Reply to: Agents asking for sole representation

[SlipTheJab]

Well seeing that reply puts the tin hat on it, we've all seen exactly that style of response from many a banned sockpuppet.
Ho hum another one that trolls the professional forums spamming stupidity in some feeble effort to appear "funny".

Ltd is about as funny as a dose of the clap, what a sad little individual...

[TykeMerc]

Oh dear... Is everything OK with you? What makes you so alternatively polite? Maybe contracting is not for you either as it clearly makes you too stressed and aggressive. Get well soon.

Well seeing that reply puts the tin hat on it, we've all seen exactly that style of response from many a banned sockpuppet.
Ho hum another one that trolls the professional forums spamming stupidity in some feeble effort to appear "funny".

[Ltd]

For many glaringly obvious reasons, if you can't work out what they are then I'd suggest not only should you step away from contracting as a way to earn a living you would be better off at a place with padded walls and no sharp objects to hand, maybe they let you out of nursery school a bit early?

It's clear you haven't a clue and the stream of threads with absurd questions leaves plenty of us scratching our heads. I admit that it does make me suspicious that the Ltd ID is just another trolling persona, but I fail to see how any of the threads could be called remotely funny even to a very twisted mind, they're just rather sadly dim.

Oh dear... Is everything OK with you? What makes you so alternatively polite? Maybe contracting is not for you either as it clearly makes you too stressed and aggressive. Get well soon.

[TykeMerc]

Why this would not happen with permies the same way?

For many glaringly obvious reasons, if you can't work out what they are then I'd suggest not only should you step away from contracting as a way to earn a living you would be better off at a place with padded walls and no sharp objects to hand, maybe they let you out of nursery school a bit early?

It's clear you haven't a clue and the stream of threads with absurd questions leaves plenty of us scratching our heads. I admit that it does make me suspicious that the Ltd ID is just another trolling persona, but I fail to see how any of the threads could be called remotely funny even to a very twisted mind, they're just rather sadly dim.

[cojak]

STJ is suggesting that if you can't figure this out, go permie.

Otherwise just tell the agent that you don't fancy the contract. You can normally tell that it's the same contract that you've just applied for.

[Ltd]

Go permie.

Why this would not happen with permies the same way?

[SlipTheJab]

Here is a story which I have been told happens on regular basis. Agent A calls a candidate Mr C about the role and asked for sole representation email which C provides. Then agent B calls him about the same role and C replies that unfortunately he has already been introduced for this role by first agent. Then agent B calls the client and says "Hi Mr Client, you asked me to email you every CV with FOOBAR experience so I have one but as the only honest agent in the universe I have to tell you I spoke to this candidate over the phone and I did not found him very motivated and his soft skills did not impress me either. Do you still want his CV? No? No problem, I would have been surprised if you do. Great, but I also have another candidate...".

And I am not sure how to protect myself from this form of communication.

Go permie.

[Ltd]

Here is a story which I have been told happens on regular basis. Agent A calls a candidate Mr C about the role and asked for sole representation email which C provides. Then agent B calls him about the same role and C replies that unfortunately he has already been introduced for this role by first agent. Then agent B calls the client and says "Hi Mr Client, you asked me to email you every CV with FOOBAR experience so I have one but as the only honest agent in the universe I have to tell you I spoke to this candidate over the phone and I did not found him very motivated and his soft skills did not impress me either. Do you still want his CV? No? No problem, I would have been surprised if you do. Great, but I also have another candidate...".

And I am not sure how to protect myself from this form of communication.

[tractor]

....

One of my recent roles went something like this....

Agent A calls and discusses a role which was quite specific to my sector experience and requires my authorisation which I give subject to 48hr introduction etc etc.

Agent B calls next day with same role and is surprised when I have already been put forward by Agent A because Agent B has sole rights with the client. I question this and Agent B is really up front, calls the client to ensure that they are happy for Agent B to provide the evidence and Agent B responds with a complete email chain with the client expressing as much surprise as Agent B that Agent A are touting business that they have no right to.

I called Agent A, revoked my permission told them what I thought of them and surprisingly, never heard from them again. Even better, I got the role with Agent B and started the following Monday for 6 months.

Goes to show, some agents are awful and some are decent(ish) and not all clients are quick to disengage from the fight.

[SueEllen]

It doesn't matter as they never provide this proof anyway, but it gives me the possibility to use another agency after three days if I don't hear anything back.

It may not be the original agency's fault but you may as well ask the other agency whether you have been put forward as someone mentioned a similar sounding role to you.

Some of the contracts where I've helped recruit others there has been a party involved either external party or even HR who has just sat on random CVs for no good reason - there has been no issue with rates or anything else.

It's only when I've told the client that we need CVs with the actual right skills not the tulip that has been given to us that they have been released to us.

As a result we always have lost candidates as they have secured roles elsewhere.

[rootsnall]

What sort of proof would you expect? You in copy of CV submission email? I doubt an agent will be happy to share his client email.

As Eirikur said, they never send any proof, but it gives you some basis to send another CV if you think the first one isn't getting anywhere. I think with all these scenarios you just have to make a judgement each time depending on how much you trust the agent. It's impossible to get it right every time, the one rule is no matter how tempting it is never let an agent send a CV without naming the client Co. I got a contract years ago were agent A had submitted my CV at £X, nothing happened for quite a few weeks, agent B came along and submitted my CV to the same company at £X+50 ( I did mention an earlier CV from weeks previously), the client Co contacted both agents saying they wanted to interview me via agent A at the lower rate. It was a bit tulip all round, but the end result was I got the contract at the lower rate with the original agent. A bit of abuse from agent B but in the end it suited me to take the contract, a bit miffed it was at the lower rate but nothing I could do, the only other option was walk away.

[Ltd]

Add to this that proof of submission must be provided within 72 hours otherwise the agreement will be void.

What sort of proof would you expect? You in copy of CV submission email? I doubt an agent will be happy to share his client email.

[mrv]

I usually send them an email saying that I agree to them solely representing me.
Why wouldn't you do it?

Had a situation about this recently. Agency A asked for sole rep, agency B was unhappy after learning about it, and it would appear the B had much closer ties with the client, offering to set up interviews etc, while A just called a couple of times saying "they're still waiting for the feedback". In the end I didn't get the gig. So it would seem I would have had better chances if I didn't agree to sole rep by A, or at least set a tight timeframe "to deliver or get off the pot". That's why I will be (I hope) a bit wiser next time.

[Eirikur]

What evidence do you think is acceptable "proof"?

It doesn't matter as they never provide this proof anyway, but it gives me the possibility to use another agency after three days if I don't hear anything back.

[dty]

I'd have let the other agents, and tell them to include "should you have received this CV from Mr JSM, they had no right to send it, and do not represent my client".

That's broadly what I ended up having to do. Still doesn't look professional. Many employers just walk away at that point because they don't want to get into the fight - assuming you can even persuade the agent to submit you on that basis in the first place.