Best and Worst Recruitment Agencies

Suze XX · Joined: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 2

At this rate I think they are all awful, anything you apply for you just getting automated responses - which is about as useful now as an ashtray on a motorbike. I get the whole thing that they are getting inundated with CVs etc. but seriously a little bit of a "personal touch" and suiting positions with applicants experience and ability would not go astray!!!!

pestal · Joined: 24 Jun 2009 Posts: 11

ilovedogfood · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 4

this forum is meant to be about the best and worst recruitment agencies. Please leave the big dick contests at home...

Lupy · Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 67

Ok, so I agree that there are a hell of a lot of crap agencies out there that care only about earning cash and not about their candidates. There is no excuse for these people (and their managers), they deserve everything you have all said about them.

However, as I see it, this forum is meant to inform job seekers of where those people are based and also where the good ones are (yes, we do exist).

It seems to have developed into personal attacks which really isn't constructive.

And before you all start on me again, I have worked for the large 'main stream' agencies and that taught me exactly how NOT to do it. I now have my own agency and I can honestly say that I do offer a personal service and I tell people the truth (not a load of bullshit to keep them on a 'database) In fact, I don't have a database, If I get a job in, I find the person for it from the big wide world not the little bubble that is my PC. I am not a 'sales' monster, I provide a quality service which always brings clients to me through recomendation. So you see, if you do it right you can be successful without being the person described in this forum.

Please, please, please guys i urge you to write some good things about any agencies you have dealt with.

P.S. ..... and yes, I am partial to a big mac now and then!! Smile

castlelgr · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 60182 Location: southampton

You dissapoint me Lupy, Im more of a burger king guy

dhanjap · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

After 6 months of frustration of trying to find a sales/telesales position, I found some agencies extremely frustrating and unhelpful.
The worst part is when they call me the first time, they've seen my CV, and upbeat about finding me the perfect role...and then never call me back!! What's the deal with that?!?!

But, I agree with some of the post that it's best to sign up with a smaller agency because they seem to have more time for you. That's exactly what I did with Apply4U. They are small agency based in Wembley but they have an excellent team who know what they are talking about...and they actually promise to call you back! Good customer services, I definitely recommend them.
If you're looking for a sales position then I definitely recommend google searching Apply4U.co.uk and register your details.

I spoke to Iffaan Hussain ...very helpful!!

castlelgr · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 60182 Location: southampton

Thanks for that Iffaan

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhBRyJ3kBFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkibGXnNhCg&feature=related

The 'Placement Dance'....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEB86zDoh1A&feature=related

Embarassed

anita.patt · Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 7

Hi there!!

There are scams in any field. The one that you listed can probably be a reluctant organization and in that case they might be of any help. Forget and move on to the next.

Also as always remember :

Any company will not ask you to pay for joining their work. If they ask you to pay then it is better to avoid such companies and go for the next.
There are lot of scams in Oil and Gas , Online Jobs etc. Be on watch-out always.

Do your homework and research to avoid getting burnt!!

Hope it helps Smile

.

mikejdavis · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 33

Another problem with the telesales industry especially in I.T is the condition known as candidate confidence. You may have secured a position with the hindrance of the telesales agent but reject the opportunity due to either not being the right job fit or securing a better role. Be warned you will be immediately banished from their database for such insolence.

It's a no brainer avoid these telesales idiots... They know nothing about professional recruiting. It's classic non-entity employment how many of these sales consultants have vocational qualifications or meaningful degrees.. the bottom line is that's why then end up in recruitment... unemployable otherwise.
Pathetic avoid at all costs and too think they have input in to your career (intrusive meddling)

absolutely pathetic.

lanne · Joined: 28 May 2009 Posts: 8

My friend went to Brook Street agency to register and they told her she would need at least 9 months of admin experience to register with them. These agencies sometimes have entry level admin roles doing basic things like answering the phone, photocopying etc, you don't need 9 months admin experience to get them. I used to register with agencies but I have found that I get more interviews when I send covering letters and CV's out/ phone the companies. I have found that by doing this you are more likely to get more interviews because they are pleased they don't have to spend so much money paying the recruitment agency/ pay to advertise in the newspaper. Especially in this recession, employers try their best to avoid spending money on recruitment agencies.

mikejdavis · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 33

Recruitment agencies... They fall into two broad groups..

