Recruitment Agency Dupe
Am I a recruitment agency dupe?
Rob
Dear Dr. McLaughlin,
I would be very grateful for your advice on the situation I find myself in. That’s because I am wondering if I am an agency dupe.
I have been contacted by an agent who asked if I would be interested in a short term contract (8-9 weeks). They asked me what my bottom line was.
Knowing the market rates for such a job, and not wanting to be an recruitment agency dupe, I told them my bottom line (which was the top market rate). They said that was fine and that they would put me forward for the role.
Well the closing date has past now (1 week ago). I am told by the agent that the client is busy right now and that I will just have to wait until they hear back from the client re my suitability.
Other Agency’s Website
I also discovered the same contract on another agent’s web site. The hourly rate on offer is lower on this site ioncompared to the agents that I am going through.
Have I priced myself too high?
And if so, do agents wait until the last minute before putting their highest charging contractor forward.
My worry is that, in not wanting to ba an agency dupe, I may miss out on the contract when I am actually prepared to lower my hourly rate in attempting to get the contract.
Should I apply through the other agent who is offering less and where the contract shows no closing date. Or do I sit tight and hope that I will be put forward by my original agent?
Your advice will be much appreciated.
All the best.
Dr. McLaughlin’s Contractor Surgery
It could well be that the client is just too busy at the moment. That’s especially as the job is still being advertised on other sites.
Other possibilities could be that:-
- There is a Preferred Supplier List and your agency is not on it but sent your CV on spec
- The agency is on the Preferred Supplier List but hasn’t put your CV forward. Sometimes agencies put the CVs forward of those who they will make the most money on and hold back the CVs of others. They tell those others that their CVs have been put forward but what they are really doing is eliminating the competition
You could check with this other agency saying you’ve been told that you’ve already been put forward by this other agency but if this is not the case then they can put your CV forward. The agency might even be able to tell you if the other agency is on the Preferred Supplier List.
The most likely scenario, though, is that the client hasn’t decided yet who to interview.
