Reply to: Getting out of Recruitment Consultant Contract

[northernladuk]

I think I see what has happened here...

Conversation with agent...

Client : I can handle all the good guys with professional attitudes. Just need you to get some wet behind the ears bod to do the crap stuff. They have their heads stuck so far up their own arses I don't want to deal with them so you can...

Agent : What rate do I advertise.

Client : £400 and what you can rip him off for you can keep as long as I don't have to put up with any of his bedwetting holier than though graduate bulltulip

Agent : Ahh I have just the person... be back to you shortly.. <click>

[doodab]

If they want bigbucks go to uni work hard and earn it through skill. not from siphoning off other people's pay.

Er, no. If you want big bucks you have to go out into the world and earn them. And pimping *is* a skill.

I left uni 5 years ago. But I just started contracting and I'm pretty shocked to realise that I'm contracted to a bloody recruitment consultant who did 5 minutes work to match me with this client, yet gets to basically earn money from my day rate for the next year. I go out and work and he watches the £ rolling in!

And how much more are you getting now than you did as a permie?

[andyc2000]

Could be a good topic in the Light Relief section : How unrelated to your current gig is your degree or higher education?

Very... I did a tree hugging degree. Admittedly I can can see a tree from the office.

[Svalbaard]

P.S. I also have one of those degrees, nowt to do with computers though, like alot of people on here.

Could be a good topic in the Light Relief section : How unrelated to your current gig is your degree or higher education?

[andyc2000]

Added to the fact the client takes people direct. So you could also ensure no agency gets a look in by spreading the word around yourself to the other contractors on site.

Who's the client - might give 'em a call.

I'm one of the rare one's, got my contract direct but the client said they needed to go through one of their preferred suppliers (I got to choose), as I had allready agreed a rate I said that the agency can take what they like on top. I don't care if it's 10% or 50%, I'm happy with the agreed rate I get...

P.S. I also have one of those degrees, nowt to do with computers though, like alot of people on here.

[SueEllen]

Cuts both ways though - taking a big margin, that agent isn't going to be on a PSL or an exclusive supplier. So what's the chances that the agent would be able to get a replacement contractor on site? With all the contractors looking for work, there are going to be agencies all over this vacancy like flies around tulip so the agency will have a hard time getting a replacement in for you.

A really vindictive person could give the agent an ultimatum, "pay more money and it's coming out of your margin". Agent refuses, so contractor quietly goes looking for another job and "accidentally" lets slip to every agency they speak to that they were moving on and leaving a vacancy - well before their own agent knew they were leaving.

Added to the fact the client takes people direct. So you could also ensure no agency gets a look in by spreading the word around yourself to the other contractors on site.

[Wanderer]

You can ask your agent to reduce their cut but the only way it's likely to succeed is if you play hardball and threaten to leave if your chosen rate isn't paid. Most likely they can find a hundred replacements easily with the market as it is now and will just let you go.

Cuts both ways though - taking a big margin, that agent isn't going to be on a PSL or an exclusive supplier. So what's the chances that the agent would be able to get a replacement contractor on site? With all the contractors looking for work, there are going to be agencies all over this vacancy like flies around tulip so the agency will have a hard time getting a replacement in for you.

A really vindictive person could give the agent an ultimatum, "pay more money and it's coming out of your margin". Agent refuses, so contractor quietly goes looking for another job and "accidentally" lets slip to every agency they speak to that they were moving on and leaving a vacancy - well before their own agent knew they were leaving.

[smatty]

You can ask your agent to reduce their cut but the only way it's likely to succeed is if you play hardball and threaten to leave if your chosen rate isn't paid. Most likely they can find a hundred replacements easily with the market as it is now and will just let you go.

Be happy to have a contract at all, especially with relatively little experience. 75% of £400 is better than 100% of nowt.

[TykeMerc]

Instead of getting all exercised about this you've got a few options.

1. Be completely unprofessional and quit
2. Grin and bear it while the unqualified scrounger bends you over and doesn't even bother to ask if you bought lube
3. Accept that the contract with the client is with the Agency and they have subcontracted the work out to you at the rate you agreed. If you have the skills then negotiate the rate at renewal time.

In short grow up, you're far from the only contractor with a good degree or degrees in the case of more than a few that post on CUK.
Unless you're willing and able to do your own sales, credit control and have sufficient cashflow to stand not being paid for months on end you're stuck with contracting via agencies which means that part of what the customer is willing to pay goes to them.

[SueEllen]

Its not about having further education qualifications or not.... If you're smart and you work hard then great!

I left uni 5 years ago. But I just started contracting and I'm pretty shocked to realise that I'm contracted to a bloody recruitment consultant who did 5 minutes work to match me with this client, yet gets to basically earn money from my day rate for the next year. I go out and work and he watches the £ rolling in!

How do you know they did 5 minutes work?

Agents do a lot of networking, cold calling and a**licking to get clients.

As I said before if you don't like the agent then you should do the same yourself.

[reach4thelasers]

Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate

Its not about having further education qualifications or not.... If you're smart and you work hard then great!

I left uni 5 years ago. But I just started contracting and I'm pretty shocked to realise that I'm contracted to a bloody recruitment consultant who did 5 minutes work to match me with this client, yet gets to basically earn money from my day rate for the next year. I go out and work and he watches the £ rolling in!

There's just something that seems very wrong about that to me!

Anyway, congrats to those (degree or not) who have skills and go out and work hard every day. Shame on the parasites who sit on their backsides watching the money roll in whilst others go out and work for it!

[rsingh]

Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate

@lasers

[CheeseSlice]

I didn't study for 4 years and get a First Class Computer Science degree so some 'university drop-out' recruitment consultant skims off a nice big fat slice of my pay.

Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate

[northernladuk]

It's called symbiosis, unless you can survive outside the host body (Agent) but they are there to distance the client from you and IR35, not just skim "your" day rate....

I would argue both these points are wrong. They are not there to distance you, they are there to provide a valuable service to the client so all the crap is with the agent not client. Bar changing your contract to suit the agent has absolutely no impact on your IR35 status. He does not dictate working conditions at the client site and how the client controls you, all he can do is re-word your contract to make you look out of IR35.

I would also attempt to argue the symbiosis but my heritage does not permit me to be able to read, let alone understand clever long words.

[Dearnla]

It's called symbiosis, unless you can survive outside the host body (Agent) but they are there to distance the client from you and IR35, not just skim "your" day rate....