a) "The (legal) slave labour contractor group"

This is basically where you work as a contractor for the end firm but you are paid and contracted to the "agency".
They take a nice cut of anywhere from 15% to 25% (or even more in some cases of your wage).
i.e. Basically - "I help find you a job and you give me a percentage of your wage as long as your work for the end firm".

b) "The placement fee that actually comes out of your total salary package"

This is where the recruitment agency uses all tricks of the trade (wear you down, scare tactics, psycho bable etc.) to get you to accept a significantly lower yearly salary compared wth the typical going rate in the industry for your skills/role. So the recruiters placement fee (anywhere from 10% to 25% - for the higher end senior roles) comes out of your pocket !

i.e. Company XYZ needs a Senior Security Consultant which pays an average of say 100K per annum. Company XYZ is reluctant to pay full whack for salary of 100K plus 25k (at 25%) to recruiter. So recruiters real job (this is how he/she make their money to get you to accept a lower salary of say 50K..

People do not be fooled Recruiters/Head Hunters are the scum of the earth and make money by stealing (legally) from other peoples pockets. The real skills for a recruiter is to wear out the applicant by any means possible and get the applicant to accept the game play conditions that are designed to get the recruiter his money from YOUR pocket and not the hiring companies.

The proliferation of recruitment firms over the last 5-10 years is mind boggling. There seems to be more recruitment agenices then vacant positions! Why not when you can make "easy" money by running a modern day slave trade operation that's entirely legal.

I would advise for the best $$$ outcome that you approach the prospective company direct. In fact many larger professional firms do their own recruitment and tend to use recruiters sporadically.

Ethics do not exist in the recruitment business. The companies and the people who work for them are extremely questionable.

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

LIKE DOGS by Michael Winner

The idea of cutting back on overheads during a recession is understandable. However, in the world of recruitment where the outright demented is considered normal and has been naturalised, this has inevitably been taken to extraordinary extremes. A recruitment agency in East Sussex called Bulldog Recruitment has stopped buying toiletries for their office to save on office costs and therefore boost their bottom line.

Out of the team of 12 Recruitment Professionals, Emma-Louise, the proprietor of Bulldog has 9 women working for her. Naturally these women were the typical recruitment females – gobby, loud-mouthed, academically-unfit, unwashed, unkept, overweight, devoid of manners and destitute of morals, demoniacally obsessed with being top of the team sales board and haunted by achieving the opposite. They also spend their free time in work belching over caramel-covered corporate coffee’s (corporate coffee only because they are by self-appointment Professionals in their own world) while slumped exhaustively at their sales workstations talking about blokes they ended up in bed with at the Travelodge at weekend, whilst furiously flicking through Heat magazine to look at the pictures because they are too unintelligible to read what is essentially non-descript meaningless made-up nonsense.

Being fully aware of the inevitable characters her sales ship was being temporarily steered by, the female proprietor – Emma-Louise Bulldog decided one day that she would save on office costs by announcing that all the female staff with immediate effect would use old Heat magazines as a replacement for toilet roll. Hence no more toilet rolls were to be bought out of the office costs budget, instead replaced by free pages of used gossip magazines.

In typical telesales-style fashion (which is what the recruitment industry basically is), Emma-Louise then text-messaged her gang of female sales agents the news. The following Monday morning, the gang of girls rolled up at 5.30 am (one a bit fuzzy-headed from too many glasses of Ernest Gallo Rose wine the night before) for their sales start time and filled the office loo with used magazines.

None of them complained about the new policy nor indeed blinked an eyelid; in fact 4 of them actually advised they’d been doing the same thing for the past 2 years at home. But then why would they complain? It fits perfectly the character that a female recruitment professional has.

Bulldog Recruitment has since won an award for Internal Cost Control by the Professional Institute of Recruitment Agencies (PIRA) and this cost-cutting method has been adapted nationwide by recruitment agencies. The chain agencies have reported bulk cost savings in the realm of Facilities Management… Laughing

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

This Kinda Sums The Whole Industry Up..........

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198782/High-flying-recruitment-consultant-forced-watch-private-lap-dance-drunk-boss.html

mikejdavis · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 33

Yes the telesales industry lacks any credibility. Articles such as the Daily Mail only re-affirm what is known. The whole Recruitment industry is a pathetic joke.

