next »

[Jasper9]

Let's not forget though that at the end the author says: "There are many good agencies around of course."

And for every ONE "Good Agency" there are 100,000 Bad/Rogue Agencies -  Bottom feeding off the economy.

[Malcolm]

That's probably not quite an accurate ratio. 1 - 100,000. I agree their are some bad ones though.

[Jonathan]

That sounds a bit like something he had to say though.

[Jasper9]

Right!  lets get this straightend out.  Nice and clear.

Recruitment agencies.  Most people go and work for a big one like Hays Montrose or a locally successful one.   
They then learn the ropes and tricks and get trained and experienced.
They then team up with a mate, steal the CV database and contact everyone on it after a couple of years saying that you registered with their new firm a while ago and requesting an up to date CV as "they have some really great opportunities for experienced people like you"
They get up to date CV's and away they go.  They are now a recruitment agency!

All over the country 100's of agency employees are setting up in their spare bedrooms calling themselves initials like PRC, ABC, or names like "something" resource,  "something" Options, Team,

So we now have main agency businesses with inexperienced wa*kers working there and small one man operations with hardly any contacts hoping for a placement every couple of months to pay their mortgages.

Neither being any use for the jobhunter!

Whilst I concede that somewhere in the universe is a hard working honest recruitment agency employee who puts the candidates first and only advertises real jobs I find it hard not to laugh til I wet myself writing this

[Gota]

I don't necessarily disagree with you but - just for argument's sake - surely these smaller fly by night kind of agencies you speak of must get something done or they wouldn't exist.

Would they? 

[Jasper9]

One placement every TWO months is around £5k for VERY little work!

[Robin Tetley]

I may be reading you wrong but agencies don't get anywhere near 5K for each placement. My friend worked in one a few months ago and their average was £250 per placement.

[Jasper9]

It depends what agency, what industry and what position is being recruited at what given salary.

In Construction it is around £3k to £5k per placement.

The £250 you mention is probably what the agency gave your mate, not what they actually get!

[Jason]

You're both right, some get 17, or 20% of the salary offered but there are also ones that get £250, that's called flat fee recruitment.  I have no experience of the low priced flat fee recruiters though, I imagine you get what you pay for.r

[Bob]

You mean a monkey? 

[Jasper9]

The flat fee was around £500 to £750 per placing.  It was usually based on exclusivity. 
However now the recession is easing the greedy agencies are back to the percentages game.

By the way the amount of fee wont refelect on the candidates as the employer will employ who they want, not the best of a bad lot.

[Robin Tetley]

I assume in construction people have to be trained and have a certain amount of experience? Which is why I guess the larger fee?

[Jasper9]

And we should get larger salaries too! 

But yes, qualifications, training and a great deal of experience too. 
Some dopey bimbo in an agency with a degree in social studies or psychology isn't going to know who is the best candidate as they have NO IDEA what the job entails at all.
They dont even know that Hounslow is  LONDON!

[Robin Tetley]

Job hunting's certainly no fun is it...I'm doing that myself now. Very frustrating.

[paulkelly]

I think I've had direct experience of this. I remember being in the job centre a few years ago when I was unemployed and finding lots of jobs advertised on the "system" with a particular recruitment agency. I printed the ones off that I liked the sound of and when I called the agency they were eager for me to go in and register. When I did I was told that there was "nothing at the moment" but they'd be in touch. I assumed this meant that they were advertising fictional jobs purely to get people to register and then hoping to get them into a job later. Not good.

It is about time the JOB CENTRE banned recruitment agencies from using their system. 

well said mate most jobs i go for are from recruitment agencies with job centre plus
waste of time in my eyes or you will get 1 or 2 days work aweek
about 3 weeks ago i was told they have loads of work for me so i signed off
i got 2 days week in 2 weeks WASTE OF TIME