Reply to: Recruitment Agency drama regarding the same position - Need some advice

[SueEllen]

Two agencies that arranged interviews for me insisted upon email confirmation. I guess they're the exception?

Agencies now demand right to represent emails before they submit your CV.

In my accidental case the second agent definitely didn't. There as in my on purpose case both agencies did. However in my on purpose case the second agency asked me for more information which was needed to do the paperwork for the role, so I concluded the first agency hadn't submitted me.

[LondonManc]

I wouldn't go quite so far as to "subject to being on the PSL". My current gig is through an agency not on the PSL, they have to go through another agency that IS on the PSL, so, two back-to-back contracts.

It's not usual, but it does happen.

Depends on the industry perhaps? I know that certain clients won't entertain you if you're not on the PSL (partly because they're not allowed to - their may be other factors at work there in terms of the effort involved in being on the PSL). Certainly in some cases, if your agent is not on the PSL, your cv won't be seen.

[meridian]

Each taking a nice little slice of the day rate pie

Yep. The upper one is on 2% for doing nothing more than being on the PSL.

I have some interesting conversations with my agent. They have to pay me monthly on time sheet / invoice as per my contract schedule, but they have to wait until the end client pays Agency1 before Agency1 pays them, so they end up factoring 4 or 5 months of my payments. Agent has a right old moan to me every couple of months about their invoices not being paid...

[SlipTheJab]

I wouldn't go quite so far as to "subject to being on the PSL". My current gig is through an agency not on the PSL, they have to go through another agency that IS on the PSL, so, two back-to-back contracts.

It's not usual, but it does happen.

Each taking a nice little slice of the day rate pie

[seanraaron]

We are dealing with IT agents here not those who work in accounting. IT agents don't tend to send emails out even when they have promised them.

Plus by recording my calls I have managed to resolve personal matters by proving that certain large companies were claiming untruthful things.

Two agencies that arranged interviews for me insisted upon email confirmation. I guess they're the exception?

[meridian]

Time box it, make it role-specific and make a condition of sole representation be that they are on the PSL of ClientCo.

"I am happy for AgentCo to represent me for role xyz at Clientco, subject to them being on the preferred supplier list at Clientco. This acquiescence is valid for x days."

I wouldn't go quite so far as to "subject to being on the PSL". My current gig is through an agency not on the PSL, they have to go through another agency that IS on the PSL, so, two back-to-back contracts.

It's not usual, but it does happen.

[SueEllen]

Rather than recording the call couldn't you say something like "that sounds okay, please send me an email and I'll send you confirmation in writing?"

We are dealing with IT agents here not those who work in accounting. IT agents don't tend to send emails out even when they have promised them.

Plus by recording my calls I have managed to resolve personal matters by proving that certain large companies were claiming untruthful things.

[BrilloPad]

Bit late now, but in future you can say to Agent 1 you can represent me for 14 days, if I don't hear anything back I will move on

And that you agree to be represented just for that role. And only provided your CV is submitted.

The only way to learn is through mistakes.....

[seanraaron]

Rather than recording the call couldn't you say something like "that sounds okay, please send me an email and I'll send you confirmation in writing?"

[SueEllen]

Firstly don't worry about it.

I've done it once by accident and another time on purpose. While NLUK's situation does happen my situation occurs as well.

In both my cases the second agent got me an interview the next day. I then had accepted the contract and was on site before the first agent even bothered to send my CV through.

I know from having helped recruit permies when I was permie and other contractors as a contractor that sometimes agencies:
1. Don't put your CV forward because they don't think your face fits the people they met at the client due to age, gender, ethnic background, education or where they perceive you live, and/or,
2. Put candidates they can get the most commission forward.

Some companies will reject all the first lot of CVs from an agent then ask for more. The second load of CVs always are better than the first lot when that happens.

Agents in the IT sector are mostly sales people who have very little understanding of the skills and experience clients actually want. They therefore don't realise that when a client asks for candidates to have a degree they are happy with an OU degree (and actually prefer it) as well as degrees from redbrick universities, or that when they say must use some tool they also mean all similar tools.

Agents also CV harvest so say they are recruiting for a role with a particular company when the company doesn't use agencies or they aren't on the suppliers list.

Secondly as you are giving your mobile phone number out then get an app on your phone that records your phone calls. That way if the agent starts blathering on, you say "yes" then your realise you didn't hear the name of the client you can go back through the recording and get the name. If on the other hand the agent didn't say the name and there is no email with the name then you have proof that it wasn't your mistake. Though to stay legal you have to transcript the phone call and mention you have the recording.

[LondonManc]

Time box it, make it role-specific and make a condition of sole representation be that they are on the PSL of ClientCo.

"I am happy for AgentCo to represent me for role xyz at Clientco, subject to them being on the preferred supplier list at Clientco. This acquiescence is valid for x days."

[northernladuk]

Dammit. You just fixed the best auto correct ever in the time it took me to press quote.

Banking gibbon

I did think about leaving that one in for posterity!

[nc1]

How long has it been since you spoke to the first agent about the role?

Since 25th Jan


Get the second agency to check whether the client has already seen your CV. If they have, then you didn't get the role, move on. If they haven't then you get the second agency to send it in, and contact the first one and say "it's been two weeks now and you've done nothing with it, so I've instructed another agency instead. You no longer have any authority to represent me to this client for this role". Make sure you put it in writing, so they can't say you didn't tell them.

In the meantime, get looking for something else.

I have just done this.

Thank you ill keep you all posted..

[northernladuk]

P. S. With my pedant hat on your are not going for a job. Permies go for jobs. Silly comment but getting the terminology and mindset right is essential.

[Pondlife]

Had the same problem myself. Applied for a finance gig in Cheshire and a banking gig in Manchester. Turns out they were the same gig. Sat in the clients car park waiting to go in to interview and agent 2 tells me I've got an interview with the same client. I tell him I'm sat in the car park and all hell breaks lose. Agent 2 goes mad, agent 1 rings back and goes mad. Argument about whos interview I attend and then a call from both saying the client doesn't want to see me. He's had enough of the agents arguing.

It's a worst case but it happens. Recruiters would cut their own nose of to spite their faces so just cross your fingers...

Dammit. You just fixed the best auto correct ever in the time it took me to press quote.

Banking gibbon