Recuitment Agency wants to meet me...
Discussion
Reed always expect to meet you F2F to ensure you are the right candidate and get a bit more info from you.
The Reed website is used by other agencies also and will follow the same process.
It won't be a full interview, more an informal chat to find out what you're after so they can look out and offer you similar stuff. Depending on the job they may ask you to complete numeracy and typing tests too.
The Reed website is used by other agencies also and will follow the same process.
It won't be a full interview, more an informal chat to find out what you're after so they can look out and offer you similar stuff. Depending on the job they may ask you to complete numeracy and typing tests too.
Be careful, not with Reed, but there are some other "Agencies" out there that pretend to have jobs for you but actually want you to come for "Free" advice so that they can try and "Sell" you their career advice. Recently I agreed to go and meet them, but on the morning of the "interview" did some googling to find out more about the agency. I found out they were fishing for a lump some up front to help me with career opportunities and networking. I phoned to cancel an hour before the meeting saying that I was not prepared to pay for career advice. She did not deny this was their intention....
Back in early 2009 I wasted 3 hours driving 30miles away to have a "Introduction Interview" with an Senior Partner at an agency. They NEVER, not once, got me an interview of even called me to enquire if I was interested in a job. 2 years later they emailed me asking if I was still looking for work? 
More recently I registered with another agency for a job they were advertising. As part of that I needed to provide proof of who I was. So they asked me to pop down with my passport. So I did and I saw their offices. Amazing when you phone up later and they try and make out they are some massive company with multiple departments and not just a reception desk and a room with 5 recruiters in.
More recently I registered with another agency for a job they were advertising. As part of that I needed to provide proof of who I was. So they asked me to pop down with my passport. So I did and I saw their offices. Amazing when you phone up later and they try and make out they are some massive company with multiple departments and not just a reception desk and a room with 5 recruiters in.
One of the reason we use the recruiter we do is because she does a decent preliminary interview and screens applicants so that we only have to deal with a short list of good candidates. As an employer it's one of the ways that recruiters justify their existence, I wouldn't deal with one that just harvests CVs and passes them on.
The interview with the agency can be to see if you are right for the role, to help you polish your interview skills and know some good answers for awkward questions. Also it can give the agency an idea of what you are looking for careerwise so if the role you applied for doesn't pan out they know what else to put you forward for.
I work for an agency and some staff can only be called 'job-fillers', not 'recruitment professionals'.
Some however, are qualified in the field they recruit for - i.e. hold LLB, qualified accountants, etc - and they tend to be far better networkers and will be more interested in finding you a suitable role for the long-term, not just getting their 'score'.
Whilst recruitment consultancy can sometimes be a valuable service, remember most times you are simply a sale (and associated commission), nothing more judging with dealing with them on a daily basis.
Some however, are qualified in the field they recruit for - i.e. hold LLB, qualified accountants, etc - and they tend to be far better networkers and will be more interested in finding you a suitable role for the long-term, not just getting their 'score'.
Whilst recruitment consultancy can sometimes be a valuable service, remember most times you are simply a sale (and associated commission), nothing more judging with dealing with them on a daily basis.
I found my current job with hays recruitment. This was about 6 years through so I don't know if they have changed their game plan to sell advice sell now.
They got me along to a few interviews and I accepted an offer, after two days I found it not to be the role that was described, hays were fine with taking me straight back on and I was interviewed for my current job a couple of weeks later.
They got me along to a few interviews and I accepted an offer, after two days I found it not to be the role that was described, hays were fine with taking me straight back on and I was interviewed for my current job a couple of weeks later.
Rich_W said:
Back in early 2009 I wasted 3 hours driving 30miles away to have a "Introduction Interview" with an Senior Partner at an agency. They NEVER, not once, got me an interview of even called me to enquire if I was interested in a job. 2 years later they emailed me asking if I was still looking for work?
In 2007 I hired a car and drove from Exeter to Oxford and had a sit down with a "senior" something or other. Never heard from them again, despite the cat going very well. There are good ones and bad ones I'm sure, but I've not met many good ones.I run a business that places experienced people into financial services businesses. I ONLY work with people I have met.
It's important that I, or my business know our candidates inside out and trust them.
I also believe it is important that my candidates find out as much as they can about me and my business, and trust me to do the right thing by them. I believe that candidates have a choice and should meet with 4 or 5 recruitment businesses from within their sector, and then choose the 1 or 2 they trust to represent them to the best of their ability.
It's important that I, or my business know our candidates inside out and trust them.
I also believe it is important that my candidates find out as much as they can about me and my business, and trust me to do the right thing by them. I believe that candidates have a choice and should meet with 4 or 5 recruitment businesses from within their sector, and then choose the 1 or 2 they trust to represent them to the best of their ability.
NickHKent said:
know our candidates inside out and trust them.
Interesting. Why do you need to trust them? Lets be honest the vast majority of Recrutiment Consultants are about as trustworthy as a 
! You want a candidate with relevant skills/work experience. They have to be able to get through 1 or 2 interviews and then stay in a job for a while. So that in 2 years you go behind that companies back and try and headhunt them for another business opportunity...
Why do I have to trust the people I work with?
A large percentage of my business is interim so I have to trust that they are able to maintain a high level of performance over a long period of time, are able to deliver the project brief that they have said they can, and can represent me to the standard I do myself.
I appreciate you've had a poor experience but don't be so cynical. Equally there are good and bad restaurants, shops, garages etc etc.
A large percentage of my business is interim so I have to trust that they are able to maintain a high level of performance over a long period of time, are able to deliver the project brief that they have said they can, and can represent me to the standard I do myself.
I appreciate you've had a poor experience but don't be so cynical. Equally there are good and bad restaurants, shops, garages etc etc.
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