Reply to: One job by two agencies

[acontractor]

I have tried to get in touch with clients directly after agents sending the CV in the past but in my experience agents do not like me contacting agents directly. (Obvious from their point of view!). As a new to be contractor, I am (mostly) on the mercy of these agents until I have a decent experience as a contractor.

[Friday Blue]

this is exactly what i went through. i had the desire to leave company A for some time and had my eyes home-in on Company B. From insiders, Company B definitely needs people asap, so I trimed my cv to an exact match to the job spec then upload it to common job hunting sites. got a few calls and of course back then I just stick to one agent at a time. After a few attempts/weeks which all resulted not hearing a single thing back, an agent called me and asked if I'm interested. I told the agent: to be prefectly honest I got another agent to try, so good chance my cv has landed on the hr desk before, so if you still want to try, by all means. so the agent gave the client a call and it turns out none of the agent forwarded my cv through and he was the first one.

In some way it confirms the above post, the agents are on the hunt 24/7 and will bin your cv as soon as a better one arrives, as long as the better ones arrive before your application is being put forward.

i guess you just have to be honest with agent B and ask agent B to check if your cv has ever landed on the HR desk. you know he will do it as there is a still chance to get a contract, and you know he wouldn't screw around because he would't do anything stuipd to tick himself off the PSL.

but having said all that.... it's a strange world and full of different kind of people, ultimately it's all down to you luck if the HR guy is in a good mood. (i don't think there is any guidelines in HR departments to address this.)

PS: i did get the job at the end and still in it.

[TheFaQQer]

Or to emphasise the importance of not taking agencies word on a matter that will have you sat on a bench for 6 months while they lie to you....

Caps Is a perfectly fine method of communication, it's definition is shouty or attention grabbing, which is exactly what I am trying to do.

You may note that in my previous 400 odd posts I am able to use punctuation and precise grammer.

Now, run along you cheeky northern monkey. Shoo

Muphry's Law strikes agian [sic]

[bobspud]

Oh bollocks!!

[northernladuk]

Or to emphasise the importance of not taking agencies word on a matter that will have you sat on a bench for 6 months while they lie to you....

Caps Is a perfectly fine method of communication, it's definition is shouty or attention grabbing, which is exactly what I am trying to do.

You may note that in my previous 400 odd posts I am able to use punctuation and precise grammer.

Now, run along you cheeky northern monkey. Shoo

[bobspud]

Or to emphasise the importance of not taking agencies word on a matter that will have you sat on a bench for 6 months while they lie to you....

Caps Is a perfectly fine method of communication, it's definition is shouty or attention grabbing, which is exactly what I am trying to do.

You may note that in my previous 400 odd posts I am able to use punctuation and precise grammer.

Now, run along you cheeky northern monkey. Shoo

[northernladuk]

SO THE CAPS GO ON AGAIN TO SHOUT THE POINT:
DON'T EVER TAKE AN AGENCIES WORD OR EMAIL SAYING YOUR IN THE CUT OF CV'S...
PHONE THE END CLIENT AND MAKE SURE...

[bobspud]

Personally I only ever allow an agency to represent me subject to my CV being put forward. Some clients only allow an agency a set number of CVs for an agency might try to block you.

I would ask agencyB to check if you have been submitted. If not then get them to do so.

That was the point I was trying to get across although the CAPS seems to have diverted the northern git.

I did what you normally would do with all 4 of the agencies concerned. All of them swore blind the CV was going forward. Yet the smalest one got me the interview and when I spoke to the chap in the interview about it. NONE of the others had submitted me despite having the emails guaranteeing that I was represented....

SO THE CAPS GO ON AGAIN TO SHOUT THE POINT:
DON'T EVER TAKE AN AGENCIES WORD OR EMAIL SAYING YOUR IN THE CUT OF CV'S...
PHONE THE END CLIENT AND MAKE SURE...

That obnoxious piece of shouty advice could one day be the difference between a gig and and another few months on the bench.

Take it or leave it

[BrilloPad]

Hi,

I am sure many of us here has come across the situation where you apply for a job by agency A and few days later agency B come across and show you the same job.

I am in the similar situation. The difference is that I am still waiting for last 3 working days to hear from Agency A. I am having my doubts that the AgencyA hasnt sent my CV and tomorrow she is going to tell me that my application was not successful!.

