Will agencies become a dying breed?

[Gary.Lowe]

Hi All

Saw a story about agencies which was quite interesting.

It was:

A guy working for an agency got a contract with a company.
The company decide to release this job as a permanant position.

The gut already doing this job applied and got the position.

Now:

The agency the guy worked for then tried to charge a fee for the position. The company would not pay these and had to let the guy go.

The guy took this company to court and the court because he had the job, unfair dissmissal. The guy won the case as the court say it as the agency, even though they were charging the company this fee it was really being passed back as a charge to the employee which by law an angency cannot charge a fee for finding someone work.

Whether this is the scenario gets a temp job and then is offered a permanant position, agency try to charge the company a finders fee I'm not sure.

If a company would not give you a job through an agency because the finders fee wasstupidly high (which they often are) could you sue?

[Ianpbaker]

Hi Gary

There would be no need to sue, as If the agency was asking for was too high but the company still wants you, whats stopping you from going to the company direct after the agency has been turned down ?

thus everyone is happy minus the Blood suckers

[Gary.Lowe]

When you apply for a job through an angecy they will never tell you who the company is until you agree to use them and apply for an interview through them.

[Ianpbaker]

I know that's true m8, I was just going on that if the company liked you but didn't agree with fee's the agency wanted. you would probably not even know that there was a problem before that stage

[kovan]

Originally posted by Ianpbaker
I know that's true m8, I was just going on that if the company liked you but didn't agree with fee's the agency wanted. you would probably not even know that there was a problem before that stage

my friend actually owns an agency

they dont tell you the name of the company until you sign the papers

they simply tell you what the job is
what you are to do
what is required

when you sign the papers
they tell you this is the company

at least thats what he told me he does

[chrismitchell]

Your brother was right to do that honeybee... a passport and the first few weeks, not really worth it in my opinion.

[Gary.Lowe]

One thing that really annnoyes ne is when you go for an interview they take all you contact details off.

Wan%*s

Another thing:

There was a thread a while ago about agencies posting fictitous jobs to get applicants.

One agency had jobs advertised quite frequently that I applied for. I never had any reply from them about these positions and he was never contactable and never returned any calls.

This was about two or three months ago.

I have over the last week had this guy leaving messages on my phone and e-mailing me (I'm not looking for a job now). I thought screw you I'm not answering. The other day I had a message on the home phone from this guy getting really aresey with me cause I had'nt returned any calls. He on the old 'Ohh your missing a great oppertunity' guilt trip.

I'm sorry but don't show me any respect expect non back.

Fu%^ing Numpty!

[Ianpbaker]

kovan m8, That's true if you don't have to go to an interview, but most jobs through agencies, you have to have an interview

[kovan]

they make a LOT of money

like this guy, i swear he is not half intelligent as i am (i dont consider myself intelligent at all)

he is making about 8 times as i do

he just told me got this guy a job with this company
and the company paid him 55K JUST FOR ONE PERSON

waaaaaaaaaaaaat

[Gary.Lowe]

When I got the job I am currently in the agency got 25% commisson.

They might as well have told them 'Ere pal heres me address the back door will be open, the combination to the safe is 1234'.

[kovan]

but see the problem is
companies are in NEED

another friend of mine works for a IT company
his company was giving out 25k bonus for every new employee hired that they refered
he made 125k right from that

when your in need, you pay a lot

[chrismitchell]

All agencies are *******s

[Gary.Lowe]

A lot of them have no idea about the IT industry either. The company knows what they are looking for why don't they post an add on a job website themselves. surely must be cheaper to pay someone in the company than paying all this commision

[chrismitchell]

I think that companies should post jobs in a magazine or something like that because then the Agencies don't get any money.

[FATBOYPEE]

Seems like UK Agencies are worst though.....

They seem to all be fly-boys with no understanding of the market or the requirements...duuuuuh wots FeeeB ? duuuuuh.... wots activeX ? Fancy a job in AS400 then ???


