Reply to: Multiple agencies with the same job.

[NotAllThere]

An rather regressive agent did that to me - but after I'd had the interview. Told the client I'd withdrawn. He sold them instead a contractor who was asking for less, so he could increase his margin.

Again, the agency lost out when I was doing recruitment, cos they didn't get a look in. ( Same agent - he just seemed to have no long-term thought ).

[Muttley08]

Doesn't say much for the 'work' the agents put in does it. How hard can jobserve be? If 3 have the same job I'd email all 3. Then the one which calls me back would be the one I dealt with. If the others put me forward without my say so, I'd want to know why the agent submitted my CV without first discussing the role/rate etc. If I have agreed to go forward with one agent, I'll tell the later agents that I have already been put forward for this role.

Only problem with that is the 'tell you they've put you forward and haven't' scam - I believe to stop you going through anther agency. I think I got done through this once - I insisted on higher rate than they wanted to give, was perfect for the role, they said I was put forward - but when I took another role at same company they said they hadn't had my CV (as the guy who got the job was clueless)....

More careful now and go forward with a few...

[BoredBloke]

Doesn't say much for the 'work' the agents put in does it. How hard can jobserve be? If 3 have the same job I'd email all 3. Then the one which calls me back would be the one I dealt with. If the others put me forward without my say so, I'd want to know why the agent submitted my CV without first discussing the role/rate etc. If I have agreed to go forward with one agent, I'll tell the later agents that I have already been put forward for this role.

[Muttley08]

Always nice to hear the little twerps getting their comeuppence...

[NotAllThere]

I don't know why agents bother with the legal bit - they never win, and they lose the client. One agency (who I'd name but I've forgotten!) started legal proceedings against my client over a similar issue (though more ambiguous). A huge company. I advised the agent that they'd be better off saying "Oh, OK; well, you understand I'm not that happy about losing this candidate, but, hey, how about giving us first shot next time a vacancy comes up". But no, he wanted blood.

I spent a fun hour with the client legal department. 10 mins discussing the case, 50 mins discussing the merits of contracting.

The agency eventually dropped the case. Not that they had one.

As an addendum, at another client a few years later, the same agency wanted to get onto our PSL. I told the agent "Tell your boss who you're talking to; I don't deal with agencies who sue their clients".

I guess I just enjoy fighting.

[WindyAnna]

Agreed it is dealwithable (not a real word) but still hassle, and I would do what you do for a great candidate but where there is nothing to mark them out above the rest I prefer to remain free of the hassle of the arguments, e-mails, legal letters etc.

On particular agency - who are currently trying to represent me (ha!) - once tried to sue my employer (was a permie at the time), specifically mentioning me, for taking on a contractor from a rival agency when they had sent a CV through - they weren't on the PSL and we only recruited PSL, they had taken the candidate's name off the CV and replaced it with a reference number so in theory I did not know who it was and anyway I knew the contractor personally and also knew that he had no idea that the agency had presented his CV to us! I can do without this sort of cr*p. Took weeks of all our time to deal with even though they withdrew the case. Hence my reticence.

I also don't even look at CVs from agencies that I haven't engaged for the role. Recently did some recruitment for permanent staff and sent the requirement out to 3 agencies, got CVs from 14 agencies!!! This is another reason why I send my CV to more than one agency advertising same role - you have no idea which ones are actually engaged on it. I even rang one of the ones advertising our job and pretended to be a candidate, they told me that they were the preferred supplier and had been working for my client for 7 years on this technology - absolute rubbish, for a start we have only just started working with this particular german ERP system.

The comment about lazy agents is valid - I regularly see CVs from people I know and when I call them they don't even know they have been presented - anyone who presents without the candidate knowing is immediately off my list.

Sorry long post of drivel, got the posting equivalent of wobblegob this morning, will shut up now.

Windy

[NotAllThere]

The reason that they do that is because the hassle you get from agencies along the "but I saw him first" lines is so painful that it is easier just to reject candidates that come from more than one source. Believe me I've been the hiring manager on this ...

