If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Employment agencies - bag o'shite
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Work & Study
I'm not normally one to rant but I've got to let rip with this one.
I simply despise my job. I won't go in to the reasons why but I've been looking around for new work and have been looking at some employment agencies.
I first went to Reed. I saw plenty of jobs in their window which I could see I was qualified for, and some said 'urgent'. I went in and registered.
After the sign-up procedure I was told they'd contact me as soon as they matched me up with something. 2 days later I'd heard nothing so called them up. Spoke to a woman who said it was "quiet this time of year" but would let me know if anything came in. When I pointed out the jobs they had in the window (especially the urgent ones) she told me "well the client hasn't told us when they need someone to start so for now we're just compiling a list of people ready for when they want someone".
I then asked why these jobs were considered 'urgent' to which she was rather evasive. Anyway that was 3 weeks ago and I've still heard nothing.
I then went on to Manpower. I told the receptionist I was desperate for work as soon as possible and could they help. She made an appointment for me to register. I came back for it and she took my details and told me they'd be in touch. I asked if they had anything and she also said "it's quiet this time of year". When I asked about they jobs they were advertising in the window she said "some of them don't actually exist - we have to sign up certain numbers of people from particular sectors per month". When I asked if that was legal she became quite defensive and said if anyone complains they'll just take the adverts down.
I then asked her if it's quiet "this time of year" then when was the busy period? She replied "It's hard to say, it can be any time".
I signed up with another 2 agencies, both of whom gave me the "it's quiet this time of year" line yet neither bothered to tell me this before I gave them my details, thereby potentially saving me time and hassle.
Finally I signed up with an agency yesterday called Jennifer Griffiths Recruitment. I spoke to the lady dealing with my sector and asked her if it was "quiet this time of year" as I didn't want to waste her time or mine. "No" she said "it's really busy right now, things are coming in all the time".
I was pretty much surprised at this (considering what all the others had said) so I signed up with them and she said she'd be in touch. I phoned them today and asked her what was on offer and she said "It's funny because nothing has come in at all".
I mentioned how odd it was that "things were coming in all the time" before I signed with them, and now I was on their books it had all dried up.
She then said "no need for you to ring us, as soon as something comes in, we'll be in touch".
What a load of bollocks. I'd much rather them be honest and say "we need x amount of people to sign up, and if you aren't what we're looking for we'll just keep you hanging on".
I simply despise my job. I won't go in to the reasons why but I've been looking around for new work and have been looking at some employment agencies.
I first went to Reed. I saw plenty of jobs in their window which I could see I was qualified for, and some said 'urgent'. I went in and registered.
After the sign-up procedure I was told they'd contact me as soon as they matched me up with something. 2 days later I'd heard nothing so called them up. Spoke to a woman who said it was "quiet this time of year" but would let me know if anything came in. When I pointed out the jobs they had in the window (especially the urgent ones) she told me "well the client hasn't told us when they need someone to start so for now we're just compiling a list of people ready for when they want someone".
I then asked why these jobs were considered 'urgent' to which she was rather evasive. Anyway that was 3 weeks ago and I've still heard nothing.
I then went on to Manpower. I told the receptionist I was desperate for work as soon as possible and could they help. She made an appointment for me to register. I came back for it and she took my details and told me they'd be in touch. I asked if they had anything and she also said "it's quiet this time of year". When I asked about they jobs they were advertising in the window she said "some of them don't actually exist - we have to sign up certain numbers of people from particular sectors per month". When I asked if that was legal she became quite defensive and said if anyone complains they'll just take the adverts down.
I then asked her if it's quiet "this time of year" then when was the busy period? She replied "It's hard to say, it can be any time".
I signed up with another 2 agencies, both of whom gave me the "it's quiet this time of year" line yet neither bothered to tell me this before I gave them my details, thereby potentially saving me time and hassle.
Finally I signed up with an agency yesterday called Jennifer Griffiths Recruitment. I spoke to the lady dealing with my sector and asked her if it was "quiet this time of year" as I didn't want to waste her time or mine. "No" she said "it's really busy right now, things are coming in all the time".
I was pretty much surprised at this (considering what all the others had said) so I signed up with them and she said she'd be in touch. I phoned them today and asked her what was on offer and she said "It's funny because nothing has come in at all".
I mentioned how odd it was that "things were coming in all the time" before I signed with them, and now I was on their books it had all dried up.
She then said "no need for you to ring us, as soon as something comes in, we'll be in touch".
What a load of bollocks. I'd much rather them be honest and say "we need x amount of people to sign up, and if you aren't what we're looking for we'll just keep you hanging on".
0
Comments
Most jobs in the window don't exist, its all a ploy to get you in and on their books.
I refuse to use recruitment agencies. Try looking for jobs on totaljobs etc try avoiding the recruitment agencies and apply direct to companies.
And? I would still call. On a Monday morning, then again on a Thursday. Monday as it is the beginning of the week - new jobs may've come in and a Thursday as there may be something for the start of next week.
If you don't phone then they will forget about you. Make yourself known to them.
Another one is still trying to get my to sign up (I applied for a job through them on the reed website) and they wont take "no, bugger off" for an answer.
What I do object to are the ones who say nothing about it being 'quiet this time of year' when you sign up, or have plenty of vacancies in the window yet offer you none of them once you're on their books.
