 quid possibly. He would be taking several tens of thousands of pounds out for not more than a few phone calls.

Do you think if I introduced a trader to the bank I could creme 20% of his profits for the time he works here? Most of you so called "agents" feed off the clueless.

I've been cutting the agent out for a few years now because I am lucky enough to work in a small market where I get to hear about the gigs before the agents. This is fair play. The agent has added no value in the market so they are being squeezed out.

(Headhunters / executive search are a different kettle of fish entirely).

[aussielong]

No this shows that one poster is a bit of a tube.

HTH

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[EternalOptimist]

If your mate can get your CV in front of the hiring manager, and if you would have heard about the role through the grapevine anyway, sure, cut out the agent. But dont forget to pay 20% pm to LinkedIn

and it's cream btw

[DodgyAgent]

The agent is a very nice chap. Do you think that for cruising linkedin and matching my skillset up to the client he deserves 20% of my day rate for 6m+? How can you possibly justify that? I think he deserves maybe to be taken out for dinner, or a one off payment of 200 quid possibly. He would be taking several tens of thousands of pounds out for not more than a few phone calls.

Do you think if I introduced a trader to the bank I could creme 20% of his profits for the time he works here? Most of you so called "agents" feed off the clueless.

I've been cutting the agent out for a few years now because I am lucky enough to work in a small market where I get to hear about the gigs before the agents. This is fair play. The agent has added no value in the market so they are being squeezed out.

(Headhunters / executive search are a different kettle of fish entirely).

You cannot have it both ways. whilst you are correct to say that the amount of work devoted to finding an individual contract is relatively small you take no account of the fact that 90% of what agents do yield no business whatsoever. The market works in such a way that businesses like yours do not need to spend any money on sales and marketing -what other industry enjoys such a privilige. The quid pro quo is that agents when they do place contractors are rewarded to compensate for all the work they do that yields nothing.

Clearly this agent has added value because he has alerted you to an opportunity that by your own admission you did not know about. You seek to justify using the information he has trusted you with to opportunistically feather your own nest.

If agents as you say "feed off" the clueless than what does that say about your fellow contractors? that they are clueless?

You are an arrogant little man who believes he has an "entitlement" to work within his little sector.

[AtW]

you take no account of the fact that 90% of what agents do yield no business whatsoever.

Maybe you should focus on decreasing that ratio instead of posting tulip on here.