I've had quite the opposite experience. I tell the agents that I don't care who sent it first, it's the first CV that gets into my hands. And if they don't like it, then they're quite entitled to go forth and multiply. So when I got a candidate through my preferred agency, and the same candidate had been put forward to my boss a few days earlier by another agency, it was a bit tough on the other agency that my boss didn't pass the CV over for a few more days. Said agency then threatened candidate, telling him they'd sue etc.. I phoned agent and said how dare they threaten my candidate with spurious tales of sueing etc., and if he wanted to take it to court he knows we'd cream them. "And you're sacked - don't call us again".

[AZZIK]

Nice idea, but unfortunately, being JobSite, there are no direct contact details. You can only apply via the website and you don't get to know who the agency is until after you have applied and they have your CV.

Actually, there is quite a sneaky but easy way to get the contact details of any agent/agency personnel. Copy and paste their names(s) into google, and you should get an email address for them! It works for me 90% of the time.

[robnjc]

depends whether you want to p1ss off the agents concerned?

[WindyAnna]

I know one employer who rejects a cv if it comes in via more than one agency. Seems mad but they do.

The reason that they do that is because the hassle you get from agencies along the "but I saw him first" lines is so painful that it is easier just to reject candidates that come from more than one source. Believe me I've been the hiring manager on this and having agents calling you and telling you that they can prove the CV came to them first, that they will do you deals on rates, that the other agent is a lying conniving charlatan, that the client wants them to represent them and is about to put it in writing .... it's tedious, difficult to know who is telling the truth and awkward. Unless I was presented with a candidate that was so far ahead of the rest that it was worth it then I wouldn't waste my time with the hassle.

Anotehr client I worked for considered a CV from multiple sources to be indicative of laziness on behalf of the agency who was just sending CVs out without discussing things with the candidate.

I expect to be told who the client is before my CV is submitted ... if the application is via Jobsite I expect a follow up call from the agency before it's submitted. I've applied to multiple agencies before - the one who makes the best efforts gets to represent me - things such as calls me soonest, offers the best rate, isn't a complete ars*hole tend to appeal to me and put them above the rest. If just looking at the ads and there is an agent that I am happy to work with then I won't necessarily bother with the others.

Windy

[NotAllThere]

I know one employer who rejects a cv if it comes in via more than one agency. Seems mad but they do.

I work on the basis that if they're that stupid, I don't want to work for them anyway.

[Sausage Surprise]

I know one employer who rejects a cv if it comes in via more than one agency. Seems mad but they do.

[Bluebird]

My contract is up for renewal soon and there is a nice juicy job in the same area that looks good. Thing is, at least 3 agencies are advertising it. Do I go for the scattergun approach and apply via all of them or just pick one? It's via JobSite so I can make a reasonable excuse that I didn't know it was the same client :P

On the plus side if my CV comes in from three different agencies it looks good for me but the downside is that there might be some nastiness when it comes to deciding who got me the contract etc....

Apply via ALL - most agencies will only be allowed to submit a number of CVs, they submit the best [ say 3 ] and tell all the others that they have been submitted to enhance their chance of getting the gig.

If your CV does turn up 3 times on a clients desk, it just goes to show that 3 agencies think you're worth a punt should should actually enhance your chances...

[thunderlizard]

there might be some nastiness when it comes to deciding who got me the contract etc....

Don't worry about that. The client will have a way of deciding, e.g. a supplier hierarchy, or first-come-first-served. Agencies will tell you "we're the preferred supplier and if you involve anybody else it will harm your chances", but that's rarely true.

[DaveB]

Call up each one and see what rate you can get from each one. After all, you're in it for the money and for 3 of to be advertising must make it a competitive market - i.e. they'll have to negotiate to get your CV.

Highest rate wins - quite simple really.

Nice idea, but unfortunately, being JobSite, there are no direct contact details. You can only apply via the website and you don't get to know who the agency is until after you have applied and they have your CV.