Reply to: State of the Market

[ResistanceFighter]

£700 pd, Outside IR35, Fully Remote

I need 2 referecnes before I can put you forward

I'm in meetings so can't take calls. please respond via email

Should i come over and help you put all the data you collected into your "potential clients" system, too?

[Bluenose]

Is this recorded pre-interview screening a new pattern or has anybody else had something like this?

I would not be surprised if rogue operators have already started in this space to farm data from interviewees.

2015: I just need two references
2026: I just need you to complete this automated and recorded interview for you to be considered.

[willendure]

In my case it was for a specific role and the client had asked the agency to run through a list of questions and record the interviews and send them over. Probably ran their AI on it and rejected me based on eye movements or something.

Yeah, interview practice.

[SchumiStars]

Probably some marketing twonk has invented a new thing to train recruitment consultants on. One of them spoke to a friend and now everybody is doing it. Not sure how I'll respond if anybody else tries it on. It was interview practice I suppose so not totally pointless...

The recrutier once asked me 10 technical questions. So not new tbh.

[Grah]

Had one a few weeks ago, a first for me. I was on holiday at the time so probably did not do it justice - kind of annoying as I now have a really top-notch video conferencing setup in my office, and there I was in the AirBnB with my laptop perched on the edge of a table, silhouetted by a bright window behind me. Like you, never heard anything back.

Just spoke to another agent just now, who proposed another screening interview. Must be a thing, never done this before in all of the last 25 years.

Probably some marketing twonk has invented a new thing to train recruitment consultants on. One of them spoke to a friend and now everybody is doing it. Not sure how I'll respond if anybody else tries it on. It was interview practice I suppose so not totally pointless...

[willendure]

Pre-interview 'screening interview'

I had a technical screening interview with the agent a couple of weeks back 'because their client was on-boarding a couple of starters next week' and didn't have time to take more interviews for the next contractor. It was recorded with them asking me 6 technical/approach questions about what I would do in a similar situation.

They said they would get back to me at the end of the following week but, as you guessed, nothing. No email, no phone call either way. I haven't chased as maybe I'm not that desperate yet.

Is this recorded pre-interview screening a new pattern or has anybody else had something like this?

Had one a few weeks ago, a first for me. I was on holiday at the time so probably did not do it justice - kind of annoying as I now have a really top-notch video conferencing setup in my office, and there I was in the AirBnB with my laptop perched on the edge of a table, silhouetted by a bright window behind me. Like you, never heard anything back.

Just spoke to another agent just now, who proposed another screening interview. Must be a thing, never done this before in all of the last 25 years.

[eek]

Pre-interview 'screening interview'

I had a technical screening interview with the agent a couple of weeks back 'because their client was on-boarding a couple of starters next week' and didn't have time to take more interviews for the next contractor. It was recorded with them asking me 6 technical/approach questions about what I would do in a similar situation.

They said they would get back to me at the end of the following week but, as you guessed, nothing. No email, no phone call either way. I haven't chased as maybe I'm not that desperate yet.

Is this recorded pre-interview screening a new pattern or has anybody else had something like this?

It's not common but it's not new.

I remember a firm was selling the idea a few years back because it then allowed the candidate's interview to be used as with applications to other companies. Here's the CV of x candidates and a video in which they've answered some questions..

but having to not find time to do an initial sweep on a lot of candidates is definitely a selling point I can see agencies offering companies - whether it works for candidates is a very different question.

[Grah]

Pre-interview 'screening interview'

I had a technical screening interview with the agent a couple of weeks back 'because their client was on-boarding a couple of starters next week' and didn't have time to take more interviews for the next contractor. It was recorded with them asking me 6 technical/approach questions about what I would do in a similar situation.

They said they would get back to me at the end of the following week but, as you guessed, nothing. No email, no phone call either way. I haven't chased as maybe I'm not that desperate yet.

Is this recorded pre-interview screening a new pattern or has anybody else had something like this?

[SchumiStars]

I'd argue there's never much need for PM's, but i'm biased

There is always budget for a PM, regardless of required or not 😀

Management need someone to blame.

[sadkingbilly]

Without developers, there is no need for testers, devopps or project management. Developers are required for applicatiom changes.

The alternative is to have agencies or offshore development teams which will then mean a race to the bottom. I.e. cheap agencies low costs.

I'd argue there's never much need for PM's, but i'm biased

[hobnob]

Without developers, there is no need for testers, devopps or project management. Developers are required for applicatiom changes.

There are other projects which need managers, separate from development. E.g. if a company has a bunch of Windows 2016 servers which are approaching EOL (Jan 2027) so they need to migrate to a newer OS.

[SchumiStars]

for developers, apparently so.

Without developers, there is no need for testers, devopps or project management. Developers are required for applicatiom changes.

The alternative is to have agencies or offshore development teams which will then mean a race to the bottom. I.e. cheap agencies low costs.

[sadkingbilly]

for developers, apparently so.

[SchumiStars]

Market is dead Jim

[edison]

Just started a new 6 month gig. Whoop whoop!

Decent rate, albeit inside IR35.

Started after my previous three month FTC in Spring with potential to move into another role at the company was ended.

First time since 2023 that I've got contracts back to back with no significant break in between.

Hopefully things are picking up after a truly terrible 2025 on the contracting and personal front.