Recruitment agency advice needed

lcstress2012

I got an email about a retail management job that fits my skills, it reads “ thanks for your application, I want to give you a ring so we can chat some more about your job search. Look forward to hearing from you “.

Now I never rang this morning as I was working, what should I say or ask? Recruitment agencies always say “our client a leading grocery retailer”, should I ask them who the client is or wait for interview ?

_Brian

They are plenty of chancers in the recruitment business trying lots of angles to get people through their books and claim a few quid on them.

Many (if not most) advertise non existent jobs to gather cvs so any other odd behaviour to get people sucked in is to be expected.

ShaShaBear

Second what Brian is saying. My husband had a bad run-in with one in particular where he got called in for an interview with the agency about a specific job he applied for. She rang all three of his references afterwards and then told him he had the job and they were just arranging a start date. Weeks later after he called to say he had gotten offered another job she begged him to reconsider. She unwillingly gave the name of the company that the job he "got" was supposedly with, and they confirmed there was no position, nor was she in touch with them. Purely to get his details and the promise of the job was intended to stop him looking elsewhere.

JennyZ

My advice would be to avoid them completely.

daheff

also some ask you for references at the outset because they want to approach those people to try to drum up more jobs.


do not give reference details without a job offer on the table.

daheff

JennyZ wrote: »

My advice would be to avoid them completely.

if only it was that easy.


they are a necessary evil nowadays.

witchgirl26

OP I've had mixed experiences with recruitment agencies but one of the main things I've learnt is that it costs nothing to have a chat to them over the phone if you're actually looking for a role. They often have jobs that you can't apply direct for. That said I wouldn't give them any reference information at all - the one I used for my current job only asked for my references when I'd been offered a role and he was still acting as an intermediary for both sides. There was no question of them before that. And it terms of using it to scout for jobs, a good one will ask is it ok to talk to your current employer before they contact in regards that.

They'll have to tell you who the client is before the interview but they may leave this out of the first conversation.

B.A._Baracus

Hi op, I have had a lot of dealings with recruitment agencies the last few months as have a few friends of mine too. Just to give you the jist of when you contact them:

- They'll get all your details and start asking you questions about your current role, skills, whats your ideal salary etc. You will think this is in regards to the new role but it's not. As said above, about 95% of the time there is no job. Just carrot dangling to get you on their books.
- When you ask about the job - Eg, whats the company name - you will be told how they cannot reveal that information just yet.
- In the end you'll never hear anything about this job ever again. You'll get weekly emails about other jobs (That maybe are real?)

All in all avoid recruitment agencies if you can. I have no time for them anymore.

qwerty13

To add: in my experience, if they can get you to give them your cv, they will litter it around companies that you may apply for. They do this so that they’re ‘in there first’ to get commission. They do it without the blindest care as to whether it is a role that you want / may be suitable for.

Be very careful what info you had over to them, and try to get the maximum info out of them. Remember that they’re not ‘you’re agent’ - they are just trying to place as many people as possible in order to earn the most commission that they can. They’ll put your details forward to any job where you might be remotely suitable - whether it’s a job that you want or not.

Skatedude

Perfectly normal when looking for jobs in the tech industry. employment agencies will often ring for additional information. I's be more worried if they didn't.

That's how I have gotten every tech position I've ever had over the last 20 years, They have rang me about the job and then later offered me the vacancy. The majority of tech jobs advertised are through agencies and often don't list the actual company.

Don't know why people would think otherwise.

Farmer Bob

lcstress2012 wrote: »

it reads “ thanks for your application, I want to give you a ring so we can chat some more about your job search. Look forward to hearing from you “.?

Let me translate that for you:
"January is a slow month, so the boss has us ringing around for some sales leads"

Expect to be pumped for current and previous employers, managers names, direct phone numbers and emails, etc...

lcstress2012 wrote: »

Recruitment agencies always say “our client a leading grocery retailer”, should I ask them who the client is or wait for interview ?

"Can you send us an up-to-date copy of your CV before we get into details of the client?" See above.

yermanoffthetv

Id agree with all the above. Trust them as far as you can throw them.

A good few years ago I applied for an administrative position in a University through a well known recruitment agency. Met with the agency representative and had a thorough chat about my qualifications and experience from previous roles,she took plenty of notes and basically said I was a shoe in for the job and she'd put me forward for the position. Few weeks passed and nothing. Rang up the University itself to inquire only to find out the role was an internal only position and was not advertised outside the department. They were actually quite concerned to find out it was being advertised publicly. Never used one again, complete waste of time.

They're only there to mine information and contact details from your CV which they probably sell on to marketing companies.