Employment Agencies

[LMA]

Is there an actual real job or is it just about signing up as many people as they can ?

After learning at the start of the month that I will be made redundant by end of July early August I thought I'd get a head start and hit the job websites. I'm in the field of stores/forklift etc so the majority of the vacancies are through labour hire mobs, anyway in the past two weeks I've met with at least 4 agencies who advertised jobs, I go there discuss my resume they tell me I have good qualifications and I'd be a good fit for the job and then sign me up and then...........................................never to be heard from them again. WTF? I mean I don't expect to get every job I go for but I get the feeling I'm being duped.

[gadj1976]

LMA, I'll let you in on the caper.

I'm an IT contractor and I've had about 10 years experience in the game of recruitment.

Ideally you should register with every agency possible in your industry. About 70% of jobs never get to seek.com.au, mycareer.com.au because agencies consult their databases first. Advertising on seek etc is expensive, so why would you not try and fill it from a database of people who have registered previously before needing to advertise.

You may also want to note that the industry is in a lull - especially in my field, so I'm not getting calls at the moment. That will change, as it tends to be cyclical. July traditionally isn't great.

Don't be concerned you're not getting calls. If they haven't got jobs, they wont call you to say "are you still there", or "are you still available" because they are flat chat working on filling positions they have.

They make plenty of money by recruiting and putting forward the right people who are successful for positions, but it's all about timing, $$'s and having people on their databases versus advertising (which increases cost to the vendor).

Sit tight, register with as many agencies as possible and lastly, best of luck!

[A Mum]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

[piccachu]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

a while back when i was going through all this turkey i signed with several job agencies, 1 or 2 said i wasnt aloud to sign with any other job agencies so i just didnt use them, from my experiences rexco were good and there pay rate was really good, and ready workforce had plenty of jobs just finding something that suits and but there pay wasnt as good

[gadj1976]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

A mum, that's true but only if you apply for the same position with different agencies. Only one agency is allowed to put you forward for the one role.

You can put your resume forward to as many agencies as you want.

[gadj1976]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

a while back when i was going through all this turkey i signed with several job agencies, 1 or 2 said i wasnt aloud to sign with any other job agencies so i just didnt use them, from my experiences rexco were good and there pay rate was really good, and ready workforce had plenty of jobs just finding something that suits and but there pay wasnt as good

I don't think legally they can do that (hence they'd be telling you but not putting it in writing). From a legal standpoint I'd say it'd be restraint of trade.

[auto]

Is there an actual real job or is it just about signing up as many people as they can ?

After learning at the start of the month that I will be made redundant by end of July early August I thought I'd get a head start and hit the job websites. I'm in the field of stores/forklift etc so the majority of the vacancies are through labour hire mobs, anyway in the past two weeks I've met with at least 4 agencies who advertised jobs, I go there discuss my resume they tell me I have good qualifications and I'd be a good fit for the job and then sign me up and then...........................................never to be heard from them again. WTF? I mean I don't expect to get every job I go for but I get the feeling I'm being duped.

Went thru that process ten years ago mate. Exactly same thing happened to me. Had all the licences, experience good referees etc and couldnt get nowhere. The job i did actually get was when i just happened to walk in ten minutes after a job came through. So in my experience keep calling, Emailing and visiting these agencies as much as possible and dont wait for them to call you. And Good Luck.
ps. I believe Holden are looking to hire a few people in the near future if thats of any interest.

[Barto]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

I've got my name down with about 6 agencies, still get calls. If you tell them you've got ongoing work they put you on the inactive list. Agencies are cool with you being with others, they have to be, you've got bills to pay.

I've been working in stores/forklift etc. It can be quiet at first and then they'll start ringing for a days work here and there to fill short term vacancies, if the boss on a site likes you then they'll ask for you again if there's something more regular.

In WA it's dead easy to get work in this sector. The place I'm in at the moment reckon the hardest part is getting people to stay for any length of time.

[heater31]

Yeah I have my name down at about 4 places as well. I was looking for work about 18 months ago and went through the same thing. I am certain that some places just place adds just to get people on their books.

In fact I have a voice mail that I haven't responded to yet from one place maybe I should return the call you never know they may just have something on offer too good to refuse

[fisho mcspaz]

I was with Status for a while after I finished school, but not for very long because I got the first job they referred me for. I sort of wish they hadn't, though - it was a job at Subway and I got sacked after about a month for 'being disrespectful to the food'.

[Brucetiki]

Is there an actual real job or is it just about signing up as many people as they can ?

