Reply to: Agents that hang up before speaking to you

[MrMark]

I am not sure its Reed, but I get this type of call once in a week. Unfortunately I was not bothering much abt agency name/agent name so far. But from now I will ensure to clearly listen & note name of agency/agent before start of conversation. I am sure they will be giving wrong namesof agency/agent though.

Normally we will start conversation with customery questions like interviews attended etc..Then the question will be "whats the kind of role you are looking now..?" The question which we all try to answer with full vigor. ..But suddenly phone will be thrown to the base with big bang sound...

Now you say this, I wonder if this is a rival agency trying to discredit one of their competitors? Nah, can't be. Can it????

[Darren_Test]

Some pr*at at Reed Technical hung up half way through a conversation regarding a role today. Since it was he who called me, fairly cheesed off with the half-wit.

I am not sure its Reed, but I get this type of call once in a week. Unfortunately I was not bothering much abt agency name/agent name so far. But from now I will ensure to clearly listen & note name of agency/agent before start of conversation. I am sure they will be giving wrong namesof agency/agent though.

Normally we will start conversation with customery questions like interviews attended etc..Then the question will be "whats the kind of role you are looking now..?" The question which we all try to answer with full vigor. ..But suddenly phone will be thrown to the base with big bang sound...

[MrMark]

Some pr*at at Reed Technical hung up half way through a conversation regarding a role today. Since it was he who called me, fairly cheesed off with the half-wit.

[foggo]

it's an ex

stalking you through her network of recruiter mates

[EddieNambulous]

I suppose it could also be because they're so short of things to do that they've been told to go through the database and clear out the dead wood. Once they finally get through to you, they can tick a box saying "still a valid number". If they manage to tick enough of them each day, they get to keep their job - but with a ream of A4 printouts to get through, they don't have time to chat

You could well be right there.

I now have a mobile phone/SIM card dedicated entirely to agents - no-one else has the number - and I have changed the number on any uploaded CVs and relevant websites.

I now answer and pick up the phone directly - usually within a ring or two - and...guess what...it's still happening. Not often, but enough to make you wonder what they're playing at

[NickFitz]

Agents have very short attention spans. After all that time wasteing name pre-amble they've forgotten what they were calling you about.

I suppose it could also be because they're so short of things to do that they've been told to go through the database and clear out the dead wood. Once they finally get through to you, they can tick a box saying "still a valid number". If they manage to tick enough of them each day, they get to keep their job - but with a ream of A4 printouts to get through, they don't have time to chat

[EddieNambulous]

I do have a yac number

Yep, that's what I have too. Nice to know it's not just me.

[cykophysh39]

I have had a few of these calls lately. I was wondering about this too.
I would say I get at least 2 or 3 of these calls a week, on my bog standard mobile number.

I do have a yac number, but since the recession I've put my mobile number on my CV.

[EddieNambulous]

Just get a PAYG sim, put that on cv and only turn it on when looking for roles. Otherwise keep it off

Thanks - neat idea. Am gonna get me one of those.

[Turion]

Agents have very short attention spans. After all that time wasteing name pre-amble they've forgotten what they were calling you about.

Solution: Get a separate contract phone and switch it on when you are actually looking. Keep your other private number(s) private.

[Mosh]

They hang up because they get suspicious whether you are the same guy whose time they wasted ( by keeping him on phone for 25 minutes though they did not have a real job to put him forward for) yesterday , or the day before .......

[Not So Wise]

If i was them would hang up too, those systems are annoying as hell and considering how many alternative contractors agents have to pick from at the moment you are automaticlly sending yourself to the reject pile

Just get a PAYG sim, put that on cv and only turn it on when looking for roles. Otherwise keep it off (just remember to use it once every 6 months or so to keep it active)

[jmo21]

what an odd thing to have, I've never heard of that before.

time is money to these caaants, no what I mean guvna!

They probably got bored waiting

[EddieNambulous]

in their eyes, might be considered to be a rather pompous and self-indulgent barrier between you and them.

A perfect match for my personality then.

Yeah, my personal suspicion is that it is annoyance-related. Funny that I've never had that type of reaction before in the past decade or so of using it.

Must say alot about the state of the market - one agent who called me recently claimed he had 300 other candidates to phone.

[HeadOfTesting]

There are various possibilities including that they take exception, especially in this candidate-laden market to what, in their eyes, might be considered to be a rather pompous and self-indulgent barrier between you and them. I suspect there would be more than a few agents who would abort part-way though having concluded that they don't need/want to adhere to such a system.

I'm not saying I'm on the side of any such individuals - just that it's a distinct possibility that doesn't seem to have been acknowledged on the thread.