The Temp Agency Thread: Whinge & Moan Here

[fabulous_girl 10]

Its hilarious how they say, "I've got a potential job for you, now its NOT a call centre..." when it quite obviously is a call centre. I just had a bit of an argument with a recruitment consultant about this. I'm not naming any names because that would be naughty!

 

She placed me in this place last year, I was there a week before I got offered an unpaid work experience in an industry I actually wanted to work in, and this new job wouldn't let me work for them part time, so I left to do the work experience as it was more valuable to me, which worked out well as I actually ended up with a paid contract for 4 months getting some really worthwhile experience. It was a very small company who couldn't afford to keep me on all year but they said they might need me back, but now it looks like the company is closing down so I won';t be going back. I'd kind of been biding my time to find out if I was to go back there, so now I have to find something else. I rang round lots of agencies and managed to secure a position for a few weeks starting Monday, but because I had already emailed and called all these agents, they are now calling me back!

 

Just had a call from the agent that put me in this workplce last year. She said would I be interested in going back there, I said I really wasn't interested in call centres and she got all arsy and defensive, "It's NOT a call centre, not at all"....well, I worked there! and I know people who work/ed there and call it a call centre! Then the conversation went like this:

Her: So when I last spoke to you, you were leaving Virgin to go back to university.

Me: Umm, no I haven't gone back to university and I was never planning to

Her: In my notes, i've put that you were no longer looking for work because you were going back to university

Me: I never said that because I never was, you must have misconstrued something I said

Her: I didn't

Me: Well, i'm not lying

Her: I'm not accusing you of lying

 

She ended up saying to call when I did need her again, but it really riled me that she got her notes wrong and tried to make out I lied?!

 

Some seem really decent, like they genuinely want to find you the work you want to do and others just want to place you anywhere so that they get their commission

[lucy_morritt 10]

Hi to everyone, I can understand that there is some bad agencies out there and it is hard. But I have worked for an agency before, it is hard for them too, this was a good agency too, down in Devon. People seem to forget that they have lots of people calling, emailing, faxing and coming in looking for work. To justice to every single one of them is difficult, which I would hope everyone can appreciate. Some agencies I agree do act inappropriately - but in my previous job I managed to find myself in an employment agency I consider to be fair.

And people seem to forget how frustrating people get when you a client gives you a job, you find some one "desperate to work" in their own words, a temporary to permanent well paid job and they dont turn up. Letting you and the client down, and then they call in the next week begiging for more work to feed their baby, and you just wonder why they didnt turn up, and havent called since or returned your messages.

I know they can be frustrating but please do think about what they do do for candidates.

[mickyboy 10]

I'm actually working but in a quite tedious job which I have to be grateful for, after being made redundant, however like most people I'm always on the lookout for something better.

I've discovered a new game for anyone with time on their hands .

Each time a new / different job appears in Pertemps window on Arundel Gate pop in and ask about it and say you want to apply.

Chances are no matter how long the vacancy has been in the window be it ten minutes or ten days, .... Blow me it's "just" been filled.

Then ask them

1, Was it a real job.

Or 2, If its been filled why is it still being advertised.

 

If everyone did this then these pompous B---s------- working in these agencies will get the message about having their time wasted, and building up peoples hopes with false promises.

[grafikhaus74 10]

Agencies are an utter waste of space, peopled by young folk doing their first 'proper' job and the turnover is vast.

 

Yes the jobs advertised in the window will usually have 'just gone' (bit like travel agencies) to get you in there.

 

Why do firms bother with them? Usually so they can override the employment laws and sack/discipline people on a whim as they are usually classed as 'temporary workers'.

 

Why do agencies waste people's time? I'm pretty sure it's to harvest as many CVs as possible with a view to getting into the lucrative post-school/pre-lifetime on benefits 'training market'.

 

I find the worst is mysheffieldjobs.co.uk

 

They take all the worst aspects of the recruitment game and distil it down to it's lowest common denominator -

 

Jobs still up, when the closing date has passed weeks/months ago

Ads for Red Driving School for Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley and Chesterfield. Five entries in all. I think this is where Brown gets his '600,000 vacancies' crap from.

Ads for 'Train to be a Plumber.' FFS these aren't jobs, they're training schemes!

