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When you see same job, paying better, but you've been submitted!

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    #31
    Interesting reading.

    Who knows what is the best way to have proceeded but I went for the 1st agency (lower rate).

    I did this for various reasons:

    a) They were about a week ahead of the 2nd agency. The job I applied for is quite specialist and they wouldn't get lots of applicants, so I'm not sure applying through both agencies would work as their client would very likely have read my CV from No. 1 & thus would have found it odd/off-putting (I think) if s/he got it as well from No. 2 as well.

    b) No. 1 had a more believable rate - I drew attention to No. 1 about the second ad and No. 1 told me how the other rate is unrealistic (which I also thought). No. 2 agency even offered to submit me at even more! than he advertised. I thought that would price me out, particularly as No. 1 agency told me they has submitted another 2 people at about my rate and this also diminished No. 2's credibility.

    c) I don't think it always works that an agency can stretch the difference between what they pay and what the client pays them as wide as they can get away with. So that higher rate may not just be treating you better, as you might think.

    I have had discussions about this with HR people in the public sector (where I generally work) and they have told me that agencies are often paid a fixed percentage on top of what they pay me; one demonstrated this to me by saying, 'so if we're paying the agency £X, Moz, they will be paying you (tap, tap on her calculator) £Y. Is that right, Moz?' It was.

    The relevance of this is I don't think No. 1 was just trying to get a bigger slice of the pie than No 2. They both told me that there was 'no indicative rate' and we're guessing what to submit at and No. 2 would have probably priced me out at his inflated rate.

    -

    Also raised in the discussion was the bigger problem of 'limited submission'.

    I've heard agencies say to me they can only submit 2 or 3, etc. but you can never know if you are either going to be submitted, or just are lured in (so as not to be submitted by anyone else) but then quietly dropped.

    I try and get agencies to confirm they submitted me - but I am usually ignored on this - so I never know if I have been submitted or not. I don't know of anyway to counter this so, instead, I try and chose the agency I trust the most to submit me (which may be a smaller one because they handle less people and so less good candidates).

    If I ever got to talk to the trade body of agencies, I would say they should make it a rule to confirm to candidates that they have been submitted (although I would not expect good compliance with this) or, possibly better, ask a body like the CIPD (HR managers body) to try and introduce rules that all agencies dealing with them must let applicants know they have submitted them - it's in the interest of HR managers to get the best range. But, yeah, some hope, maybe.

    I'd be interested in the views or knowledge of any HR people about such and who have made some interesting replies above.

    Moz
    Last edited by MoztheMan; 15 July 2016, 17:09.

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      #32
      "That email saying you agree to be represented solely by one agency isn't legally binding and if the agent does find out someone else submitted you, you could claim it was an honest mistake as the rate was different. It's not completely honest, but agents are hardly honest with us."

      The trouble with that, for the worker, is that the employer would always chose the CV from the agency that submitted them at a lower rate.

      Comment


        #33
        Originally posted by MoztheMan View Post
        "That email saying you agree to be represented solely by one agency isn't legally binding and if the agent does find out someone else submitted you, you could claim it was an honest mistake as the rate was different. It's not completely honest, but agents are hardly honest with us."

        The trouble with that, for the worker, is that the employer would always chose the CV from the agency that submitted them at a lower rate.
        Nope.

        They choose the agency with the latest lowest overall rate.

        This doesn't mean your rate is lower.
        "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

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