Reply to: References for agency

[Bluenose]

I can’t fathom it …they want timesheets submitted and approved weekly …so by midday Monday have the previous week’s time sheet approved ns sunmitted.

But, they won’t pay weekly only monthly.

Someone here will know the legality of what you are saying because specifying specific umbrellas (unless there is a clear legal reason) is classed as selling financial products and therefore illegal without a licence. The agency might well get a margin or referral fee if they demand you use specific umbrellas but this is also illegal as its also classed as selling financial products without a licence.

It's an un-regulated industry recruitment but I thought the specific umbrella criteria is only legal if there are specific requirements such as FCMA accreditation for U.K government gigs allowing them to 'suggest' a list of umbrellas that meet the requirements for 'expediency'.

As for the 4 references thing, well, we have a thread running for 'I just need two references', I suppose in this market the bulltulip-o-meter has buried the needle if they are now saying 4 instead of 2. The response is the same - I would give them the name of the previous agency or umbrella and let them chew on that.

[northernladuk]

Hard to tell dress code as all interviews are on Teams nowadays my last one i changed and put on a shirt from a hoodie, guy interviewing me was in a slogan t shirt so I should have stayed as I was maybe looked too formal...who knows!

Indeed. I do think that smart never ages though. Granted it doesn't need to be a tie and high end matching suit but dress to impress is still a thing, as are first impressions. I'd be very disappointed to find out that Gen Z'ers or whatever have thrown that out the window and will start using sensible smart as a negative differentiator. That would be bordering on discrimination.

[Cookielove]

Hard to tell dress code as all interviews are on Teams nowadays my last one i changed and put on a shirt from a hoodie, guy interviewing me was in a slogan t shirt so I should have stayed as I was maybe looked too formal...who knows!

[JustKeepSwimming]

In finance it's largely business casual in the modern sense, ie no ripped jeans or obvious tshirts. Plain tshirt, jeans and trainers is fine. There were still many who wore suits and I don't think anyone notices really. Colleague did it and when asked why he just said it 'put him in the work mindset' which is fair enough.

I can see how on balance it probably would be looked upon more favourably (promotions etc) than jeans and hoody.

[northernladuk]

First time I encountered dress code change was over 15 years ago, back in the day ties were standard. Done a gig in banking, all suited and booted. Got a gig at O2 in Leeds, interviewers all in suits. Looking good. Got the gig and walked in to the service ops area. I thought a load of tramps had taken over. It was beyond casual which i believe it had been for years and many telecoms were. Proper shock. I simply didn't own business casual so just stayed in shirt and tie. Got the nick name 'the suit' but didn't seem to affect me in the role. It did mean everyone opened doors for me and were very polite around was a blast. When the CIO visited they put me on the top table with him without realizing I worked there. Didn't realize fully what was happening so the perms I was working with were having a proper laugh.

Culture fit didn't come in to it really, they were a great bunch and I'm not the stuck up type but I proper irked me trying work with people who's jeans were lower than their boxers so their cracks were hanging out and the ladies micro string summer tops were a bit of a struggle in summer. Far too dress down for my liking.

[sreed]

It's difficult to gauge. I once had an interview with a client COO and Head of Digital plus a CTO from a private equity company. The CTO wore a hoodie and the other two were quite casual. I got the gig and when I visited the office it was indeed a relaxed dress code.

Come the summer and people were wearing shorts and flip flops which I couldn't bring myself to copy, but eventually, for the first time ever, I wore shorts to an office.

In the heady days of cost-free capital pre-Covid, I did a contract (outside-IR35 but in reality just a flexible SLT resource) with a Fintech firm with offices in Aldgate. Free lunch, weekly masseuse visits, the lot. They were constantly hiring and as part of the role I’d be involved in some of the interviews for roles in the Ops side.

Whenever anyone on the hiring panel raised the point that the person didn’t seem like a good “culture-fit” I always made it a point to get them to articulate what exactly they meant and how they thought it would affect the job that they were being considered for. It often boiled down to age, the way they dressed, the way they spoke, which (with some exceptions depending on the role) in most of the cases mattered not one jot to the the actual job.

I specifically remember a lady we interviewed for a reporting analyst role. She had relevant experience, aced the task given but was quite evidently reserved/shy which automatically made her a ? on the ‘culture-fit’ aspect.

She needed to work with one person (me) and her role was 100% producing reports and analysis. I had to fight to override the HR bod who deemed her a fail on ‘culture-fit’ and she turned out to be excellent at her job, even though she rarely came out for team events or indulged in office banter.

[edison]

I know ties died a long time ago and now can be more of a detractor than a positive. Noob mistake. Look back at convos on here, most will interview in a teeshirt and whatever. Just feels wrong but it's a good point they make about interviewing for your audience as per your comment below.


A few interviews were people in their 30's very casual and I'm sure an old bloke in a suit won't help.

Hard to get it right sometimes.

