Reply to: Finding out if CV has gone forward to ClientCo

[sunflower]

That practice of holding candidates off the market happens and is horrible. Very sensible to add a 'representation is valid with your agency provided my cv is sent within the next 24 hours'. Some agents are not technical enough and do not understand how a candidate matches a role. They and the client might miss a great candidate destined for the holding pile due to this.

In cases when a customer has preferred suppliers and a submission portal, that is handy and your status can be checked with another agency
who offers to send you in.

The only way a customer could know it is getting the cvs of those out there would be to create a freelancer portal where the contractors
can apply themselves without agencies. Some larger companies have done this but are in a minority.

How about this variation of the problem: an agency calls you, which is a preferred supplier. Cv is sent in with permission. Several months later,
another agency calls. Agency 2 is not currently a preferred supplier so in no firm position to offer contractors or to represent you as an agency, but tells you it has been officially approached by the end-client's manager for services when that is not the case. They are getting cvs in to try to win business with the customer. They give you a slightly different project specification. The end company is huge so you think it's not the same role or department. You tell agency 2 on the phone that the end-client would not be interested. Cv was already there for a project and you had no feedback yet after months. Agency 2 wants to try it anyway.

The end client actually has slow recruitment processes. You don't realise that as a candidate. Cv via agency 1 had been pre-selected for an interview pending a slot in the diary of busy staff.

Agency 2 convinces manager to find a short slot somewhere for a quick chat for their candidate. He agrees to a short slot. The manager then realises the mistake. Cv had come in via current preferred supplier (agency 1) and had been pre-selected for interview process (chat with manager, technical interview) pending company staff and techies, who are very busy on projects, having a slot free. They had not had a chance to send this news to agency one yet because they had no slots free yet with the technical gurus. Agency 2 is informed of the unfortunate mistake.

Agency 2 - not a preferred supplier - would like some of the reward for recruitment services. If the other PSL recruiter won't share
the fees, agency 2 will invoice the end-client for services for that candidate for the next year.

Has anyone seen that sort of problem before? What was done to sort it out?

Surely it's not normal for an agency to claim to be on a supplier list when it is not.

[BlasterBates]

I 100% guarentee you it happens. My experience was I put my CV across for a contract. Mate at the client pings me and says hey SWB you would be perfect for this role. Ask if they have my CV, turns out they don't. I've got the e-mail from pimpo the agent, he confirms again (Liar) that he has submitted me. Proceed to abuse him to within an inch of his worthless life. Put CV in through another channel.

It doesn't really balance out as you spend quite a while wondering what is truth or fiction from these people. It's a waste of time alround, its childish, unethical and stupid. So they try and convince you not to apply and whose interests is this serving?

Quite frankly I'm amazed that people on this thread can't see why this isn't a "good" thing.

There are ways round this, for a start there is no harm in getting other agents to sound out the client, i.e. politely ask if your CV has been submitted. I have done this on one or more occasions to be told that indeed the CV was submitted by the alternative agency.

Agreed it's not good, but what are you going to do?

There is absolutely nothing you can do, accept make a complaint to some toothless trade practices body.

If all contractors face this problem then there your chances of getting a contract is no different than if the agencies didn't do this, at the end of the day agencies are gatekeepers, whether they completely ignore you or ignore you but pretend not to makes no real odds, you are still being ignored. If my CV disappears into a black hole as it has done on many occasions then it hasn't taken up more than the few seconds it took to press the submit button.

[jmo21]

And what do they lose in the scenario that you described?

The agent loses nothing.

The contractor however is blocked from getting his cv in.

There is of course the possibility you are the best person for the job, but there is only so long they can wait before submitting their quota.

I really don't get what angle you're coming from. Please explain.

[BlasterBates]

Assuming that this happens, then sometimes you will be put forward with less competition and sometimes you won't be.

So it all balances in the end, i.e. the roles you are put forward for you are more likely to get.

In the end the probability of getting a contract hasn't been changed, the process is just a bit stranger.

[sal]

In the case where they claim to have sent your details to take you off the market they lose nothing.

They lose nothing? I'm not sure what you are talking about there.

I think we have our wires crossed.

They get their 5 cv's, and submit them.

They then phone you, tell you they're putting you forward, but do not, effectively eliminating you from going for the role via another agent.

that is what I am talking about. It happens.