Seems prevalent now to tell contractors that companies recognise the slump and are now only paying 35 pounds an hour rather than the 40. Olny they're still billing the company the same. I asked my agent if he does this and why, and after much badgering all I got out of him was its because there are fewer jobs around the agencies push up their mark up at the expense of the contractors rate !!!!!

Wa**nka's ?? surely not.....

PbP

[Gary.Lowe]

I think a lot of it is there are so many cowboy agencies about. This is the reason they are stuggling.

In addition companies are probably getting pissed off with agencies sending them crap candidates because the agents are clueless to the industry.

An agency moved into the same offices as the company I work for. There are 2 girls that work there and they have no IT knowledge whatsoever.

Can't be good!

[FATBOYPEE]

Ok, so if there's a good vs bad list of agents, any chance of some names ?

my experience is good ones are like gold dust, ones where IT knowledge is good, even more hard to find. But it's not even that is it, it's the underhand sell-your-ass mentality that they have...get my guy in regardless of the skill-fit, the contractor/candidate has to be very vigilant about what he can and cant do....the agency doesn't git a fig ! they give you crap about 'if you don't perform I don't get paid so its in my interest blah blah'....

one fella here had his rate worked out by the agent who just 'happened' to use the wrong exchange rate when getting him to sign up....turns out this chap is +100 quid worse off per week because of it... ooops looks like a real error...

they are truely all gits in some regard or other, its the nature of the business...

some other guy here, bin a contractor some 15 years has them taped...

he looks at it as if he has to negotiate hard with the company then hard with the agent.... even gets the agent to cut his commission ! Now, that's confidence, he tells me it's simple, first secure the offer, then beat the crap out of the agent till he has to give in, tells me it works every time...

He may have a point...

FBP

[Paul Warren]

Guys, there's no such thing as a good agency. They are all complete and utter ******s but we're forced to use them because companies can't be bothered sifting through CV's. Although in the end the agencies send them so many unsuitable candidates that they end up doing it anyway ! Gaz - I had an agent do the same thing to me, ignoring me for a couple of months then phoning all the time saying how good the job was. I did the same thing as you - f**ked him off. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Where's Guv anyway, he used to be one of them ? Whats' his opinion ?

[Sundance Kid]

Dammit, I hate those AGENCIES. I hope they all burn in h@ll.

I was looking for a job these past months. I'm also sure they post fake jobs, just to get a reply.

But let me tell you guys the best. I went to the one agency. She phoned me later that week with a job. I told her my SALARY requirements. Nothing less that x amount a month. I go the interview, they offer less than I receive now.(the reason I quited). Man, Was I pi$$ed @ her. I had to drive 100km to the place and they offered me less that I receive now. She said it wasn't her client, it was here collegue's client.

They don't care about you. They just want their money. No matter if you have to drive 400km a day for the "new" job. It is a "great oppertunity".

That was just one of the many stories.

But there is one agency that I must admit is very good. Got a job twice from them with the right salary. And both the jobs was the first interview.

But the rest can burn!

[Gary.Lowe]

I reckon a sister site should be set up on this one where companies can look at who's available for a jobs or post job adds.

There's so many of us using this site we can promote it in our own companies and get rid of ****e agencies.

Companies want developers, what better way to recruite than a developer site.

[FATBOYPEE]

Howbout it ?

Conceptualise it, then , all in favour say Aye ! Non profit making, portal for each country..... Enough expertise here to build the best effing site ever !

Set up a working group, forum topic for what/would'nt be in it...

The potential, given the anger on this thread is immense...

Title: ????

Design ??

Hosting ???

Be a hot project that...

[Paul Warren]

Now that is a damn good idea.

[Gary.Lowe]

Who's up for it then

F*%k all these cowboy's off and do it properly.

Like FBP said. There's enough talent here to make it work.

[FATBOYPEE]

For my 10p... count me IN !

PBF

[Gary.Lowe]

Alright then

I will post a thread in project requests.