Reply to: Recruiter trying to invoice for perm job not taken!!

[BoredBloke]

A verbal agreement is worth about as much as the paper it's not written on. How many times have agents in the past agreed to things only for them to go back on things. While I agree it is wrong to go through the whole recruitment process with no intention of ever taking the job, I suspect that the agent is unaware of this. If he is unaware, then what we have is a person being offered the job, accepting it verbally, but then for whatever reason, having to decline the offer. It happens. His wife could have died, his legs could have fallen off or he simply got a better offer - any manner of his personal circumstances may have changed meaning that he wanted to decline the role. The agent cannot under these circumstances expect compensation. As for the end client they will simply pick the 2nd best person and Agent no2 becomes the winner! I bet the agent in question has been the winner when his candidate was picked when the No1 turned the job down - I bet he wasn't up for awarding compensation to the losing agent.

[NotAllThere]

...
seriously.

[Sundial]

Oh my god vfr, I started reading this and was seriously alarmed. I wept tears of shame at the memories of agents whom I didn't understand in their full poetic beauty, and wondered if it was too late to tell them how I felt.

I think I need to go back to bed...

[vfr_rider]

In this case I really do feel sorry for the agent.

agents are always looking out for your own best interest - often sacrificing a lot of time and energy looking for roles that are just right for your skillset. their hearts are in the right place. they are highly skilled and trained to make sure you and the prospective employer are perfect fits.

some people have images of agencies and agents as purely money driven, only caring about the comission and not caring about the candidate. these cynical individuals are totally wrong.

I think you should feel ashamed, very ashamed.

send the agent some flowers and a card which says "I'm very sorry."

and as a gift, put a list of managers names' from previous jobs in the card, plus their phone numbers.

seriously.

[NotAllThere]

I had a recruiter book me a flight for an interview in germany.

How did you get them to stump up for that?

I got flights paid for, for an interview at Frankfurt airport back in 2000, during the slump, for a contract role. I think they were recruiting for the Nestlé Globe project. They were interviewing a lot of people.

I was offered the role, but declined as I'd had a better offer. They weren't happy, but that's the risk.

I recall some employers would pay unsuccessful candidates' travel expenses. But successful candidates had to wait until they started work.

[expat]

It may be commission for the agent but it is the original poster's career and life we're talking about.

I had some rude recruitment consultant accuse me of wasting her time once.

Went to an interview, they offered it to me on the spot, but I decided I wasn't interested due to the location, environment round the office and the fact they weren't willing to negotiate at all on money.

I took a day out of my life and paid for travel costs.

What did she think I was going to do base my life round her commission package?

She was simply mistaken, if she thought that you were asking for the job unconditionally. An interview is a two-way process, and while you passed it, the client did not.

Generously, you did not accuse her of wasting your time, though you might have been justified in doing so.

[jmo21]

It may be commission for the agent but it is the original poster's career and life we're talking about.

I had some rude recruitment consultant accuse me of wasting her time once.

Went to an interview, they offered it to me on the spot, but I decided I wasn't interested due to the location, environment round the office and the fact they weren't willing to negotiate at all on money.

I took a day out of my life and paid for travel costs.

What did she think I was going to do base my life round her commission package?

yeah...fair enough.... but Stevie boy ACCEPTED the job.

I don't like to stick up for agents, but he does owe them an apology.

As for them invoicing them, that's a different matter - tell them to get knotted!

[DieScum]

Firstly though, reverse the situation and put yourself in the shoes of the agent bearing in mind that it's a competetive market and your salary is part based on commissions. You'd probabaly be mightily pissed off as well.

It may be commission for the agent but it is the original poster's career and life we're talking about.

I had some rude recruitment consultant accuse me of wasting her time once.

Went to an interview, they offered it to me on the spot, but I decided I wasn't interested due to the location, environment round the office and the fact they weren't willing to negotiate at all on money.

I took a day out of my life and paid for travel costs.

What did she think I was going to do base my life round her commission package?

[Liability]

Whilst I don't think his invoice will stand up to any scrutiny I think you probabaly do owe the agent a formal apology, or at least a man sized version of why you now cannot accept the role after previously agreeing to it.

Firstly though, reverse the situation and put yourself in the shoes of the agent bearing in mind that it's a competetive market and your salary is part based on commissions. You'd probabaly be mightily pissed off as well.

And also bear in mind you have also just probably wrecked the chances of getting a decent role for all Steve McAddens up and down the country.

Not a bad days work eh?

Good Post.

[Svalbaard]

Whilst I don't think his invoice will stand up to any scrutiny I think you probabaly do owe the agent a formal apology, or at least a man sized version of why you now cannot accept the role after previously agreeing to it.

Firstly though, reverse the situation and put yourself in the shoes of the agent bearing in mind that it's a competetive market and your salary is part based on commissions. You'd probabaly be mightily pissed off as well.

And also bear in mind you have also just probably wrecked the chances of getting a decent role for all Steve McAddens up and down the country.

Not a bad days work eh?

[thunderlizard]

re: paying for flight

How did you get them to stump up for that?

I would guess that the recruiter has agreed to pass on the bill to the client (with an admin fee on top, of course).

[ratewhore]

How did you get them to stump up for that?

It was a permie job years ago...

[expat]

...
You could at least have come up with a decent fib to pacify the agent. Then he wouldn't be on your case.
...

Or even "I'm really sorry but <insert the truth here>". That might have worked too.

If you need a fib, then you ought to be ashamed, and maybe even pay up. If you're not ashamed, tell the truth. By all means apologise slightly.

[Evil Hangover]

Similar thing happened to me once. Pimp spouted the immortal cliche "You've let the client down, you've let me down, but worst of all you've let yourself down".

Couldn't stop myself from laughing down the phone, at which point he hung up.

[nomadd]

Ok so was doing a bit of window shopping and decided against taking a perm job and holding out a bit longer

this was at the final stage. The recruiter is obviously pissed and is now trying to say he intends to charge me for wasted time

is this legal? I did not sign anything so I can't imagine it would be

I think the agent is being perfectly reasonable. You should just offer him £10k and call it quits. The one proviso is that you also send me £10k for reading this thread. I do like a man like you, one with a social conscience.

(Now, everyone is happy and you can get on with your life knowing you've done the right thing. And that that poor agent's children won't have to starve this Christmas.)

Cheers,

Nomadd