When I was looking for a full time job (this took most of 2005), Centrelink made me sign up with one (and only one) 'Job Network' agency (I made the mistake and picked Jobs Statewide as they were the closest to the Centrelink office). Unfortunately, because I was fresh out of uni with a degree (meaning I could read and write) and I have no criminal record (despite being a Centrals supporter ), I pretty much ended up on the bottom of their list (as they'd get the lowest money from the Government for finding me a job). Their 'Job Search Training' was a farce (though I got out of it a week earlier after I threatened to transfer to another agency), and after 9 months all they could find for me was a door-to-door salesperson job - which they told me was manning one of those shopping mall stands (though to Jobs Statewide's credit, they made them switch me to the shopping mall stands after a week), and that was only after I applied to transfer to another agency.

Of course during that time I was proactively looking, and applied for countless jobs - many through agencies such as Select and Kelly, and seriously they're just out there to sign as many people as they can. I lost count how many times I got the 'Unfortunately you were unsuccessful, but your application has been kept on file for future applications' only to never hear from them again. The only exception was Challenge Recruitment, who did contact me for another role, but by then I had found a job (replacing the shopping mall stands one).

So at the end of the day, for every one agency genuinely out there finding jobs for their clients, there are 10 out there merely filling their databases.

[devilsadvocate]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

A mum, that's true but only if you apply for the same position with different agencies. Only one agency is allowed to put you forward for the one role.

You can put your resume forward to as many agencies as you want.

The problem arises when one of the agencies (won't name it, but think big) acts like a pimp and the just sluts your resume out to every contact in their Outlook.

When you are put forward for a good role by another agency, they are rejected saying you're already represented by the pimp agency, who have actually not told you that they've put you forward for the job.

All hell breaks loose. Both Agencies get angry with you and demand that you disengage the other.

Then you don't get a look in for the job anyway because the employer is put off thanks to the pimp agency's cowboys tactics.

Lesson - request a PD & company name of any role that an agency wants to put you forward for. Then give them the yes/no to put you forward for the role.

Pimps are baaaaaayyyd ..... mmmkay

[gadj1976]

I was under the impression that you are only allowed to register with 1 agency.

And if you see a job with another agency that you have to go through 'your' agency who contact the other agency on your behalf??

Totally rediculous as it sounds,
But I'm sure that's what my mum had to go through.

A mum, that's true but only if you apply for the same position with different agencies. Only one agency is allowed to put you forward for the one role.

You can put your resume forward to as many agencies as you want.

The problem arises when one of the agencies (won't name it, but think big) acts like a pimp and the just sluts your resume out to every contact in their Outlook. not allowed to without your permission

When you are put forward for a good role by another agency, they are rejected saying you're already represented by the pimp agency, who have actually not told you that they've put you forward for the job.

All hell breaks loose. Both Agencies get angry with you and demand that you disengage the other.

Then you don't get a look in for the job anyway because the employer is put off thanks to the pimp agency's cowboys tactics.

Lesson - request a PD & company name of any role that an agency wants to put you forward for. Then give them the yes/no to put you forward for the role.

Pimps are baaaaaayyyd ..... mmmkay

[devilsadvocate]

I agree Gadj, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It's happened to me twice with the same firm. I've got a good mate, who's had the exact same problem. It takes one hell of a shit fight to get them to drop their approach when you're using another firm for the same role.

[sherminator]

Whilst living in the UK I was employed as a restaurant manager at a small hotel and restaurant in Suffolk. Our biggest problem was finding quality staff. We tried an employment agency to help us recruit and the results were less than spectacular. They either sent us complete muppets or applicants that ticked the right boxes in regards to skills and experience but did not fit in to our culture. After 6 months we went back to advertising and screening applicants ourselves which was considerably more effective. It made me wonder how much employment agencies really give a toss about what we wanted and what were the best interests of the individuals on their database. As other posts have highlighted, it seems that they just throw CV's and resumes around without much thought!

Fast forward a few years and I returned to Australia looking for a new start/career. Employment consultant was high on my wish list. I applied for a number of entry level positions in agencies around Adelaide citing my experience in hospitality, the building industry and meat industry. I targeted companies that dealt with these industries. I felt that my experience would allow me to be able to match applicants to jobs as I have a reasonable idea of what each industry expects from a worker. How naive of me! I was rejected each time. I was told that my experience was irrelevent, it is sales experience that they are looking for. They only hire people who can cold-call or have vast contacts and networks that can generate new clients and business for the company. The actual activity of matching applicants to potential employers seems a very insignificant aspect of an employment consultant's job.

[gadj1976]

I agree Gadj, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It's happened to me twice with the same firm. I've got a good mate, who's had the exact same problem. It takes one hell of a **** fight to get them to drop their approach when you're using another firm for the same role.

Agreed, the only thing you can do is say to agency B that you haven't authorised agency A to put you forward. Agency A will get in a heap of shizen if they continue that practice, and it's known to all. Most recognised organisations wont touch places like agency A if they are known to dabble in person shopping like that.

[LMA]

Thanks for everyone's suggestion and advice, I have now registered with just about every agency so hopefully something will come up soon so I don't have to tuck into my redundancy money