agent asking to sign declaration form

[psychocandy]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it was usual for an agent to ask you to sign a declaration form to say you wont be represented by someone else? This particular declartion also basically said "if you get offered the role you have to take it"

Originally i accepted this but sent a follow up email saying I wanted it removed because I hadn't even spoken to the client yet or seen a full job description!

Cant believe the cheek of the 2nd bit. Agent trying to save himself some work and trying to shortcut the process.

[BolshieBastard]

OK,

So to amend.

Email 1:
Reply to the agent representing you:
"Please confirm that you are on ClientCo's Preferred Supplier's List"

Email 2:
"I allow you to represent me to the Client for a period of 48 hours/1 week. If you/the account manager doesn't confirm in writing within 24 hours that I have been submitted to the client, I will engage another agent to submit me."

(Personally I prefer just the time limit, but each to their own.)

Email 3 (if you haven't yet got your contract checked):
"Subject to suitable Terms and Conditions I accept the contract."

Yep. That's the way I'd play it.

[Wanderer]

Try telling them that you want them to agree to your rate and you'll tell them later what it is, see how they like that!

No, your contact with the client is an interview that works both ways: they may not like you, you may not like them. Until you have had a chance to decide that, you can't commit to the role.

Quite apart from that the agent has often been ordered to "get 5 people in here for an interview" and they will just read out your CV pretending that it's the job spec and hope for the best. The contractor ends up pissed off because the job wasn't as described and the interviewer things the contractor is useless because they don't have the skills they were wanting. The agent doesn't care that they sent the wrong person because as far as they are concerned they did their job by getting the candidates for interview.

I'm always wary of job specs that are read out, I always get them in writing and take it to the interview so if the agency is bulltulipting me then I can produce the job spec and show it to the client to prove what a numpty the agent is being.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it was usual for an agent to ask you to sign a declaration form to say you wont be represented by someone else? This particular declartion also basically said "if you get offered the role you have to take it"

Originally i accepted this but sent a follow up email saying I wanted it removed because I hadn't even spoken to the client yet or seen a full job description!

Never accept the second part. An essential part of being a contractor is that it is you who decide what contracts you will take.

Of course any agent would like you to commit to that before they put you forward, but they can't have that. Try telling them that you want them to agree to your rate and you'll tell them later what it is, see how they like that!

No, your contact with the client is an interview that works both ways: they may not like you, you may not like them. Until you have had a chance to decide that, you can't commit to the role.

[cojak]

OK,

So to amend.

Email 1:
Reply to the agent representing you:
"Please confirm that you are on ClientCo's Preferred Supplier's List"

Email 2:
"I allow you to represent me to the Client for a period of 48 hours/1 week. If you/the account manager doesn't confirm in writing within 24 hours that I have been submitted to the client, I will engage another agent to submit me."

(Personally I prefer just the time limit, but each to their own.)

Email 3 (if you haven't yet got your contract checked):
"Subject to suitable Terms and Conditions I accept the contract."

[cojak]

The second email shouldnt just say you allow the agent to represent you. You should always add that you are prepared to let the agent have exclusivity to represent you with this client for a period of 24 to 48 hours. Thereafter, should the agent have not secured an interview for you with the client, you will be free to approach other agents for this role.

I would also recommend clarifying in the same email whether the person you speak to at the agency, is merely a drone or an account manager. If its just a drone, I'd amend the email to say if the account manager doesnt confirm in writing within 24 hours that you are being submitted to the client, you will engage another agent to submit you.

Fair enoughski.

[TheFaQQer]

I was wondering if it was usual for an agent to ask you to sign a declaration form to say you wont be represented by someone else?

I've not experienced that before. If the agent insists, then only sign it when the agent has confirmed that they are on the PSL, have / will send your CV over to the client. Also, make sure you include a time limit - otherwise if the client advertises for the same role in a year, you have (theoretically) signed away your right to go through another agent.

This particular declartion also basically said "if you get offered the role you have to take it"

NEVER consider signing such a thing.

[BolshieBastard]

You did the right thing by send the next email straight away. The agent is trying to pull a fast one.

It is usual for them to ask you to confirm in a reply email that you allow them to represent to the client for a specific contract but as for accepting the contract - that's just rubbish. You don't even know what the job is!

So, 3 emails are needed here.

Reply to the agent representing you:
"Please confirm that you are on ClientCo's Preferred Supplier's List"

Once they're confirmed this in writing you can then reply:
"I allow you to represent me to the Client".

Then you can check with another agent that they have indeed put your CV forward - if they haven't you can then let agent B do it.

You should not accept the contract before getting it reviewed, but if the agent is pushing, the 3rd email, should say something like:
"Subject to suitable Terms and Conditions I accept the contract."

This allows you to review the contract and reject it if you don't like it.

PS. NEVER sign any form without first getting someone (eg. QDOS) to look at it, you don't know what you're letting yourself in for.

The second email shouldnt just say you allow the agent to represent you. You should always add that you are prepared to let the agent have exclusivity to represent you with this client for a period of 24 to 48 hours. Thereafter, should the agent have not secured an interview for you with the client, you will be free to approach other agents for this role.

I would also recommend clarifying in the same email whether the person you speak to at the agency, is merely a drone or an account manager. If its just a drone, I'd amend the email to say if the account manager doesnt confirm in writing within 24 hours that you are being submitted to the client, you will engage another agent to submit you.

[cojak]

You did the right thing by send the next email straight away. The agent is trying to pull a fast one.

It is usual for them to ask you to confirm in a reply email that you allow them to represent to the client for a specific contract but as for accepting the contract - that's just rubbish. You don't even know what the job is!

So, 3 emails are needed here.

Reply to the agent representing you:
"Please confirm that you are on ClientCo's Preferred Supplier's List"

Once they're confirmed this in writing you can then reply:
"I allow you to represent me to the Client".

Then you can check with another agent that they have indeed put your CV forward - if they haven't you can then let agent B do it.

You should not accept the contract before getting it reviewed, but if the agent is pushing, the 3rd email, should say something like:
"Subject to suitable Terms and Conditions I accept the contract."

This allows you to review the contract and reject it if you don't like it.

PS. NEVER sign any form without first getting someone (eg. QDOS) to look at it, you don't know what you're letting yourself in for.

[SteelyDan]

On the first point, never had a form to complete but just an email response which advises you are happy to be put fwd by the agent concerned.

Never heard of your other point re;"if you get offered the role you have to take it"

I don't think I'd sign that bit without the spec/seeing the client - you don't fully know what you're signing up for! Agents, eh!

[MiniMani]

Hi All,

I was wondering if it was usual for an agent to ask you to sign a declaration form to say you wont be represented by someone else? This particular declartion also basically said "if you get offered the role you have to take it"

Originally i accepted this but sent a follow up email saying I wanted it removed because I hadn't even spoken to the client yet or seen a full job description!