It's difficult to gauge. I once had an interview with a client COO and Head of Digital plus a CTO from a private equity company. The CTO wore a hoodie and the other two were quite casual. I got the gig and when I visited the office it was indeed a relaxed dress code.

Come the summer and people were wearing shorts and flip flops which I couldn't bring myself to copy, but eventually, for the first time ever, I wore shorts to an office.

[Cookielove]

Been benched for 6 months and market has been horrendous…jobs I should’ve got not happened for no real reason one they got someone direct as didn’t want to pay agency fees …pipped at post for another, day rate suddenly slashed for no reason etc etc I could write a book on the nonsense I’ve been told.

if I get this I’ll have to take it but keep looking …it’s not filling me with a positive feeling though.

[Cookielove]

Yes northernladuk I’m talking about the agency.

Exactly they want to reduce admin and only pay monthly…I’ve been used to being paid weekly …submit a time sheet on a Friday paid the following Friday. They don’t do that other agencies do…

Nothing to do with financial cycles…@JKS

So far am not impressed and only going along with it as market is dire…I’ve not had interview yet but not getting a positive vibe from agency.

They’ve drained me for info, offered a v limited umbrella list none of which I’ve heard of and now saying it’s monthly payments…in all my years and years I’ve not come across this ! Sign of the times maybe 😒

[northernladuk]

IME monthly is the norm. Red flags would be how long after the end of the month they pay.

Financial cycles tend to be monthly. Thats when the client will close the system and run the finances. Once that is done, and only then will they allow for payment to be made.

Some clients will ask you to do timesheets weekly, but that's either because they need soft figures internally, or more likely PMO has determined (rightly) it is the best way to get people into the habit of doing their timesheets and, most importantly, increase accuracy because 3 weeks submitted is better than 0 weeks submitted if they 'forget' at the end of the month.

If the agency is asking you to submit weekly timesheets to them, well who knows, they can ask for daily for all the client cares.

Hmmm don't think I agree with that. I assume she's talking about agency here and then that has to fall in line with the umbrella's payment cycle. Lets assume we are talking agent here.

Many decent agencies do weekly payments because they factor the payments. They'll be paying the contractor before they get paid. They are on a B2B schedule so could be up to 90 days or more before the agency get's their money. Unusual to be that long but possible. The last few I've been with and some others on here judging by other posts factoring is pretty common and it's timesheet by Friday paid the next Friday.

Nothing to do with financial cycles, just the agencies attitude to risk and them offering factoring on the payments. Agency would handle timesheets, not the client, they just approve them.

But then this would be agency to umbrella so no idea what the norm is there.

[northernladuk]

I can’t fathom it …they want timesheets submitted and approved weekly …so by midday Monday have the previous week’s time sheet approved ns sunmitted.

But, they won’t pay weekly only monthly.

Are you talking about the agency to umbrella? To be expected from what you've told us already. They aren't willing to factor down to weekly payments to reduce their risk and also only do monthly to reduce the admin. Damn this lot are cutthroat. Absolute zero benefit to you and everything for them.

Or are you talking about the umbrella?

You also need to check if it's in arears or not. Have to check everything with that lot.

[JustKeepSwimming]

I can’t fathom it …they want timesheets submitted and approved weekly …so by midday Monday have the previous week’s time sheet approved ns sunmitted.

But, they won’t pay weekly only monthly.

Financial cycles tend to be monthly. Thats when the client will close the system and run the finances. Once that is done, and only then will they allow for payment to be made.

Some clients will ask you to do timesheets weekly, but that's either because they need soft figures internally, or more likely PMO has determined (rightly) it is the best way to get people into the habit of doing their timesheets and, most importantly, increase accuracy because 3 weeks submitted is better than 0 weeks submitted if they 'forget' at the end of the month.

If the agency is asking you to submit weekly timesheets to them, well who knows, they can ask for daily for all the client cares.

[Cookielove]

I can’t fathom it …they want timesheets submitted and approved weekly …so by midday Monday have the previous week’s time sheet approved ns sunmitted.

But, they won’t pay weekly only monthly.

[hobnob]

Also, they only do monthly payroll too I’d prefer weekly and have been mostly weekly paid until now. Got burnt before on monthly.

Ouch - this is starting to sound familiar. Check the payment terms: if you submit your timesheet at the end of November, will you be waiting until the end of December to get paid?

[JustKeepSwimming]

The umbrella list is set in stone they won’t budge…so yes must be who is giving the biggest kick back.

Also, they only do monthly payroll too I’d prefer weekly and have been mostly weekly paid until now. Got burnt before on monthly.

They’ve not mentioned opting out …I’ve had that with another Agency opt out of working regs…

IME monthly is the norm. Red flags would be how long after the end of the month they pay.

Banks will pay agencies first few days of the following month. I've seen some agencies pay around the 7th, others try and do something absurd like the 25th.

Now interest rates actually exist I would be especially annoyed if they were dragging it out.