Contracts on with multiple agencies

[strudel]

Got emailed a job role by a recruiter earlier. Fairly comprehensive description, but no mention of rate (just asked for expectation).

Did the jobserve rounds after and found the same role was being advertised by several other agencies.

Agency 1 - list of technologies required. 250/day
Agency 2 - Slightly better description. 250-350/day, 350 only if you have experience of both the key technologies.
Agency 3 - Good description. Advertised as senior. 200-250/day

I am actually tempted by the role and I reckon it's worth about 300, maybe 350 if you did perfectly fit the bill.

Or given that it's on with several agencies is it going to get nasty and I should just find something else? Normally when I see a contract on with multiple agencies it's because the client recruiting doesn't have a clue from the tone of advert.

Thoughts from fellow contractors?

[edc]

It's probably because the end client has changed their mind a few times over and the hiring manager thinking that the candidates didn't meet the spec wanted to try a different recruiter from their PSL.

[FredClogs]

How do you know its the same end client? Most corporate hr dept will have been talked into exclusivity with an agent by now, the exclusive agent usually gets a few weeks to recruit up front before other agents come in, HR depts really don't want a half dozen agencies on their case all day.

So either the main agent has put it out to freelance recruiters or its a older position that hasn't been filled.

Apply for the one which best suits your skill description and best rate., don't try to immediately play the agents off against each other as there is a fair chance they're all talking anyway.

[TIGA84]

strudel said:

Got emailed a job role by a recruiter earlier. Fairly comprehensive description, but no mention of rate (just asked for expectation).

Did the jobserve rounds after and found the same role was being advertised by several other agencies.

Agency 1 - list of technologies required. 250/day
Agency 2 - Slightly better description. 250-350/day, 350 only if you have experience of both the key technologies.
Agency 3 - Good description. Advertised as senior. 200-250/day

I am actually tempted by the role and I reckon it's worth about 300, maybe 350 if you did perfectly fit the bill.

Or given that it's on with several agencies is it going to get nasty and I should just find something else? Normally when I see a contract on with multiple agencies it's because the client recruiting doesn't have a clue from the tone of advert.

Thoughts from fellow contractors?

Why don't you just apply with one and say you want £300 a day. Who gives a st how many agencies are working on it, unless its retained/embedded its unlikely that ANY agency will be given exclusivity on a contract tech role at £300 a day, unless its some weird far flung tech that nobody cares about and you run an agency that specialises in that sort of thing.

"Normally when I see a contract on with multiple agencies it's because the client recruiting doesn't have a clue from the tone of advert." What on earth are you talking about?

[monoloco]

most likely the end client didn't stipulate a rate so the different recruiters its been put out with have stuck a finger in the air and guessed because if they don't put a rate in the advert the number of replies plummets. I'd go with whichever agent you prefer to work through (as I'm sure you'll know, there's a few decent ones but also a lot of sharks !) and then negotiate -the final rate will always come down to what the end client thinks you're worth.

[MagicalTrevor]

Just apply with the agency that has the best reputation and state the rate you feel you're able to command. Simple as that really

[strudel]

FredClogs said:

How do you know its the same end client?

Skills asked for, location, description of client. Unlikely to be a massive coincidence when they all come out within an hour of each other. Also the first agency told me who the client was and the other adverts match it.

In some adverts you can pretty much guess who the client is.

e.g.
DV cleared in Cheltenham.
Telecoms supplier in Newbury
Large technology company in Malmesbury

[strudel]

TIGA84 said:

"Normally when I see a contract on with multiple agencies it's because the client recruiting doesn't have a clue from the tone of advert." What on earth are you talking about?

Tosh probably, but if you see an advert from the same role with different agencies, similar list of skills but widely varying levels of requirement it seems to me some manager has seen a load of keywords on the internet and said we need someone who can do all that.

I'm sure everyone gets a contract at some point where they don't actually know why they've been employed.