Does any one has any idea how to handle this ( if at all!!)

ta

Edit: I havent yet applied through AgencyB

Personally I only ever allow an agency to represent me subject to my CV being put forward. Some clients only allow an agency a set number of CVs for an agency might try to block you.

I would ask agencyB to check if you have been submitted. If not then get them to do so.

[northernladuk]

SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IN THIS MARKET IS: THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CV GETS TO THE CLIENT IS TO PHONE THE HR DEPARTMENT OF THE END CLIENT AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN THEIR STACK. IF NOT OFFER TO SEND YOUR CV REPRESENTING YOURSELF BECAUSE NOONE ELSE IS.

Also bit embarrassing when what you type in caps is pap.

[bobspud]

My point exactly. On that seems to have been missed on two points after mine. The worst that can happen isn't the agents arguing, it is you getting binned. It happened to me so it does happen. I applied for a finance role in North West and a banking client in Cheshire. Despite asking the agents they wouldn't divulge anymore. Got asked for interview, came up 2nd agent had me. Argument ensued and I had my interview cancelled. Do not play the agents against each other. It will always work out bad for you.

Thought I'd Update this.

I had a very nice girl trying to "set me up with an interview" at the end of last year. It was one of the roles where both the supplier and client were competing for the same guys and there were tonnes of agencies advertising. I had 4 agents offer to put me forward and as I didn't want the job any way I agreed to all of them to see what would happen.

I got an interview from the smallest most obscure agency with the highest rate. When I heard this I though it was a bit odd so I phoned round the others for feedback... and got the sorry you were not successful crap.

My educated guess was that the others were sweeping the floor to clear the competing candidates up.

SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IN THIS MARKET IS: THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CV GETS TO THE CLIENT IS TO PHONE THE HR DEPARTMENT OF THE END CLIENT AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN THEIR STACK. IF NOT OFFER TO SEND YOUR CV REPRESENTING YOURSELF BECAUSE NOONE ELSE IS.

[acontractor]

This does happen and if contacted by another agent I just say look, Agancy A say they have put me forward but I am not certain they have definitely done so. Agency B can usually check via a phonecall - job done. On the 2 occasions this has happened, Agency A HAD submitted but you never know...

I have contacted the Agency B and told him about the situation. I agent said that they are going to find out if my CV have been forwareded or not?

I have told verbally to Agency B that if the CV is not with the client then I am happy for Agency B to send the CV.

Now it is it possible that agency B might do some mischief about my application with agency A at the client so that my chances of getting the interview would be in jeopardy? Or is it too much to think? I have told the agency B about the agency A and my application.

[lukemg]

This does happen and if contacted by another agent I just say look, Agancy A say they have put me forward but I am not certain they have definitely done so. Agency B can usually check via a phonecall - job done. On the 2 occasions this has happened, Agency A HAD submitted but you never know...

[acontractor]

The correct answer is when any agent contacts you about a role, you give them exclusive rights to submit you for a limited period.

This can be as short as 12 - 24 hours providing they will confirm in writing \ email that they have submitted you to the end client.

Alternatively, you could give them a larger window of exclusivity say, 48 to 60 hours after which, if you havent secured an interview via them the period of exclusivity ends and you are free to be submitted by any other agent you contact \ who contacts you.

I think the mistake from my part (a) not asking for email confirmation and (b) not stating in the conformation email that this exclusive right is only valid for next 12/24 hours.

I rang the agency again and she told me that she should hear from me by end of this week. Last night she was telling me that she is going to be in touch with the client and I should hear by end of the day!

[bobspud]

Your thoughts are right from a business perspective - nobody who has desperate need for skill should be rejecting because of multiple submission - and you're right, this is partially a myth that HR managers make up - unfortunately, those same HR managers, for reasons unbeknown to me (HR is for Permies, they shouldn't be anywhere near B2B relationships) often believe it is their place to vet Contractors profiles. Unfortunately, from their perspective, they just want an easy life, so they just bin multiple applications to punish the agents mainly!

As for the second part. This is flawed for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it doesn't work like that consistently. Secondly, if you as an agent send duplicate CV's more than once, you're going to get kicked off of a PSL.....and thirdly, Agents aren't usually intelligent enough to think things through in quite that much detail.....

Would have just thought an email stamp from the first agency past the post would solve the problem without needing any drama. If all the agencies know that anyone can introduce any candidate up until a deadline the best candidates would get introduced almost immediately rather than holding all the CV's until the deadline and having bod's lied to about being put forward.