Rates of contracts with different agents.

[s2budd]

Rates of contracts with different agents.

I am currently in contract but decided to undertake a little experiment in how far agents would go on the rate.

There were two contracts on Jobserve.

Contract 1: Canary Wharf, Top level. Daily rate of £400 to £450
Contract 2: South West, medium level, Daily rate of £300.

I applied for both contracts to get the full spec on each. For one reason or another I have not been put forward for either contract either because the end client has withdrawn the contract or I bailed out due to a technicality within the spec.

Over the week I saw the same contracts with different agents but with lower daily rates. I then applied for the contracts with different agents to see how much the rates would change. I know that they were the same contracts.

Contract 1: Daily rates between £250 to £300
Contract 2: Daily rate of £200 - £250

I managed to get contract 1 up to £350 and contract 2 up to £280. Now I did not want the contracts so I could play hardball but I found that the agents would only move under great pressure of me pulling out and I said to three agents that I was not interested on the rate unless it was higher. I also know that there was not many people applying for these particular contacts.

On all occasions when I was negotiating, or rather demanding a higher rate - or more specifically the same rate as had already been advertised with a different agent the agent would say that s/he has spoken to the end client and that is the highest that they would pay. However who are these agents actually speaking to?

If taking the first contract as an example. I know that it is/was offered for £450 per day. However the highest that I could raise the rate to was £350 after bailing out. This was with three agents.

[DodgyAgent]

time wasters

Rates of contracts with different agents.

I am currently in contract but decided to undertake a little experiment in how far agents would go on the rate.

There were two contracts on Jobserve.

Contract 1: Canary Wharf, Top level. Daily rate of £400 to £450
Contract 2: South West, medium level, Daily rate of £300.

I applied for both contracts to get the full spec on each. For one reason or another I have not been put forward for either contract either because the end client has withdrawn the contract or I bailed out due to a technicality within the spec.

Over the week I saw the same contracts with different agents but with lower daily rates. I then applied for the contracts with different agents to see how much the rates would change. I know that they were the same contracts.

Contract 1: Daily rates between £250 to £300
Contract 2: Daily rate of £200 - £250

I managed to get contract 1 up to £350 and contract 2 up to £280. Now I did not want the contracts so I could play hardball but I found that the agents would only move under great pressure of me pulling out and I said to three agents that I was not interested on the rate unless it was higher. I also know that there was not many people applying for these particular contacts.

On all occasions when I was negotiating, or rather demanding a higher rate - or more specifically the same rate as had already been advertised with a different agent the agent would say that s/he has spoken to the end client and that is the highest that they would pay. However who are these agents actually speaking to?

If taking the first contract as an example. I know that it is/was offered for £450 per day. However the highest that I could raise the rate to was £350 after bailing out. This was with three agents.

So when you whining contractors begin moaning about agency margins and arrogantly presume to judge as to what a "fair margin" should be, then perhaps you may like to remember this thread. This is an example of the many things that agents do for which they do not get paid.

[mcquiggd]

You mean you also want to be paid for being lying theiving scum...?


Gawd, you have some real personality defects....

[s2budd]

Time wasters

Yes. I was wasting the agents time. Though initially I did apply for the contracts because I wanted to do them. However it has highlighted a large difference, in the rate per day for the same contract but with different agancies. In the first example the difference was between £100 to £200 per day and in the second example the difference was £50 per day initially and then £20 per day.

Why is there such a large difference?

[DodgyAgent]

You mean you also want to be paid for being lying theiving scum...?


Good, you have some real personality defects....

No, not at all. It is part of what we do. I am just suggesting that when you ask what we do you might like to consider that we do a great deal more than some of you realise.

[DodgyAgent]

Yes. I was wasting the agents time. Though initially I did apply for the contracts because I wanted to do them. However it has highlighted a large difference, in the rate per day for the same contract but with different agancies. In the first example the difference was between £100 to £200 per day and in the second example the difference was £50 per day initially and then £20 per day.

Why is there such a large difference?

At least you know that pricing cartels between agencies are not operating here (unlike public schools).

The reasons are probably any or all of:

1. Profiteering by some agencies
2. some agencies are trying to use "cheap" to get in with the client
3. Some agencies are better negotiators than others -the question here is who are they screwing?

[mcquiggd]

I had a similar one last week.... two agents, same job. One was offering up to 400 a day, the other said 280. Then I get an email from the first one saying I must agree to only be represented by that agency for any roles at the company for six months.

My reply was to agree to that only if I actually got the contract as described, which of course was a 6 month contract. Then I get the old 'the client has authorised us to check references, please supply 2 people's details, including their names, telephone numbers blah blah'.

My reply was that id only give references when the interview process had begun. The agency have put me forward, of course, despite their failed attempts at manipulation.

[mcquiggd]

The reasons are probably any or all of:

1. Profiteering by some agencies
2. some agencies are trying to use "cheap" to get in with the client
3. Some agencies are better negotiators than others -the question here is who are they screwing?

Finally, an admission that many agencies are corrupt.

[s2budd]

One of the contracts in my example was Citybank for a contract starting next year. I wonder if it was the same one. The interesting thing though is that someone who can do the contract would not normally be on £200 per day.

[DodgyAgent]

references

I had a similar one last week.... two agents, same job. One was offering up to 400 a day, the other said 280. Then I get an email from the first one saying I must agree to only be represented by that agency for any roles at the company for six months.

My reply was to agree to that only if I actually got the contract as described, which of course was a 6 month contract. Then I get the old 'the client has authorised us to check references, please supply 2 people's details, including their names, telephone numbers blah blah'.

My reply was that id only give references when the interview process had begun. The agency have put me forward, of course, despite their failed attempts at manipulation.

Is this reference thing that common? We do not use it, but I do know that the CV is now used as the main source of leads by many agencies, and I am constantly being told that the way forward to getting more business is to blag references.

I have no problem in looking at CVs for information, (what software where etc), and I have engaged contractors in the past to the point where they have volunteered valuable information. This is what I call a subtle art

I do think that telling outright and obvious lies is entirely counterproductive (as is being shown on this site)