The smaller agencies are better. There's one in Newcastle I always used to use and because I always used them I got some good jobs through them. You do have to pester though, things don't fall in your lap.
Yep, I'm with a small local agency and I highly recommend them to anyone round here. Walked in, rang me with a job the same day. Absolutely wonderful to work for, never any problems, when I had some problems with my job and was really loathing it they took the time to listen and talk to me which I really appreciate. I've been in the same role since I started with them, but thats still more roles than Reed found me in a couple of years :thumb:
The trouble with signing up to agencies is that they have their old staff, who are higher priorities to get into work because they know what they're dealing with. As a new person on the books you do need to be phoning a couple of times a week, to ensure they remember you, get fed up of speaking to you and so decide to prioritise you over someone they've had there ages. It's all about showing commitment and desire to them.
But yep most of the jobs in their windows are fake....you'll find the exact same adverts still there in 12 months time! But unless you register there's not a chance they'll find you work, so even if they have nothing currently it's still worth registering with them.
e.g if you want to get into an IT job its really hard as everyone want to work in this sector so the agencies and companies have the pick of the bunch of the best people with experience or qualifications etc especially as a client has to pay a fee for you which are lots of pounds ££££.
The best bet is to sign up to the different websites and to look on the jobs newspaper and also be pro active and to write to comapnies who you would like to work for.
Thats how i got my current job as head of recruitment for a company, i phoned them and then wrote to them. they said they didnt have anything but would keep my cv on file and would contact me if something came up.
p.s remember this time of year is one of the worst times to look for a job as lots of people leave their jobs or plan to leave their jobs in the new year they just wait for xmas to be over so there is alot more people to compete against for jobs.
Good Luck though something will come up:thumb:
I went on one of the agency websites this morning and saw 3 jobs I'd be ideal for (I have 11 years' experience in this field) so I emailed them at 9am, applying for all 3.
By 11am I'd heard nothing which I guess is understandable if they're busy so I called them as a follow up to my application and was told all 3 positions had been filled. I asked why nobody had called me about them (when I registered with them I was told "don't worry, if anything comes in we'll call you straight away") the lady said "We can only call so many people, we have so many people on our books".
I couldn't fucking believe it! That may well be true, but in which case they should not have told me they'd call me if something came in! What they should have said was "If something comes in we'll call you if your name is near the top of the list".
But no, they'd rather this "Yes we have no banana" attitude. Why can't they just be honest?
Apologies to everyone for the language but I can't stand corporate bullshit.
It's up to you to do the donkey work just as you would with any other job. The temping agency make money by providing staff to companies; they don't make money by ringing round after their employees just to stop them whingeing.
If you are someone they know and trust you'll get told about things, but you have to become someone they know and trust. They have regular employees sent out because they know they can trust those employees. I was one of those regular employees in the temping agency I used to use, so I did get calls pretty much constantly.
They still ring me up now asking if I need work.:thumb:
In understand that totally, and don't have a problem with it. However what I do have a problem with is them saying they'll call me when they clearly don't intend to stick to that offer.
They want to privatise the WHOLE civil service? Where did this come from?
How do you think they make money?
Hint: they make money by filling vacancies for companies.
The common misconception is that temping agencies work for employees. They don't. They work for, and are paid by, employers looking for temporary staff. Employers pay the temping agency to do everything for them- HR, admin, tax- and the temping agency make a profit on that.
Temping agencies have no responsibility to jobseekers, and why should they?
They don't want to privatise the civil service but some areas of the civil service are being outsourced or staff transferred to arms-length agencies, particularly the replacement for the CSA. Some companies have got some big fat Government contracts, like Siemens, and that's a problem. Staffing levels are being cut by the Government, pay is being cut, which is why HMRC tax credit department and the DWP seem to be staffed almost entirely by knuckleheads now.
They have every interest in getting someone into a position. If they don't have interest they don't make money, its not rocket science.
If private companies take on jobseeking advice roles they'll get people into work otherwise they won't make money.
I agree that its very impersonal but that's not why temping agencies exist. Although a good temping agency will treat good staff well because good staff are hard to find.
My view is skewed because I only ever get to deal with DWP fuck-ups, but the fact that business is booming in my line of work (welfare benefits advice) and decisions are getting more random doesn't fill me with optimism about the quality of decision making in the DWP.
As for the HMRC tax credits people, they honestly couldn't run a bath. I don't think its personal incompetence, its more systemic than that, but HMRC are awful.
..
Now we're getting somewhere
I honestly have no problems with agencies not having any responsibility towards those looking for jobs. What I do have an issue with is when they pretend that they do. It's naive of me to expect an employment agency to be publically honest about their practises but I'll still make my stand against them.
Anyway I don't need to be bothered with them now - I've now been offered, and accepted, a job without their (lack of) help
For me they are practical employment because I don't mind what I do... call center/general paperwork assistant/tea maker etc and they pay weekly, which is a must for me.
I think that if you check out the agencie's website before signing up, you can get a much more accurate idea of what jobs they have available rather than looking in the window, as long as you accept that you may not be one of the people they call for the jobs advertised on-line.
So true, life gets in the way.
Who do I report them to?
New policy has come into play meaning each vacancy advertised bny Jobcentreplus that is placed by an agency has to have a mandatory tatement explaining on the job description that the vacancy is run by an agency.
I have loved the past few days telling agencies they have to have this statement on the vacancies from now on. They are not happy!