Reply to: agency tactics?

[BoredBloke]

I'm not after a long chapter and verse breakdown as to why I didn't get a role. A simple standard email stating the fact that the role I was up for at company XXXXXX has been filled would do. That way I would know to knock them off my list.

[tim123]

I once got some hens teeth (feedback) from an agency

I had one tell me he had blacklisted me because I didn't return one of his (speculative) calls (back BM).

I was flabbergasted.

He had as well. He never returned my calls again.

tim

[DodgyAgent]

considering contracting in australia plenty contracts out there. is it worth it would I bring home decent savings?

As long as you dont expect payments in gold, silver or bronze

[serverlad]

Ah I understand about the english writing, your quite right on how it reflects you but I was just being quick and lazy. text speak makes you look like a dumb tit right enough.

cheers for pointing it out to me.

My approach to agencies is to call them about the advertised job first before sending the CV off to them I find that they communicate to me quickly.
I am also hard of hearing , sometimes makes doubts for them whether I can achieve the job if even given the interviews.

got loads if interviews tulip hot jobs and didnt get it MAYBE cos of my hearing .

considering contracting in australia plenty contracts out there. is it worth it would I bring home decent savings?

[TykeMerc]

Again Mr Cranium has a valid point, proper English is well worth using, I'm not just being picky here, poor English blares out unprofessional idiot.

I get far too many documents authored by the txtsp34k generation that display the writers ignorance and require me to correct them before putting them forwards as professional documents.

Basic stuff like using there instead of their and they're are all too common and seeing ur instead of your and you're are far from unknown. Punctuation isn't optional either.

My English is far from perfect, we all make mistakes, but I always proof read my stuff and get a colleague to proof read anything with an audience.

[RichardCranium]

i didnt call them today agency or client, but from what the posts said its possible the agency is stringing me along so that they can get me to do another interview. hmm its a rock and hard place situation I dont trust em. flip it ill just move on. i fancy makin an arse out of the agency by callin the client. haha but then the agency might be tellin the truth.

In the time time you wrote that, you could have sent off an application via Jobserve.

Don't get bitter, just wiser.

You will be amazed at the things agents do, a lack of communication scores just '1' on the scale. And I thought the scale only went up to 'ten' until last year.

Just keep firing off those CVs. (And try using capitals, commas, apostrophes and so on. That might help.)

[serverlad]

i didnt call them today agency or client, but from what the posts said its possible the agency is stringing me along so that they can get me to do another interview. hmm its a rock and hard place situation I dont trust em. feck it ill just move on. i fancy makin an arse out of the agency by callin the client. haha but then the agency might be tellin the truth.

[TykeMerc]

Just had a 10 min call from Spring with feedback on an interview I attended last week. Admittedly after the interview I called the agent and told him that the role wasn't what I was after as it would be a retrograde step for me, but it was nice to get the client feedback.

I told the Spring guy how much of a refreshing change it was to actually have an agent call with a negative and feedback and he admitted that his business was full of "unprofessional cowboys who only know how to sell" and he considered it "basic good manners to let candidates know the outcome of the interview".

As I said earlier in the thread agents who bother with this courtesy are all too rare.

[Spacecadet]

Keyworx Limited

[Tensai]

I once got some hens teeth (feedback) from an agency
Copy and pasted from the email with names removed:



I was so shocked after getting that email I almost wept

Name and praise? (doesn't rhyme as well, but there you go.)

[Tensai]

on the other hand we dont get too many yes's either

Sounds like you need to put forward some better applicants old bean.

<Ducks for cover... >

[Spacecadet]

I once got some hens teeth (feedback) from an agency
Copy and pasted from the email with names removed:

Thanks for getting back in touch. I tried to contact you early this week and left a message on your mobile.I've been unable to get back to you until this week due to xxxx xxxx conducting several other interviews, afterwhich yyyy yyyy has been waiting to discuss his decision with the IT Director.

Unfortunately, your application is not being progressed on this occassion. However, I would like to highlight that yyyy indicated you performed well in your interview. He felt that you were a confident candidate whose technical skillset was relevant for the position and whose communication skills were strong. Additionally, yyyy felt that you would have integrated well into the team which is always an important factor for any recruiting manager. In all honestly, yyyy was unable to provide any specific constructive criticism as there is nothing you could have done any better. On this occassion, it was simply a case of a stronger candidate who was immediately available being interviewed.

Whilst I appreciate that this feedback might be frustrating, this is an extremely positive response. It indicates that you have a solid interview technique and that it will be only a matter of time before it is successful for you. From a Consultancy standpoint, we would have no hesitation in recommending you to future clients.

We will keep your details on file and contact you regarding any other potentially suitable vacancies.

I was so shocked after getting that email I almost wept

[DodgyAgent]

Your company may be the exception Dodgy, but in 17 (almost 18 years now I think about it) of contracting and dealing with agents the overwhelming majority simply will not communicate a NO to a contractor.
I certainly don't want chapter and verse on why I haven't got a role or what's the matter with ClientCo's hiring managers dog that's delaying things, but what I really DO appreciate is a concise "Sorry the role's been filled/cancelled on indefinite hold" (delete as appropriate) call or email.

The typical scenario is complete silence and while I came to accept that as the norm years ago you can see from the thread starter many people don't. It's even a risk to the agency if the contractor tries to contact ClientCo directly for feedback since that makes both the contractor and the agent look like unprofessional pillocks.

Fair enough. I do like to think that my recruiters do infact give feedback, but on the other hand we dont get too many yes's either so we tend to have plenty of time to explain the "no's"

[TykeMerc]

Whilst you so disdainfully sneer at agents, maybe you should take a little look at your own back yard.

Agents don't earn money by spending their time searching for and giving feedback. They will earn some goodwill and some brownie points if they do, which may lead to future business, but it is not an activity that will bring them the sales that they need. With some agents it is a matter of common decency to make some effort to give feedback, but many are deterred by the fact that some contractors cannot take no for an answer, or simply cannot be bothered. I for one will not allow my recruiters to spend too much time on giving feedback. One call, "you didnt get the job" willl do. If a reason is given that is not offensive , such as they found someone better/cheaper, or skills not quite right then pass it on, otherwise move on.

Likewise it can be argued that a contractor is interested only in his time sheet being signed and will string whoever they need along in order to achieve this. The "key performance indicators" may be different but the "route 1" money motive is no different between a contractor and an agent.

Your company may be the exception Dodgy, but in 17 (almost 18 years now I think about it) of contracting and dealing with agents the overwhelming majority simply will not communicate a NO to a contractor.
I certainly don't want chapter and verse on why I haven't got a role or what's the matter with ClientCo's hiring managers dog that's delaying things, but what I really DO appreciate is a concise "Sorry the role's been filled/cancelled on indefinite hold" (delete as appropriate) call or email.

The typical scenario is complete silence and while I came to accept that as the norm years ago you can see from the thread starter many people don't. It's even a risk to the agency if the contractor tries to contact ClientCo directly for feedback since that makes both the contractor and the agent look like unprofessional pillocks.

[NotAllThere]

I'm not just interested in getting my timesheet signed. I'm also interested in your money getting into my bank account as quickly as possible.

If I've met the client, and don't get feedback, then I'll get a bit tetchy. Otherwise I couldn't care less.