[mao19 10]

Hi

 

I've had a lot of experience with agencies and they are definately not all the same. I would recommend Sue Ross Recruitment. They are only small but they fit the job to you and not the other way round. There's no trying to send you to jobs that don't match your skills or experience.

 

I've just signed up with them again as I've just been made redundant from my part time job. Fortunately I can still earn some money as I also while run my own business part-time as a sole trader.

 

Mao

Assist-u.co.uk

(Admin Services)

[chris1983 10]

You're very welcome.

 

 

 

This might make you feel a bit better.

 

I was working through an agency a couple of years ago as a bit of a stop-gap after I'd been made redundant. After I'd been on my assignment for about 4 weeks, I noticed I'd been short paid, so I called to query why.

 

My 'manager' at the agency told me that he'd not paid me for a days holiday that had been on my timesheet, because I'd not cleared it with them first. The fact that I'd cleared it with the guy I was actually working for apparently had nothing to do with it. I was really annoyed when I realised they had actually done it on purpose.

 

Anyways, fast forward two or three months to me getting a perm job at the place I was temping at - only I got a job two grades higher than my current boss. Suddenly the guy from the agency couldn't do enough for me, as I had several members of staff on my books through them.

 

This will sound petty, but I had fun for the next few months whenever the agency guy would pop to see me. Whenever he asked me how I was, I would always say 'fine, than you' without asking how he was. I also twice told him I was too busy to see him when he could see I wasn't. After a few months the agency moved him to another city, and when he told me he was leaving, I just said 'well, that is good news' while smiling.

 

I know he hated having to be nice to me, and I loved every second of it.

 

 

so moral of the story is that you ended up being a big an ar$ehole as the guy you are slagging off!

[fabulous_girl 10]

Benchmark email me every week to tell me to recommend a friend for a reward....all very well, but why would I recommend a friend when they've never found me even a days work!?

[alternageek 10]

Back on the job hunt. Really want to name and shame a place I just had to deal with as its left me VERY irrate.

 

Called yesterday about a job posted on monster.co.uk. Asked to speak to the person who posted the job up and was advised oh he doesnt handle those types of applications anymore you need to speak to XYZ. Said I couldnt do that as I was at work and calling on my dinner break and just asking about where the job was, etc. Gave her my details and she said the job was near by. Advised me to email it to XYZ and they would give me a ring.

 

This morning I take the time out to update my details and write a decent cover email letter explaining who I was and that I wanted THAT job that was posted to monster. The email address failed, so I sent it to the details on monster posting. I called the agency today to chase up and was advised no such job exists in their database for Sheffield. The person I emailed was also off today and not around to confirm if the email was received or not.

 

Now then, surely it HAS to be illegal to post jobs that dont exist? I was clear to the woman on the phone yesterday that it THAT job I was interested in. I even said to her, no offense I dont need you to do my job search as I already have a job and perfectly capable of finding work on my own. Im just irrate and angry that my details have just been 'farmed' and now going to be harrassed by someone I dont wish to have contact with.

 

If they ring me monday morning, Ill just advise to remove my details from their system as they posted a job that never existed and thus obtained my details illegally.

 

UGH.

[happy days 10]

all agencys must be the same cos iv worked for a couple of them that do construction and after been told im kitchen fitting by the agency i end fitting bath panels and fitting pipe boxins , they tell you what you want to hear

[m^rk 11]

This will probably be removed but i couldn't give a damn anymore after they way i have been treated if i were you would avoid the Agency Staff Sign:rant: like the plaugue i applied for a warehouse job through the direct gov website i phoned a woman up at staff sign about the job on mon the 21st and was told that it was a permanent job 7-1 Mon-Fri needless to say it didn't work out like that i started on Tues the 2nd Sept they made me work from 6.45-5pm:rant which was not in the description and then on the friday the 25th me & the rest of the lads that started that week got voicemails and phonecalls telling us that the work had finished.

 

Now i have been left well & truelly in a mess financially :(because of this disgrace of an agency i have got in contact with my local MP in Derbyshire & i have contacted the Sheffield Star they will be doing an article soon.

 

The reason i contacted my MP and the Star is because i am sick of Agencys and companys thinking they can treat us the workers like a piece of something they have just stepped in and it's about time this Government clamped down on these so called agencys and make sure they act in a fair & proper manner.

Edited October 6, 2009 by m^rk

[small_hall 10]

travail are the stupidest agency in the world.