Candidates

A question about : Candidates

I recently went for an interview for a role through an agency (company 1). I also went for an interview for a role which I found myself (company 2). Both called me back for second interviews however company 2 offered me the role before I got to the second interview for company 1. I delayed giving them an answer and went for the 2nd interview with the other job.

That afternoon, I called the agency and said that I would need an answer that day as I had been offered another role and had to also give them an answer. The agent asked me where the role was so I told him. Within one hour, he was on the phone to company 2 to tell them he had a number of candidates suitable for the role they were trying to fill

Luckily, I knew someone at company 2 and she knew that I was using this agency so she told me. I called them and accepted their role and emailed the agent to tell him that I didn't want his role and that I knew he had called!!

This is just a little warning to others who are using agencies - do not tell them ANYTHING that they do not need to know. They are ruthless and will stab you in the back.

Addition to the above, added 12/12/10
You may not have time to get through the large amount of posts on here so I will summarise for you.

Recruitment Agencies are there to make money from you. This may seem obvious but if you keep this in mind throughout your dealings with them, you will keep one step ahead.

When they question you about your other job applications, they are going to use this information to send other candidates to that company, possibly for the role you are applying for.

They are not asking you because they are interested in you - they are NOT interested in you.

Recruitment agencies can be useful, especially for temporary work, but they DO NOT need to know about your other job applications to put you forward for jobs with their clients. So what if your CV gets submitted twice? The client is intelligent enough to know that if they use agencies and also advertise, they will get repeat CVs. This cannot be of detriment to you so do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

Give the agencies only essential information needed to register and apply for jobs. Any other information that they try and coax from you is purely for their benefit, not yours.

Keep this in mind and you should not find yourself in the position I did.

PS. There are one or two trolls appearing throughout this thread so use your common sense when reading!

Best answers:

• name and shame
• The agency is Hays but I suppose I had better not name the agent. Located in the Oxfordshire region!
• They all do that. It's common practice to try and poach jobs if they can. And if you put references down often they'll contact them to try and get them to take people.
• I too have had some really bad experiences with Hays, but also some very good experiences.
  In this area, it is very common for the consultants to switch agencies every couple of years or so.
  Every one of the jobs I have had in the last 10 years have been via one recruitment agencies or another.
• Welcome to the real world. All recruitment agencies must be struggling in this downturn. Most companies are just advertising through their own website or through newspapers. It is much cheaper than paying Ј3k or less to use recruitment agencies.
• Hays have tried to convince me in the past that I'd been lied to and didn't have an interview with a company... and them promise to sort it out with the company and get me an interview. I'd told them not to contact the company on my behalf as I was already entered and they did anyway so I was very annoyed and made a complaint via the other agency who did get me the interview.
  The then tried to claim the placement fee for me when I got the job through the other agency. I refused to work with that agency ever again.
• It's true, agencies can't be trusted as far as you can throw them but for the likes of me, they are a necessary evil. Every job I have had in the last 10 years or so has been through an agency.
  Hays too tried to burn me after I had already secured a job and had already started. I once got the job through a different agency but happened to be registered with Hays also, who were also trying to fill that same role.
  No doubt they felt sour grapes that they never considered me for the job but a different agency did and I got it!
  Hays called up the HR dept of the company I joined saying "We know sujman very well, worked with him before and we are surprised that you have taken him on as we didn't think he was good enough, hence we never put him forward ourselves! Are you sure that he will stay as our experience with him is that he is looking for something different."
  Needless to say, I found out and made a complaint with the body that supposedly manages recruitment agencies and their practises but nothing came of it. So now, I never share any information with any agency about anything they don't already know!
• sujman - I had a very similar experience with Hays.
  Hays and another agency wanted to put me forward for a role, as I had been messed about with Hays (they were only giving me very short term assignments and not paying me properly for them) I declined and went with the other agency, with whom I had a brilliant experience with.
  I got the job and a few weeks in Hays had phoned up my manager enquiring whether the position had been filled, when they found out it was me they bad mouthed to my manager about me, saying I was incapable of doing that role and I had let them down on numerous occasions (not true)
  I complained too but never had a response, not that I am bothered now as I've been there for a year in a permanent role and the company now refuses to deal with Hays for any of their recruitment as a result.
• My hate for agencies is well documented on these forums ,but talk about sinking lower than a snakes belly! Good luck LillyDeTilly by the way, and well done for posting the warning on here.
  My Mrs. used to work for a recruitment agency and she would tell me some stories about how they operate. The reality is that many consultants are under immense pressure to achieve targets and they will do anything to realise their goals - usually at the expense of the people seeking work - but that is no excuse.
  Unfortunately, as someone has suggested already, they are a necessary evil as many companies use them for their staffing needs and I have heard some awful experiences from the guys I used to induct - basically, they were treat like crap - which was a shame as there was some great lads and very conscientious workers. Thankfully, our company recognised this and many obtained full time work so at least they only had to endure being treat with contempt for a relatively short period.
  Sadly, many are not as lucky.
• It looks as if my original post on this thread was deleted by the Mods over my choice of words which I consider not offensive in describing the majority of recruitment agency staff...so here goes again and hope mods are now happy.
  The Majority of recruitment agency staff are not really the nicest of people.They use people who register with them for their own needs .when they have given up on them and can't really offer them any hope in trying to get them work, they will cold call you and ask who have you had interviews with,contact names and all job applications etc. Infact you end up helping them get their commission by giving them job leads but they don't want to help you.
  I have totally given up on these people and try and get interviews through a direct speculative approach.
• It was a recruitment agency which gave me my lucky break - a 3 month contract which lasted for 3 years which lead to a permanent job elsewhere. So I can't dis them too much.
  They used to 'cold call' me too - though just to check on my job status and whether I was still looking. I never got asked about job applications and I learnt not to mention other agencies. There is a lot of competition and professional jealousy between agencies. Often they are marketing the same job.
  One just has to be aware that recruitment agencies exist to earn commission on workers placed in employment. They are not good fairies looking to find you work. They play a three way game and if there is a dispute between you and your employer, you the worker will usually come last. Plus in my experience, they are not beyond embellishing the job somewhat - like telling the candidate there is a big chance the job will be long term when they know very well it's only for a few days.
• As said, agencies are a necessary evil sometimes. You would think that in this economic climate there would be less employers willing to pay agency commission, but this is offset by employers choosing agencies rather than offer a staff job which they may not be able to sustain.
• I think you were pretty silly in revealing the details of the second company IMHO. You could have seriously damaged your own chances. I never let one agency or the other know about anything I have got going on. They will do this all the time.
  I also never provided them with references until I have been with the prospective employer for an interview either verbal or in person. If they are requested then and I have a copy of the contract then I shall divulge the references. Agencies understand that and know how many times people have been burnt by giving their references to other agents so if the job offer is true they wont mind waiting.