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  • #16
    Can I add Manpower to the list of agencies to be keel-hauled with great prejudice?

    This bunch of wankers were not so wankery in 2010-2011 - I managed to have work for about half of each of those years. None lasting for longer than six weeks though, of course.

    Then mid 2011 they moved all their centres to London. Now the uppity arrogant twats who answer the phones have no idea who I am, what I'm looking for or where I am - every time I ring to ask for work, half the time the number rings once then goes 'number disconnected' or they sniff and go 'oh we have nothing to match YOUR experience!!' Their emails keep offering stuff in SURREY. For minimum wage.

    And since then only one person I know has actually received anything of worth from them - my Housemate. The same day they tell me they have nothing they're able to turn around and offer her yet another long-term full-time admin job in our home city. Fucking pissy liars. Housemate isn't pleased when I bitch because she feels bad that Manpower are giving her preferential treatment - she's tried to ask on my behalf before, especially for roles where they've been asking for more than one person, only to be told 'make her call us instead, in this world you need to be selfish!!' - then when I call less than a minute later, oh no, no jobs there, not had any for weeks.

    *shoots*

    I don't trust agencies. Manpower can go and DIAF. All the others are either completely useless or require ridiculous amounts of concurrent experience before they would even accept you, ignoring the vicious cycle of experience which they are helping to propogate. Housemate has found a small local one; I've told her I'm not trusting them until or unless they actually do something.
    "...Muhuh? *blink-blink* >_O *roll over* ZZZzzz......"

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    • #17
      Quoth SongsOfDragons View Post
      Can I add Manpower to the list of agencies to be keel-hauled with great prejudice?

      I don't trust agencies. Manpower can go and DIAF. All the others are either completely useless or require ridiculous amounts of concurrent experience before they would even accept you, ignoring the vicious cycle of experience which they are helping to propogate. Housemate has found a small local one; I've told her I'm not trusting them until or unless they actually do something.
      Also add Office Angels UK to the useless pile. They only seem to be able to give really low paying jobs, give you incorrect job descriptions and wrong address/directions.

      Told me the job was corporate reception. So I turn up to the building and it was the wrong place. Get sent to the correct place, after having to ask people for directions. The corporate reception job was actually inbound call centre and processing for the NHS.

      Too many loud concerts have left me not able to be on the phone all day every day. Which I had told them multiple times. I was there for 6 weeks doing the internal office work and never being on the phone. It was the last job I did with them. Stupid numpties.

      I have heard good things about Huntress. I know they are in London but I'm not sure where else they are. I was going to join them, but I got a job with a company I had temped at.
      A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read. - Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

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      • #18
        Interesting stories about the shady side of recruiting companies.

        And it makes for an interesting idea. I'm wondering if we need a way to rate recruiting/staffing companies, so we know in advance which ones to avoid.

        It's a thought.

        On another note, I'm really really glad that I'm not the only person who's experience with AeroTek et al was so horrendously bad. Makes me feel better for shutting them down straight away.

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        • #19
          A website that ranks, criticises and warns you about agencies? Brilliant. It could be like Clients From Hell...

          Blue Ginger - *ties Office Angels to the stake with the others, then pours a bucket of mini snapping robocrabs over their head* Yup they suck arse too. Two years concurrent experience and NO UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE. Nope the one in Soton wouldn't take you if you were OUT OF WORK. Proved you were too much of a twit to hold down a job apparently. Bastards. Housemate and I went F that S and left; all the news we've got since then is just roundly bad. Angels my foot!!
          "...Muhuh? *blink-blink* >_O *roll over* ZZZzzz......"

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          • #20
            I'm having a similar issue right now. The company's name is Celebrity; any one heard of them?

            Have applied a couple of times to jobs they had advertised. Never got a call back while the ad was up, but a month or two later they'll call me to see whether I'd be interested in having them represent me for other, temp work. Yeah, okay, I'm going to be working temp when I move ('cause gods forbid somebody give me an actual job when I've been looking for three years, ya know?), so why not?

            Well, actually, here's why not.

            1) On one of those advertised jobs, the ad could have been written *from my resume*. I was *perfect* for that job. I had *exactly* what the ad said they wanted. Never got a call.

