Fixed Fee Recruitment

[evilagent]

Would this be better than taking a continuous margin?
The opinion is that the work involved is fixed, more or less, and thus taking a continuous cut is over-greedy.
And, of course, if the fee is transparent, there are reduced avenues for sharp practices in trying to skim the contractor.

Would a transparent fixed fee be a better option than the current model?
Are you even fussed?

How would you calculate what that fee should be?

[Contreras]

Would this be better than taking a continuous margin?
The opinion is that the work involved is fixed, more or less, and thus taking a continuous cut is over-greedy.
And, of course, if the fee is transparent, there are reduced avenues for sharp practices in trying to skim the contractor.

Would a transparent fixed fee be a better option than the current model?
Are you even fussed?

How would you calculate what that fee should be?

Who pays the fixed fee?

If the client pays then what if they need to bin the contractor before contract end?

If the contractor pays the fee then what if they need to quit before contract end?

Ah, I see what you did there. Evil agent wins every time.

Why not just reduce the margin after 6 months? Simples.

[jamesbrown]

I work direct rather than through agents, but I don't really understand why people get so uptight about an agency's choice of business model. Ultimately, the clients are sourced by the agency, not the contractor, so the business is really theirs. Surely, all the contractor needs to be concerned about is whether the agency is a good one to do business with and whether they are happy with the rate secured. An agency's margin, and how they want to take it, seems utterly irrelevant to me.

[evilagent]

Who pays the fixed fee?

If the client pays then what if they need to bin the contractor before contract end?

If the contractor pays the fee then what if they need to quit before contract end?

Ah, I see what you did there. Evil agent wins every time.

Why not just reduce the margin after 6 months? Simples.

Damn! You saw right through my devious plan to entrap you.

How about fixed margins then?
Transparent, clearly stated, fixed margins?
Would that be better for contractors?

[evilagent]

I work direct rather than through agents, but I don't really understand why people get so uptight about an agency's choice of business model. Ultimately, the clients are sourced by the agency, not the contractor, so the business is really theirs. Surely, all the contractor needs to be concerned about is whether the agency is a good one to do business with and whether they are happy with the rate secured. An agency's margin, and how they want to take it, seems utterly irrelevant to me.

Your enlightened view is, sadly, not apparently shared by what appears to be either the majority, or vociferous minority, on CUK, as to who "owns" the business, or contract.

[Contreras]

How about fixed margins then?
Transparent, clearly stated, fixed margins?
Would that be better for contractors?

No. I expect you to negotiate with the client, and with me, in order to maximise your own margin.

And if you ever state to one of us what the other's rate is (or what your margin is) then I expect you not to lie.

Does that help?

[evilagent]

No. I expect you to negotiate with the client, and with me, in order to maximise your own margin.

And if you ever state to one of us what the other's rate is (or what your margin is) then I expect you not to lie.

Does that help?

That doesn't help, sorry.
Because in order to maximise the agents margin, you are accepting the possibility of feeling hard done by.
Or, if you find out the agent is on a 50% margin, don't complain.

I thought the fixed fee approach would obviate this.

[Contreras]

Or, if you find out the agent is on a 50% margin, don't complain.

I won't. Just so long as you didn't tell me or the client that it was 15%.

[evilagent]

I won't. Just so long as you didn't tell me or the client that it was 15%.

Oh, I see. Personally, I don't have a problem with that.
That's an easy one.

It's just that many here seem to think they should dictate what the margin is, hence the thread about fixed fees or fixed margins, for clarity.

[jamesbrown]

Your enlightened view is, sadly, not apparently shared by what appears to be either the majority, or vociferous minority, on CUK, as to who "owns" the business, or contract.

Maybe. It seems to me that negotiating an agent's margin (or business model) might be symptomatic of a contractor not really understanding their own market value and hence aiming to maximise income rather than setting a realistic price for their services.