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additions to the top 10 tricks used by recruitment agencies for rate cuts, references

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    additions to the top 10 tricks used by recruitment agencies for rate cuts, references

    Here are some other agency ruses I've noticed recently to add to the handy top 10 list by Gerry.


    I'm posting these especially for those newer to contracting.


    The client wants to hire your services, but becuase your experience and skills do not match the role 100%, they will give you training when you join. For this reason, they are not able to offer the rate you agreed upon.

    Not exactly going to make you fall outside of IR35 is it? Respond with the following: you are happy to pay for training as a business expense. Ask for a conference call with the client to clear this up, also to see what sort of books you might buy. The client explains there is no training, just a standard intro day or two to the project for functional requirements only.

    Another ruse - the project is long term, at least 12 months. The client has a lot of other projects going on and if they like you, you will be put on other gigs, so becuase it's long term, they want a rate cut.

    This trick is often used to attract you to a role. Make sure you ask the client how long they need you for to be sure. An agent says 12 months, the client says 2 months only.


    There's also a new one on reference harvesting for business development.
    Agent has some interviews planned. You are the second candidate. He rings you up, claiming that his professional reputation is at stake. The client has given the other candidate a technical interview and rang the agent up, protesting that the candidate's cv was total fiction so please could you give him all your references for projects on the cv so he can ring up your clients to verify your suitability for his client's project, or he may lose the customer. You might lose the interview if the client loses faith. Nothing like a bit of pressure for you to share your confidential client data :-)

    Grrrr.

    Seriously, we could write a book about these beasts.

    #2
    A few recent conversations with agents have made me wonder if Alan Johnson from 'Peep Show' has set up a agency training school?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGfkfNRcFw
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uioISWuKxo

    Alan is my business mentor! ;-p

    Comment


      #3
      Lord knows what contract roles you're applying for - I've never had this type of thing happen to me.
      "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
      - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by cojak View Post
        Lord knows what contract roles you're applying for - I've never had this type of thing happen to me.
        +1 to that. None of these seem realistic to me.

        If they are or aren't I can't help think that some people are at fault here as well. If you go in sounding like you don't know what you doing the agent will be all over you like a rash. If you make it pretty clear to him you know the score and aren't going to take any crap it will be a pretty smooth ride.
        'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by cojak View Post
          Lord knows what contract roles you're applying for - I've never had this type of thing happen to me.
          I've had the "this is a long-term gig, so can we negotiate the rate down?" one. Had it yesterday, in fact. Sorry, no, I actually don't give a stuff about it being long-term.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by riffpie View Post
            I've had the "this is a long-term gig, so can we negotiate the rate down?" one. Had it yesterday, in fact. Sorry, no, I actually don't give a stuff about it being long-term.
            +1 I had the same, pimp was trying to convince me to take a role way below my rate on the grounds that it was a '12 month contract and the client has so much work on it could well renew for a number of years', sorry but why should I commit to a long term contract paying way below market rates on
            that basis, working with a bunch of (probably) below par developers, you get what you pay for!... told him to jog on
            Last edited by kal; 4 March 2014, 14:04.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by kal View Post
              +1 I had the same, pimp was trying to convince me to take a role way below my rate on the grounds that it was a '12 month contract and the client has so much work on it could well renew for a number of years', sorry but why should I commit to a long term contract paying way below market rates on that basis, working with a bunch of (probably) below par developers, you get what you pay for!... told him to jog on
              "Tell you what, since this is long term, YOU can come down on your commission right?"

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by kal View Post
                +1 I had the same, pimp was trying to convince me to take a role way below my rate on the grounds that it was a '12 month contract and the client has so much work on it could well renew for a number of years', sorry but why should I commit to a long term contract paying way below market rates on
                that basis, working with a bunch of (probably) below par developers, you get what you pay for!... told him to jog on
                I had agency once tell me that cos it was 12 months that client wanted contractor to show a bit of commitment and take a lower rate. Nice one that.
                Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  I had a direct [potential] client try to knock me down from £300 to £200 per day once because it was a long-term contract, they said.

                  No thanks.
                  Contracting: more of the money, less of the sh1t

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by psychocandy View Post
                    I had agency once tell me that cos it was 12 months that client wanted contractor to show a bit of commitment and take a lower rate. Nice one that.
                    ....contractor.....commitment.......hmmmm......... .

                    Tell you what, the client can show some commitment and give me a six month retainer. How does that sound?

                    Comment

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