            2) I've done their 'testing' for their temp workers twice now. They've lost both sets of results. Both. Sets. Not doing them again.

            So, yeah, not feeling the love here. Not feeling the *competence*, actually. Can't help believing that working with them would seriously suck, and can't help believing that the jobs they'd offer me would seriously suck as well.

            Bastards.

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            • #21
              told them to never contact me again, explained why, and, for the most part, they've honored that.

              Today, they called again.
              I'd say, you don't owe them any explanation. You terminated your business with them and told them never to call back again.

              Perhaps reminding them of this request isn't out of line?


              Quoth Shalom View Post
              Can you apply to the company directly? I know that when a temp agency places you somewhere you can't take the job directly, because this cuts them out of their commission, but if they're abrogating their half of the agreement, I don't see why you need to keep to yours.

              Alternatively, call the agency and inquire about this "new job" they've just posted...
              When I worked with a temp agency the policy was that we were suppose to notify them if we were contacted for a direct hire. And that we were not allowed to directly apply to any company the agency represented. With the exception of applications we had already submitted before signing on with the temp agency.

              However at the same time, I found out that some companies would let you apply directly but... they took the temp agency people first.
              Last edited by PepperElf; 06-26-2012, 03:53 PM.

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              • #22
                Damn me for a fool.

                Aerotek called me with a job offer again today. This time, it's close by and it pays more than the 'make-do' job I've been working.

                I accepted and start Friday morning.

                What the f*ck is WRONG with me?! Am I really this desperate?

                It would appear so.

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                • #23
                  No, you're not a fool, or desperate. If they're being sincere, and you're getting a wothwhile job out of them, why would you say no?

                  I was in a luxurious position, honestly. At the time I made the request, they were sandwiched among around a dozen other recruiters trying to get in touch with me, and I had another half-dozen sitting in an "active" folder, that I'd been actively talking to. That made it quite easy to make the request.

                  If I'd been without any contacts, and they were the first, would I have said "go away"? I don't know. I like to think so, but I don't know.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Interesting reading about the near-frauds and so on in this thread. Today while skimming the local paper I spotted an ad from an international call centre (or so it appears from their website). As with most websites, you have to register to do anything, so I registered. Then I started spiffying up my resume, trying to write a cover letter (which I suck at), and so on.

                    Within the hour I get a call from the company.

                    This despite the fact they have NOT YET received my resume and cover letter, nor have I taken their little assessment tests (one 10 minutes long and the other 25 minutes) -- but they're calling me.

                    I rationalized it as their wish to hear how I sound on the phone but ... it still seems peculiar. Will be interesting to see whether I hear anything further from them once they read my CL and find out I'm going to be a fulltime student this fall.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Quoth Pixilated View Post
                      I rationalized it as their wish to hear how I sound on the phone but ... it still seems peculiar. Will be interesting to see whether I hear anything further from them once they read my CL and find out I'm going to be a fulltime student this fall.
                      It DOES sound peculiar. Don't keep us in suspense! Tell us how this works out!

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Quoth Pedersen View Post
                        No, you're not a fool, or desperate. If they're being sincere, and you're getting a wothwhile job out of them, why would you say no?

                        I was in a luxurious position, honestly. At the time I made the request, they were sandwiched among around a dozen other recruiters trying to get in touch with me, and I had another half-dozen sitting in an "active" folder, that I'd been actively talking to. That made it quite easy to make the request.

                        If I'd been without any contacts, and they were the first, would I have said "go away"? I don't know. I like to think so, but I don't know.
                        Well, I'm all in now. Gave my notice at the agency that sent me to the 'make-do' job. Problem is, they wanted 72 hours' notice and they only got 12, so now I'm blacklisted there. I couldn't give them more notice without being certain about the new job offer, which was confirmed and signed this morning. But....

                        I cannot shake this nauseous feeling that I've made a horrible mistake trusting Aerotek a second time. I'm hopeful the new job will work out, but if it tanks like the last time I worked for Aerotek, I am so incredibly screwed that Webster will have to revise the definition.

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                        • #27
                          One I wanted to send to a headhunter today.....