It so laughable they insist on using words like consultant, high flying and client! IDPP are well known for being yet another appalling recruitment agency.

Avoid all Sales Agencies they are manned by un-educated jokers.

punk rocker · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 174 Location: London

mikejdavis · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 33

Screening Telesales Agents & Agencies

1. Is the Sales Agent competent?

2. Telephone manner can they speak clear and concise English.

3. Do they have they the appropriate skill set to handle your application?

4. Do they instill confidence, Suitability for the role in terms of job matching?

5. Has the agent a partial understanding of the industry in which they are placing candidates (beneficial for all parties involved).

6. Has the agency or agents obtained industry standard recruitment qualifications or awards for recruitment excellence. (Be careful of dubious certificates) the industry is excellent at awarding its self interests.

7. Does the agent use your name in an email or leave it blank (lacking basic communication skills or a spam email).

8. Are there any vacancies or are the vacancies mysteriously waiting sign off.

9. Are the vacancies advertised on multiple online job-boards or in slightly different format if so this is likely to be purely a C.V database collection exercise?

10. Rate of commission for the contract if being paid X amount the agent should be taking no more than 10%-15%. (Immigrants or low level blue collar are completely exploited by high street agencies which offer little in terms of salary or basic rights and thus keep wages artificially low).

11. Sales agency website design – vacancy list, date of vacancy, expiry date of vacancy, and ease of applying. Often agency websites are a chaotic mess?

The vast majority of telesales agencies are an absolute disgrace and a national scandal especially as they offer their so called unique consultancy expertise after 2 weeks in the telesales industry due to the high levels of staff turnover for not meeting sales targets.

Conclusion

A sad state of affairs where people drift into recruitment due to obvious reasons.

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

Why do loads of people think I'm sexist on here and have a problem with women? I'm not sexist - honestly! It's just a light-hearted joke.

I would say that most of the people that work in recruitment are females. That might be why the industry is such a mess.

mikejdavis · Joined: 22 Apr 2009 Posts: 33

This clip eloquently sums up the telesales business. The context should not be lost on anyone who has dealt with these telesales agents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCtYQflqqsY

The only thing missing from the clip is the key business words that are used by the telesales fools.

In essence
Client
Candidate
The market place.

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

In that You Tube video he makes a valid observation that the Job Centre should be looked upon with suspicion and without any faith of savour.

It is truly astonishing that The Job Centre - what supposed to be the 'bastion for employment' has devolved into nothing more than a referral service for Recruitment Agencies. It quite clearly turns a blind eye to illegal recruitment advertisements, which brings me onto another point.

Search Results

It is generally a shared view that all the recruitment agency websites are shoddy and were done on the cheap. What has made me laugh lately is the amount of garbage that ends up in your 'search results' when you click 'search' with a description such as 'bakery assistant'.

Aside from returning a mere 3 Bakery Assistant job adverts (nationwide search - typical results) with the name PAGE PERSONNEL and very few other details apart from 'Must Have 5 Years Counter Experience' and 'Minimum Wage', it also returns educational courses, CV Review 'Opportunities', scam business opportunities, and other jobs that have absolutely no relation to 'bakery assistant' such as Oil Engineer vacancies, 'Nail Technician Needed', '150 Recruitment Professionals - No Experience Required'.

Why doesn't it just return a list of 'Bakery Assistant' opportunities?

Truly hapless.

It's no wonder Britain has a ever-bloated Underclass sat on benefits when you have an absurd situation whereby employment is dictated by recruitment agencies and a Job Centre that is merely a referral service for agencies.

Time to Emigrate.

punk rocker · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 174 Location: London

michaelwinner · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 112

As the Class of 2009 start looking for jobs they will soon realise that there aren't any out there. After months of being messed around by the uneducated fat gobby females in recruitment agencies, they will be worn down and worn out and be forced to resign themselves to working 40 hours a week for £13,000 in an 'outbound' telesales marketing job sat in a filthy call centre, being shouted at by the fat female team leader for taking a slash.....They will wonder why on earth they even bothered going to University.

While sat with their headsets on babbling about rubbish products to strangers and drinking machine coffee, many will be completely unaware that their student loan balance will be increasing at a rate of £40 a month which over a financial year is a large sum.

Sold a pup? You bet.