Reply to: Agency wants an exit interview

[PerfectStorm]

No issues if it's on billable time or a quick phone thing

Rigidly finding reasons to whinge about IR35 isn't real world.

[edison]

That isn't the case in my experience. For example, I lost a really good member of my team this year who suddenly resigned not long after I had agreed for him to be promoted. I bent over backwards to try and keep him, more than I'd ever done for anyone I've ever worked with (and he was the most junior person in the team), but to no avail.

The exit interview report from HR did contain a lot of stuff that frankly, wasn't that useful, but there were 2-3 things about team culture that I thought were very helpful especially as there was a lot of discontent in the team at the time.

Like a lot of these things, the value can depend on many factors. In some companies it is just lip service but in others it is considered important. In this example, I discussed it with the Global CIO.

And the CIO immediately sprang into action making meaningful, sweeping changes to ensure this would never happen again, amirrite?

"Discussing it" is one thing, but talk is very cheap.

Some fairly significant changes were made in this case by myself after consulting with the CIO. This coincided with a review/restructuring of the IT function and some perm staff were given a pretty good pay rise. Communication was improved with various teams and there was more transparency/encouragement on some of the recruitment/promotion across several junior roles.

[edison]

My last contract was through Hays, but they are a big firm so one person's impression might differ based on who they were dealing with and from which office

That is very true.

Had some good and then mixed experiences with some of the 'provincial' offices. One of the London staff was absolutely shocking though. He literally had no clue about how contracting worked, who the contract parties are, who invoices who and how the end contractor and agency get paid.

[billybiro]

That isn't the case in my experience. For example, I lost a really good member of my team this year who suddenly resigned not long after I had agreed for him to be promoted. I bent over backwards to try and keep him, more than I'd ever done for anyone I've ever worked with (and he was the most junior person in the team), but to no avail.

The exit interview report from HR did contain a lot of stuff that frankly, wasn't that useful, but there were 2-3 things about team culture that I thought were very helpful especially as there was a lot of discontent in the team at the time.

Like a lot of these things, the value can depend on many factors. In some companies it is just lip service but in others it is considered important. In this example, I discussed it with the Global CIO.

And the CIO immediately sprang into action making meaningful, sweeping changes to ensure this would never happen again, amirrite?

"Discussing it" is one thing, but talk is very cheap.

[hhin]

If you operate as an IT contractor for large corporates it is very difficult to avoid these 3/4 companies, either they're in the PSL or RPO/CV aggregators using broadbean.
- Hays
- AMS
- Experis
- Spring

My last contract was through Hays, but they are a big firm so one person's impression might differ based on who they were dealing with and from which office

[SimonMac]

Not sure if anyone has gone through Hays before but while they paid invoices quickly and were nice enough, I definately got the impression they treastred contractors and permies they placed pretty much the same.

My last contract was through Hays, but they are a big firm so one person's impression might differ based on who they were dealing with and from which office

[SimonMac]

In all my years of contracting I've never heard of anyone going through Hays.

My last contract was through Hays, was one of the most efficient processes I've come across.

[edison]

Hays are also working with Qdos on how to accurately assess contractors so maybe more people will operate through them if they show that they understand what needs to be done and do it properly.

Yes, Hays seemed to be one of the first of the big agencies to start addressing IR35 challenges for 2020.

At my last client, I used Hays quite a bit as they were one of the preferred suppliers. I was invited by the Account Manager to join an IR35 webinar (aimed at hiring managers) and all this was in the Spring. Some (many?) recruiters only seem to be waking up to this now and arranging briefings for clients. I'm still seeing several such invites come up in my LinkedIn feed each week.

[Anonimouse]

In all my years of contracting I've never heard of anyone going through Hays.

I know many people who work through hays, I personally wouldn’t

[DeludedKitten]

Hays are on a lot of company PSLs (Preferred Supplier Lists.)

For senior roles (more than £100k salary or equivalent contract rate) they are definitely one of the best of the big agencies in terms of opportunities.

Hays are also working with Qdos on how to accurately assess contractors so maybe more people will operate through them if they show that they understand what needs to be done and do it properly.

[edison]

In all my years of contracting I've never heard of anyone going through Hays.

Hays are on a lot of company PSLs (Preferred Supplier Lists.)

For senior roles (more than £100k salary or equivalent contract rate) they are definitely one of the best of the big agencies in terms of opportunities.

[DeludedKitten]

I refused to participate in exit interviews as a permie. It's the most pointless make work exercise for HR wonks. If the organisation gave a tulip about why you were off they would have done something to prevent it. I've seen the results of these shown to senior people who just go "well we can't change that". It's all utter bollocks.

My only permie exit interview happened as soon as I handed in my notice (or as soon after that as was practical since I resigned between Christmas and New Year).

First thing the manager asked was what they could do to keep me, and what about the big pay rise that I wanted. I told him thanks but he'd had the chance to fix the problem and I'd told him two months before that I was going to start actively looking for a new job. He asked if I'd consider staying so I had to explain that I'd given my word and that was that.

He then had the nerve to ask me what my new salary was so that they could factor that into pay rises for everyone else in the next round of increases. I just laughed at him and said that it sounded like HR and the department needed to do some market research.

[edison]

I refused to participate in exit interviews as a permie. It's the most pointless make work exercise for HR wonks. If the organisation gave a tulip about why you were off they would have done something to prevent it. I've seen the results of these shown to senior people who just go "well we can't change that". It's all utter bollocks.

That isn't the case in my experience. For example, I lost a really good member of my team this year who suddenly resigned not long after I had agreed for him to be promoted. I bent over backwards to try and keep him, more than I'd ever done for anyone I've ever worked with (and he was the most junior person in the team), but to no avail.

The exit interview report from HR did contain a lot of stuff that frankly, wasn't that useful, but there were 2-3 things about team culture that I thought were very helpful especially as there was a lot of discontent in the team at the time.

Like a lot of these things, the value can depend on many factors. In some companies it is just lip service but in others it is considered important. In this example, I discussed it with the Global CIO.

[DeludedKitten]

Anyone had this before?

Agency (not the client) wants an exit interview.

I'm not keen on the idea as the agency blurs the contractor / employee line in quite a few areas - one of the reasons I'm leaving the contract early.

The agency does both perm and contract resourcing for the client and I think they use a one size fits all approach.

I'm happy to provide my expert advice and guidance to any client that is willing to pay.

For £500 plus expenses plus VAT, I'd be willing to travel to the agency and spend time giving them that advice and guidance in the form of some kind of interview situation.

[Eirikur]

Not sure if anyone has gone through Hays before but while they paid invoices quickly and were nice enough, I definately got the impression they treastred contractors and permies they placed pretty much the same.

Used them a few times and had not too many problems. They updated the contract after review by QDOS for example.
They tried to meet me during my last contract with them for lunch etc, I always declined and they were not pushy