And what do they lose in the scenario that you described?

[Eirikur]

I've had this recently, agent 1 phoned me about a role and after some hassling he sent me the JD and I asked him to put me forward. Nothing come back.

Agent 2 asks me about the same role and I ask explain to him the situation and ask him to check whether I've been submitted or not. Not sure if he did or not but the interview was arranged and then got cancelled because the role got pulled. I added the interviewer on LinkedIn and funnily enough the role is back on a day later.

Agent 1 phones me again asking if anyone has talked to me about this amazing role he has. I didn't tell him that he had, doubt he put me forward.

Agent 2 may have withdrawn you, because he had another candidate with a lower rate = higher profit for him

[VillageContractor]

I've had this recently, agent 1 phoned me about a role and after some hassling he sent me the JD and I asked him to put me forward. Nothing come back.

Agent 2 asks me about the same role and I ask explain to him the situation and ask him to check whether I've been submitted or not. Not sure if he did or not but the interview was arranged and then got cancelled because the role got pulled. I added the interviewer on LinkedIn and funnily enough the role is back on a day later.

Agent 1 phones me again asking if anyone has talked to me about this amazing role he has. I didn't tell him that he had, doubt he put me forward.

[flipFlop]

Is there any legitimate way without knowing the hiring managers name to find out if your CV has definitely gone forward to ClientCo?

No.

[BolshieBastard]

Is there any legitimate way without knowing the hiring managers name to find out if your CV has definitely gone forward to ClientCo?

I have had my CV allegedly put forward for a few roles by this agency and 2 were "filled internally" and 1 I am waiting on.

I am now beginning to wonder if they are taking my acceptance of their representation but not forwarding me to minimise the number of relevant CVs that are going to ClientCo for the role.

Its very possible the roles were filled internally. Also, if someone has contracted at a client previously and a role comes up, if that person applies, they can be taken on without other cv's being considered. We've all experienced that, havent we?

I think a lot of it is just the state of the market.

[jmo21]

In the case where they claim to have sent your details to take you off the market they lose nothing.

They lose nothing? I'm not sure what you are talking about there.

I think we have our wires crossed.

They get their 5 cv's, and submit them.

They then phone you, tell you they're putting you forward, but do not, effectively eliminating you from going for the role via another agent.

that is what I am talking about. It happens.

[Scrag Meister]

Just received an email from new agent with email from Client Co vendor management confirming my cv is not on their cv portal and that they will be having words with the initial agent about this practice.

[sal]

I am positive this happens all the time, and is mentioned on here a lot.

Why would they want you to be submitted by a competing agency? They know they are rubbish at filtering CV's so best to get this next decent sounding candidate on the hook

All those agents who say they are submitting you for a role and you never hear back from them? There's a good chance it's this.

Agents usually have quotes for about 5 CVs per role. Especially when there are multiple suppliers, after all the hiring manager don't want to sift trough 100s of CVs that's what the agents are for.

In the case where they claim to have sent your details to take you off the market they lose nothing.

In the case where they burn their quota to knowingly double represent you they are effectively cutting their own chances by limiting the number of real candidates they can submit. Therefor i doubt this is a wide spread practice.

Not to mention the fact that double representation might bad but it's not always automatic disqualification especially if you are sticking out among the other candidates

[jmo21]

I doubt any agent in their right mind will burn through his quota of submitted CVs only to potentially knock you out of the competition...

I am positive this happens all the time, and is mentioned on here a lot.

Why would they want you to be submitted by a competing agency? They know they are rubbish at filtering CV's so best to get this next decent sounding candidate on the hook

All those agents who say they are submitting you for a role and you never hear back from them? There's a good chance it's this.

[sal]

What Eirikur said

and

Be wary of the other agency method though, they may submarine your submission by sending in your CV as well, then telling the client you never told them you were in for the role, with the hope of knocking you out of contention.

I doubt any agent in their right mind will burn through his quota of submitted CVs only to potentially knock you out of the competition...

[eek]

This is what happened and the scummers hadn't put my CV on ClientCo CV submission portal.


So new agency gets a stab and I can write Tek Systems ex Aston Carter off my list of Agencies to deal with.

They are the same ones that had 3 roles from 3 of their agents at one client "filled internally".

I can believe that last bit. This clientco has a habit of doing that and that agency is who I'm with.......