What is to stop agencies doing this ?

[mrdonuts]

what about the situation where consultancies tell pimps they have a role, pimps forward all the CV's

consultancy uses it to identify places where bob has not yet visited and moves in to undermine uk IT workers yet again

if an add turns out to be for one of those companies i tell them not to send my CV and i would suggest everyone else does the same

[eliquant]

1) Client gives agencies on PSL (Preferred Supplier List) heads up for a role, but specifies each agency can only submit up to 5 CV's of best candidates.
2) Agency 1 advertises and hoovers up all the CV's of those with skill set.
3) Agency 1 responds to all candidates with matching skill sets and implies verbally that CV being forwarded to client for consideration.
4) Agency 2 contacts candidate who hasn't been short listed by Agency 1
but is under impression he/she has been. So candidate asks Agency 2 not to
forward his/her CV to client.
5) Result Agency 1 has eliminated the majority of the competition for the role
and one of their candidates is hired.

I know for a fact that this has happened to me on at least one occasion (from insider at another agency) and if this is the case then it is most likely a widespread practice.

The only solution I can see to this practice is to get your CV in to all the agencies and tell each that you have not been submitted via another agency.
However I am very loathe to adopt this kind of practice. What do others think ?

Its a term in the creepy recruitment world known as 'blocking', they just block candidates in clandestine ways - the way to get around it is by sending them an e-mail asking for written confirmation that they 'have' sent your CV down to the client; if you get no written reply or they insist on telling you on the phone about it (only) then go to a different agency, consider your CV not sent.

[darrenb]

Thread climbs out of the grave and menaces contractor folk.

What if the recruiter takes a date of birth but doesn't send an email confirmation?

CV blocking?

[SallyAnne]

1) Client gives agencies on PSL (Preferred Supplier List) heads up for a role, but specifies each agency can only submit up to 5 CV's of best candidates.
2) Agency 1 advertises and hoovers up all the CV's of those with skill set.
3) Agency 1 responds to all candidates with matching skill sets and implies verbally that CV being forwarded to client for consideration.
4) Agency 2 contacts candidate who hasn't been short listed by Agency 1
but is under impression he/she has been. So candidate asks Agency 2 not to
forward his/her CV to client.
5) Result Agency 1 has eliminated the majority of the competition for the role
and one of their candidates is hired.

I know for a fact that this has happened to me on at least one occasion (from insider at another agency) and if this is the case then it is most likely a widespread practice.

The only solution I can see to this practice is to get your CV in to all the agencies and tell each that you have not been submitted via another agency.
However I am very loathe to adopt this kind of practice. What do others think ?

This happens all of the time mate - it's called "CV Blocking".

[MaryPoppins]

It does seem that a lot of agents' behaviour is ultimately counter-productive. I'm sure that most of us, if we needed to hire staff, would do it directly and do almost anything to avoid using agents, as they often rule out the best candidates and prevent a real choice getting to interview. In the long run they are cutting their own throat. Having said that, to use a quote often used elsewhere, in the long run we're all dead.

Indeed. I can't help but feel frustrated that I currently need to rely on these people in order to work.

I only feel this way having endured so many agents incorrectly interpreting my CV, messing up /delaying contract paperwork, messing up invoicing, lying about the Agency Regs, and generally not doing anything to convince me they deserve any more than a finders fee. A real shame.

[MrMark]

I would always allow more than one agency to represent me, I think it's worth the risk of being binned by the client. I would hope my CV is good enough for that not to happen frankly.

If agents don't like it, they can blame only themselves as they continue to prove themselves as utterly untrustworthy.

It does seem that a lot of agents' behaviour is ultimately counter-productive. I'm sure that most of us, if we needed to hire staff, would do it directly and do almost anything to avoid using agents, as they often rule out the best candidates and prevent a real choice getting to interview. In the long run they are cutting their own throat. Having said that, to use a quote often used elsewhere, in the long run we're all dead.

