2x NDA's just so the agency can talk to me about a role.....

[Wanderer]

Was contacted last night about a role in Scandinavia but before their director (!) can talk to me at a high-level about the gig I need to sign an NDA. For them to then talk to me in more detail about the role, I'll need to sign a second NDA.

Nothing wrong with that. I've signed NDAs lots of times before, it's a standard term of business in a lot of areas. You're being a bit precious, I think.

Generally it turns out that company X is doing a deal with company Y and terminating it's relationship with company Z. The deal is worth a lot of money and the companies are PLC listed so you have to sign a NDA before you are given details of the deal which isn't finalised so it was commercially sensitive rather than secret business processes.

Even with secret business processes, I don't have a problem with it because it's usually not my line of business. For example, they run a factory producing widgets and they have a very clever process to speed up production. They want me to work on some systems that manage the production line so I would become aware of their production techniques. The only restriction is that I can't go to a competitor and help them replicate the company's secret widget techniques that I saw in action. As I don't manufacture widgets, it makes no difference to me.

If the NDA relates to something actually related to my skillset, then I could generally do some research and find that it's been done before anyway so once again, there is no problem.

[FarmerPalmer]

NDAs are a fact of life for certain commercial entities, needing to protect their business.

Current client is requesting certain potential suppliers sign one before talking due to nature of business.

I have had to sign for previous clients and worked on products that are yet to come to market, and some that are now on the high street, but client needed to protect their IP, and quite right, if they spend a lot of money on R&D.

They don't want you spouting off to a competitor, especially as a short-term contract supplier if you move around the industry.

[dangly]

Ok, so I took a look at NDA #1 and it was the usual bumpf, but they are now talking to me about the client anyway, so not too sure what was going on there.

As for 'should I care'? the consultancy in question came to me and given that this is starting to become a regular occurrence, I don't want to have to read an NDA just to talk to people - thankfully I'm in a position where there is more work than time.

[jmo21]

I disagree.

It would feel a little like you were jumping through hoops. You simply can't do this for every early prospect and doing so feels a bit desperate.

Signing the NDA could possibly compromise you or cause issues in the future. What if you ended up working for a competitor in the same industry?

This could also be a sign of how things would be when on site. Excessive box ticking etc.

For similar reasons I tend reject some silly technical tests and coding exercises early on in a process. There's plenty of roles out there without this kind of drama so why bother?

Jeez, the OP thinks he's selling his soul, you think "it's desperate" - give me a break!

Like I said, so long as you are not signing your life away what's the big problem.

If there are plenty other ops out there, fine, ignore this one, but in this day and age not everyone can be so choosey.

[SueEllen]

Problem is that the NDA will say loads of legal stuff, and then if you end up on site the information that's actually confidential is either:
1. third party commercial data which is incomprehensible to you anyway so you wouldn't be able to remember it to leak it all you just have to remember is not to copy it and take it home
2. what the actual project is really for

The reason you have to sign an NDA is probably due to some idiot losing information.

[Clippy]

Go back to the agent and ask for a copy of both NDA's so that you can get them checked by a legal representative.

Either take a look at them yourself or ask a professional and if OK, sign if not bin and move on.

[Kanye]

That's fine you just keep your mouth shut at what you did at the previous company. Though there is normally nothing stopping you talking in generic terms.

Plus if something is commercially sensitive it normally doesn't stay so for ever so generally after 5 years you can mention it.

Well yes, they aren't really worth the paper they are written on, but I still wouldn't sign them willy-nilly for paranoid companies that operate in your potentially small niche.

[SueEllen]

Signing the NDA could possibly compromise you or cause issues in the future. What if you ended up working for a competitor in the same industry?

That's fine you just keep your mouth shut at what you did at the previous company. Though there is normally nothing stopping you talking in generic terms.

Plus if something is commercially sensitive it normally doesn't stay so for ever so generally after 5 years you can mention it.

[Kanye]

As long as you are not signing your life away, what's the problem?

How is this selling your soul?

They want to protect something, why should you care what their motives are.

Even if at worst, the agency is just protecting their exclusive role, why do you care?

I disagree.

It would feel a little like you were jumping through hoops. You simply can't do this for every early prospect and doing so feels a bit desperate.

Signing the NDA could possibly compromise you or cause issues in the future. What if you ended up working for a competitor in the same industry?

This could also be a sign of how things would be when on site. Excessive box ticking etc.

For similar reasons I tend reject some silly technical tests and coding exercises early on in a process. There's plenty of roles out there without this kind of drama so why bother?

[jmo21]

As long as you are not signing your life away, what's the problem?

How is this selling your soul?

They want to protect something, why should you care what their motives are.

Even if at worst, the agency is just protecting their exclusive role, why do you care?

[yorkshireman]

I've been contracting a few years and I know the tricks agencies play, but I've never come across this one before.

Was contacted last night about a role in Scandinavia but before their director (!) can talk to me at a high-level about the gig I need to sign an NDA. For them to then talk to me in more detail about the role, I'll need to sign a second NDA.

This all seems a bit excessive and I feel like I'm selling my soul a bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to sign an NDA for a client once I am on site (or before for that matter), but just so we can have a 'chat' about a role?

D.

Maybe Microsoft are taking over Nokia then?

[dangly]

I've been contracting a few years and I know the tricks agencies play, but I've never come across this one before.

Was contacted last night about a role in Scandinavia but before their director (!) can talk to me at a high-level about the gig I need to sign an NDA. For them to then talk to me in more detail about the role, I'll need to sign a second NDA.

This all seems a bit excessive and I feel like I'm selling my soul a bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to sign an NDA for a client once I am on site (or before for that matter), but just so we can have a 'chat' about a role?

D.