Reply to: anti agency

[MarillionFan]

Maybe when minestrone finishes the SKA-killer that he's been knocking "up over the weekend" for the last several months he can help you out.

Minestrone already did. It's basic but at least it's free.

[d000hg]

... or, we make our own job-serve. I could set it up hosted free in a day easy.

Maybe when minestrone finishes the SKA-killer that he's been knocking "up over the weekend" for the last several months he can help you out.

[MarillionFan]

In my experience companies would rather hear from contractors direct, than from agents. Agents like to paint a picture of how awful it would be to have 200 contractors ringing in, compared with just 1 agent - but the reality is that companies get beseiged by agents' calls so much that speaking to the occasional contractor is a welcome break.

If they do have an immovable policy of putting an agent into the deal, then that is more often done at the end of the process than at the beginning. If you call a prospect speculatively as a contractor, it's very unlikely that you'll be told to speak to a nominated agency instead from the outset.

I disagree.

Clients want to hear from one or two contacts. They do not want to be dealing with dozens of contractors.

Don't see why we don't just set up a ContractorUK agency and have Dodgy Agent handle all the inquiries?

[thunderlizard]

In my experience companies would rather hear from contractors direct, than from agents. Agents like to paint a picture of how awful it would be to have 200 contractors ringing in, compared with just 1 agent - but the reality is that companies get beseiged by agents' calls so much that speaking to the occasional contractor is a welcome break.

If they do have an immovable policy of putting an agent into the deal, then that is more often done at the end of the process than at the beginning. If you call a prospect speculatively as a contractor, it's very unlikely that you'll be told to speak to a nominated agency instead from the outset.

[realityhack]

wmoorfields

The big cos have HR muppets and PSLs - and recruit through agencies for accountability and expediency. SMEs will buy such a business model, companies up to the £50m bracket may buy it, but megacorp will insist on an arms-length position with contractors except in >5% of cases where the contractor has all the chips, or the hirer is ex-contractor.

Still leaves a huge part of the market that would prefer the direct approach - and good luck to them.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

thanks moorfield
end clients'll do what works best surely? (RIP Leslie Nielson)

No - end clients often have HR monkeys and purchasing toolheads between them and you. These two conspire to engage agents to "solve all their resourcing problems" and to avoid having to do any actual work which they might be called to account for. Hence we are stuck with agents, who, even as we speak, are cooking up more plans to "add value" (paperwork) to the transaction.

It would be great if clients could be arsed to talk to people direct, but they can't, and for the most part, the top brass are cool with that. There are a few honourable exceptions, but not many, and a growing industry here and in Bobland for outsourcing all of the people stuff.

[will7emptylemon]

Sorry to jump in on the thread.

I work at EmptyLemon, if you have any questions please let me know.

Some valid points have been raised on this thread which came up again and again in our market research.


[Mod] Hi Will7, welcome to CUK. Please read the T&Cs regarding advertising on these forums. You are more than welcome to help our posters through advice and with a modified ID such as Will7@EmptyLemon (for which you can ask Admin) you can promote your company while contributing to the boards. [/Mod]

[RichardCranium]

an agency sends me for an interview, I unfortunately fail, then post all the details I have anonymously?

Unethical. Also, if the ClientCo is recruiting through agencies, it is agencies they want to recruit through. Also, agents are highly specialised parasites capable of evolution: they will merely pretend to be contractors and pollute / trawl the system.

or, we make our own job-serve. I could set it up hosted free in a day easy.

It's been done: Empty Lemon.

From their FAQ:

What Is Empty Lemon?
Empty Lemon is a specialist IT Job Board that puts Employers in direct contact with IT Jobseekers, missing out Recruitment Agencies.

Why no Recruitment Agencies?
Although some Recruitment Agencies do a great job, it is often quite difficult for Employers to find and hire potential employees without paying high recruitment fees. Many of the major UK job boards are saturated with generic Recruitment Agency job adverts written to attract maximum applications, making it difficult for Employers to ensure their job adverts stand out. Advertising on Empty Lemon ensures that your job advert has the best possible chance of being spotted since we carry no agency adverts.

This allows Jobseekers to quickly identify the jobs they wish to apply for, help eliminate multiple applications for the same position and speed up the recruitment process.

Just real jobs, advertised by real employers, for real IT Professionals.

discuss ...

Richard

javelinn ...

A different Richard

[MarillionFan]

Problem is us proper contractors get the gig first time all the time, right guys?

Word

[richard101]

thanks moorfield
end clients'll do what works best surely? (RIP Leslie Nielson)

thanks suityou01
I guess you replied to draft, sorry for editing so much

[moorfield]

End clients just don't work that way. Easier for them just to sub it all out to their PSLs to sort out. Social networking like linkedin has it place now for poaching former colleagues etc. but that doesn't happen too often.

[suityou01]

Sorry fella's, it was all perfectly lucid & simple in my dream

1) An agency sends me for an interview.
2) After attending the interview (or later, when I find out I failed), I anonymously post online the details that I have about it (eg: company, position, rate, interviewers-name etc).

richard

Problem is us proper contractors get the gig first time all the time, right guys?

[richard101]

Sorry fella's, it was all perfectly simple in my dream I'll try once more ...

1) An agency sends me for an interview.
2) If my interview is unsuccessful, I anonymously post online the details that I have about it (eg: company, position, rate, interviewers-name etc).
3) The interviewer finds appropriate CV's on his desk/inbox - with no agency fee.

... yes? ... habla lucid?

richard

[suityou01]

I can't believe it! I've been visiting the dark-side since ir35 started - and no ones found a way to scrape-off the agencies yet??

Did the social-software movement pass by unnoticed?

Off-the-top-of-my-head ... how about, an agency sends me for an interview, I unfortunately fail, then post all the details I have anonymously?

... or, we make our own job-serve. I could set it up hosted free in a day easy.

discuss ...

Richard

You're only posting this as DodgyAgent is being held hostage in Antigua and won't be back for a couple of years. Coward!

[monobrow]

I read it twice; I thought it was just me.

I think what he's saying is...

say you go for a job at client X.... and fail... now he knows that Client X is hiring.. so why not post that here .. Client X needs job Y.. and we all send them our CVs....

amirite?

interesting......

problem is, if agency W stops getting commission then will just move onto another mark I guess.