[MaryPoppins]

1) Client gives agencies on PSL (Preferred Supplier List) heads up for a role, but specifies each agency can only submit up to 5 CV's of best candidates.
2) Agency 1 advertises and hoovers up all the CV's of those with skill set.
3) Agency 1 responds to all candidates with matching skill sets and implies verbally that CV being forwarded to client for consideration.
4) Agency 2 contacts candidate who hasn't been short listed by Agency 1
but is under impression he/she has been. So candidate asks Agency 2 not to
forward his/her CV to client.
5) Result Agency 1 has eliminated the majority of the competition for the role
and one of their candidates is hired.

I know for a fact that this has happened to me on at least one occasion (from insider at another agency) and if this is the case then it is most likely a widespread practice.

The only solution I can see to this practice is to get your CV in to all the agencies and tell each that you have not been submitted via another agency.
However I am very loathe to adopt this kind of practice. What do others think ?

I would always allow more than one agency to represent me, I think it's worth the risk of being binned by the client. I would hope my CV is good enough for that not to happen frankly.

If agents don't like it, they can blame only themselves as they continue to prove themselves as utterly untrustworthy.

[threaded]

There's better than that. A certain agency has several branches and the client doesn't know that all the agencies it has on its PSL are actually just the same agency.

[TykeMerc]

What those 2 just said + infinity^3.

Admittedly I have worked with a client that auto binned multiple applications so there is a risk, but overall I'd say the risk is much lower than that of you missing out because of the situation you outlined.

[Muttley08]

They do it all the time. The answer is indeed to tell them all to submit your CV, and ignore their bitching and their lying complaints that this will prevent you ever getting a contract - they only say that to stop you doing it. It's time to stop this ridiculous idea. And past time that we (who have the real knowledge and ability that keeps IT working) stopped being owned by pimply hair-gelled salesmen.

Agree with this - go with multiple....you can't trust them! If you've got the right skills and you get submitted twice...in the majority of cases it doesn't matter....the pimps are only worried how stupid they look when you can see how much they're adding on top compared with another agency.

Treat the pimps with the disdain they deserve

[Tarquin Farquhar]

1) Client gives agencies on PSL (Preferred Supplier List) heads up for a role, but specifies each agency can only submit up to 5 CV's of best candidates.
2) Agency 1 advertises and hoovers up all the CV's of those with skill set.
3) Agency 1 responds to all candidates with matching skill sets and implies verbally that CV being forwarded to client for consideration.
4) Agency 2 contacts candidate who hasn't been short listed by Agency 1
but is under impression he/she has been. So candidate asks Agency 2 not to
forward his/her CV to client.
5) Result Agency 1 has eliminated the majority of the competition for the role
and one of their candidates is hired.

I know for a fact that this has happened to me on at least one occasion (from insider at another agency) and if this is the case then it is most likely a widespread practice.

The only solution I can see to this practice is to get your CV in to all the agencies and tell each that you have not been submitted via another agency.
However I am very loathe to adopt this kind of practice. What do others think ?

They do it all the time. The answer is indeed to tell them all to submit your CV, and ignore their bitching and their lying complaints that this will prevent you ever getting a contract - they only say that to stop you doing it. It's time to stop this ridiculous idea. And past time that we (who have the real knowledge and ability that keeps IT working) stopped being owned by pimply hair-gelled salesmen.

[Churchill]

Nothing at all.

They're bastards!

[Ruse]

1) Client gives agencies on PSL (Preferred Supplier List) heads up for a role, but specifies each agency can only submit up to 5 CV's of best candidates.
2) Agency 1 advertises and hoovers up all the CV's of those with skill set.
3) Agency 1 responds to all candidates with matching skill sets and implies verbally that CV being forwarded to client for consideration.
4) Agency 2 contacts candidate who hasn't been short listed by Agency 1
but is under impression he/she has been. So candidate asks Agency 2 not to
forward his/her CV to client.
5) Result Agency 1 has eliminated the majority of the competition for the role
and one of their candidates is hired.

I know for a fact that this has happened to me on at least one occasion (from insider at another agency) and if this is the case then it is most likely a widespread practice.

The only solution I can see to this practice is to get your CV in to all the agencies and tell each that you have not been submitted via another agency.
However I am very loathe to adopt this kind of practice. What do others think ?