                          "Dear Mr. Idiot Slave Trader:

                          What makes you think I would leave a stable full-time job (that I happen to love) and part-time job (that I like) to move to a city 500 km away for an 8-month stint as a Level 1 support person? If you have read my resume (as you claimed), you will see I did that for a very short time. There's a reason for it - I hated it.

                          Now, please piss off.

                          Sincerely
                          Bandit"

                          As others have said, most do a key word search.

                          I've had good luck with the headhunters as my last 4 jobs have come through a couple of agencies, but there is very little wheat amongst the chaff out there.

                          B
                          "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."- Albert Einstein.
                          I never knew how happy paint could make people until I started selling it.

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                          • #28
                            I had one agency who had a role and it was below my current 'wanted' pay. Well the company put up the pay banding so the agency called me. It went something like this:

                            Agency: We have a Credit Controller role near X, paying Y, industry Z. blah blah blah..
                            Me: Is that Company A? I'm already due to attend an interview with them.
                            A: Yes, but you can't have an interview already, they only use us!
                            M: Well I do.
                            A: Well we can put you forward and get you a *real* interview.
                            M: No, I don't give you permission to speak to them about me at all. I'm already sorted for this one thank you!

                            (10 minutes later Agency calls back)
                            A: We've spoken to them and they confirmed you don't have an interview. We can still set one up for you.
                            M: No, I told you not to contact them regarding me and I don't believe you. I do have an interview confirmed in writing with them and I find your continued attitude unprofessional.
                            A: Well you don't.
                            M: goodbye. (click).

                            So I attended the interview (yes, they were expecting me.) and get the job. The Agency then contest that they should be paid a placement fee rather than the correct agency... They were told where to go! The agency that I did get the interview through reported the other one to the 'governing body'.

                            (That employer turned out to be a bit... dodgy... so I perhaps should have seen the warning signs in the fact that they lied to the agency about whether they were using other agencies or not and whether I had an interview. However I was so annoyed that they had contacted them in the first place as that could have mucked up my chance at that job.
                            I am so SO glad I was not present for this. There would have been an unpleasant duct tape incident. - Joi

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                            • #29
                              Oh, a second one.

                              I did a temp to perm placement at one place and was employed by the company. The agency rang me a few weeks later and left a voicemail saying they had a potential role for me. So I rang them back:

                              RA: Hello... S Agency... P Speakiing.

                              M: Hello.. I believe you tried to call me?

                              RA: Yes, I was trying to establish what your current status is... I have a possible role for you.

                              M: Yeah, I'm a little confused by that. Your system should already have that information as you placed me with my current employer and signed off a permanent contract (after a temp to perm placement) a month ago!

                              RA: Urrr... Urrr.. Oh, i wasn't here then... I know we were having IT problems... Which company is this then?

                              M: X company. You might have them as Y company.

                              RA: Oh, ok, yes... ok, well that was an IT issue. I'll make sure your records are corrected.

                              M: Oh, good. I thought it would be. After all I couldn't see you guys trying to poach staff from a company who have 30+ temps with you every week. *polite laughs*

                              RA: *gulps* no... we wouldn't do that! ever!

                              M: I know! Have a good weekend P!

                              RA: You too!

                              *snigger*
                              I am so SO glad I was not present for this. There would have been an unpleasant duct tape incident. - Joi

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Anyone have any experiences with PSG? The office in my city was useless. I went in after losing my job with The Jerk in the misguided hopes that I would actually get some IT work (I was actually responding to a job posting that at the time seemed perfect for me). Still on the fence about going back there now that I have more under my belt...probably be considered overqualified.

                                The first thing I noticed was the VERY LOUD phone bank mere yards from the area where people had to take computer tests. Every so often a bell would ding and everyone at the phones would cheer. Not sure what that was about...

                                The guy that interviewed me never actually read my resume and was asking me questions that were answered on the page in front of him. Then there was the bait-and-switch "This job isn't available, but we do have something [below my skill level and not paying enough]" I tried fishing for info on the company (could have been any one of a dozen companies in that area) so I could apply directly should I want to, that didn't work.
                                "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                                "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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