How to deal with deceased/disbanded/merged agencies?

[petergriffin]

Perspective client here in below sea levels asks me for a letter of reference and a letter explaining the reason why my contract was not renewed (why? but anyway...) from one of my previous agencies in UK.

It happens that that particular agency no longer exists as such, all personnel including my recruiter were sacked at one point and their offices have been replaced with staff from its parent company (multinational recruitment group).

Perspective client not happy. So I ring the office and I ask to speak to payroll. New manager picks the phone and says she can't give me a reference because she doesn't know me. I say:"Can you at least verify I was recruited by you?". She says no because she knows nothing about the old agency and she's been there for three months.

I say:"Do you not have any record anywhere?". She says:"Ok, email me your details and I'll see what I can do".

That was a week ago.

Question: could she have been less professional than that? Surely a branch manager should give some sort of f@kc about previous contractors?

Or is it because I'm not in the country, then I don't exist anymore?

[TheFaQQer]

prospective

[SpontaneousOrder]

If you think the prospective client is asking for something daft then the new agent woman probably thinks you asking her for something daft, that you need for some other daft thing, is daft. She may well have more important things to do than spend half an hour rummaging around for your old details.

[petergriffin]

prospective

True dat!

[kal]

Perspective client here in below sea levels asks me for a letter of reference and a letter explaining the reason why my contract was not renewed (why? but anyway...) from one of my previous agencies in UK.

It happens that that particular agency no longer exists as such, all personnel including my recruiter were sacked at one point and their offices have been replaced with staff from its parent company (multinational recruitment group).

Perspective client not happy. So I ring the office and I ask to speak to payroll. New manager picks the phone and says she can't give me a reference because she doesn't know me. I say:"Can you at least verify I was recruited by you?". She says no because she knows nothing about the old agency and she's been there for three months.

I say:"Do you not have any record anywhere?". She says:"Ok, email me your details and I'll see what I can do".

That was a week ago.

Question: could she have been less professional than that? Surely a branch manager should give some sort of f@kc about previous contractors?

Or is it because I'm not in the country, then I don't exist anymore?

Very strange request, Its a contract FFS, some are renewed some are not for a whole raft of reasons, I suggest you tell your prospective client to get some perspective

[petergriffin]

Very strange request, Its a contract FFS, some are renewed some are not for a whole raft of reasons, I suggest you tell your prospective client to get some perspective

It might well be a daft request, but it's also very unprofessional for the agency manager to reply like that. You can't just ignore previous contractors just because you weren't there.

[kal]

It might well be a daft request, but it's also very unprofessional for the agency manager to reply like that. You can't just ignore previous contractors just because you weren't there.

Yeah you would think they would at least give you a 'he was contracted from date x to y' type letter, funny how much agencies bang on about wanting references from us but when they are asked to reciprocate its too much effort.

[MicrosoftBob]

It might well be a daft request, but it's also very unprofessional for the agency manager to reply like that. You can't just ignore previous contractors just because you weren't there.

But not unexpected, it's when agencies act professionally you're normally surprised

[SueEllen]

Yeah you would think they would at least give you a 'he was contracted from date x to y' type letter, funny how much agencies bang on about wanting references from us but when they are asked to reciprocate its too much effort.

All that documentation/computer records may now reside in the nearest dump as they aren't the same company.

To prevent themselves being sued if they have any record of it that's all they should give.

Anyway there is no legal requirement to give someone a reference but if you need a reference it's a good idea to email/write to the person to prove that you have asked them. I would also provide the stupid thick HR person who asked for the reference with proof that the recruitment company no longer exists.

[petergriffin]

I would also provide the stupid thick HR person who asked for the reference with proof that the recruitment company no longer exists.

Ho do you do that? The company still exists on company check. The website is still there but redirects to parent company.

Anyway I've decided to use brute force and contacted parent agency HQ in London, so somebody has volunteered to send me some sort of reference. Case closed.