Are recruitment agencies the new estate agent?
Discussion
Having got my hgv license I’ve applied to various jobs in locations that I’m able to travel to (due to family situation I need 5am start to try to finish before 4pm) only to be messed about waiting for assessment days or the transport manager is “off this week” then to be told oh they’ve cut the budget so not employing for the role.
Then being offered jobs that are too far to travel to (cost of petrol/time) and then them getting the arse because I’ve told them the areas I’m willing to go to.
Why would I apply to job within 15 miles of my house to then consider taking a job that’s 45 miles away and for less money. Then the 7am calls of “do you want to work today?” Or the constant emails and texts of night cleaning jobs for £9.48 per hr.
Let’s not talk about the fact they’ve added the holiday pay to the hourly rate to bump it to up sound better so when you go get offered perm you will be getting a wage cut! Do people accept that?
Then the registration forms and theory test you have to do just to sign onto the agency to then have to do it again for the employer on the assessment. Also they ask if you want to pay insurance so if you have a bump they can’t take payment for the damage out of your wages!
I’ve been offered tipper work that I’m going to end up accepting but I really would prefer delivery work.
Utterly f
ked off with agencies.
I’m probably out of touch with current job hunting practices but this is hard work to find work!
Then being offered jobs that are too far to travel to (cost of petrol/time) and then them getting the arse because I’ve told them the areas I’m willing to go to.
Why would I apply to job within 15 miles of my house to then consider taking a job that’s 45 miles away and for less money. Then the 7am calls of “do you want to work today?” Or the constant emails and texts of night cleaning jobs for £9.48 per hr.
Let’s not talk about the fact they’ve added the holiday pay to the hourly rate to bump it to up sound better so when you go get offered perm you will be getting a wage cut! Do people accept that?
Then the registration forms and theory test you have to do just to sign onto the agency to then have to do it again for the employer on the assessment. Also they ask if you want to pay insurance so if you have a bump they can’t take payment for the damage out of your wages!
I’ve been offered tipper work that I’m going to end up accepting but I really would prefer delivery work.
Utterly f
ked off with agencies. I’m probably out of touch with current job hunting practices but this is hard work to find work!
Phew - I thought I was going to be flamed and roasted for posting this!
I’ve just had a text from one of them offering me class 2 work with “please can you start Monday for £13.50 an hour for a week” job is 35 miles away.
I know I’m a new pass but I’ve been driving 7.5t delivering kitchen white goods pre digi tacho so they are saying it doesn’t count as experience. Fair enough but that’s why I’m applying for “new pass accepted” jobs.
these people are utterly mad?!
I’ve just had a text from one of them offering me class 2 work with “please can you start Monday for £13.50 an hour for a week” job is 35 miles away.
I know I’m a new pass but I’ve been driving 7.5t delivering kitchen white goods pre digi tacho so they are saying it doesn’t count as experience. Fair enough but that’s why I’m applying for “new pass accepted” jobs.
these people are utterly mad?!
The 'new' estate agents?
They have been in competition with them for the lowest spot in the septic tank for many years.
OP, have you tried speaking to local companies? Ring up and ask to speak to the transport manager, go to their yards and chat to some drivers/ managers?
The transport companies are as sick of agencies as you are. A direct approach may be better?
They have been in competition with them for the lowest spot in the septic tank for many years.
OP, have you tried speaking to local companies? Ring up and ask to speak to the transport manager, go to their yards and chat to some drivers/ managers?
The transport companies are as sick of agencies as you are. A direct approach may be better?
bristolracer said:
The 'new' estate agents?
They have been in competition with them for the lowest spot in the septic tank for many years.
OP, have you tried speaking to local companies? Ring up and ask to speak to the transport manager, go to their yards and chat to some drivers/ managers?
The transport companies are as sick of agencies as you are. A direct approach may be better?
This is how I used to get driving jobs back in the day but now when I look online it’s all agencies so I started applying through them, which I have found to be a waste of time. They have been in competition with them for the lowest spot in the septic tank for many years.
OP, have you tried speaking to local companies? Ring up and ask to speak to the transport manager, go to their yards and chat to some drivers/ managers?
The transport companies are as sick of agencies as you are. A direct approach may be better?
I did go to one that had an open day the other weekend but got told about the 180 days on my digi card and they suggested going to an agency.
I’m going to take a day out next week and do it the opposite way and as you said go to the company directly and let them ask the agency to put me on the books as it seems that’s how they employ people.
From the chats I’ve had with transport mangers it seems like they’re struggling with drivers.
One told me they had 2 brand new lorry’s written off the first day out! One on the wheel wash took the front corner and step off the truck and the other ran out of ad blue both less than 180miles old!!
Another said a driver dry steered on a manhole cover and ripped it up and the truck fell into the drain
My friend had a digger delivered the driver said he couldn’t reverse around the corner so unloaded the digger and drove it a mile up the road dropping mud all the way.
One in particular in my neck of the woods seems to have jobs advertised that don't exist which isn't allowed. Seems it's just to get you on their books. They have been warned many times for doing it. Also they have a 'specialist' that only recruits in my field of work but doesn't seem to have a Scooby doo what the job titles mean or the skill required.
When I was freelancing they emailed me at 8am then called me at 8.30am asking could I get to this place for 9am for a days work as some guy had been sacked or left and and they wanted to pay £8.50 an hour. The location was like 120 miles round trip so they wanted me to drive 60 miles in 30 minutes. Told them to jog on.
Also heard of them calling a guy and his task for a dealership was him driving half the length of England to deliver urgent parts by the end of the day. Using his own car and fuel and probably an overnight stay at his own expense with no guarantee he would get further employment with the company. He was actually going to do it as he was so hard up for work at the time.
In my opinion they are shysters and knowing some people that work for employment agencies you wouldn't trust them to mind your dog let alone trust them to put you into the right job.
When I was freelancing they emailed me at 8am then called me at 8.30am asking could I get to this place for 9am for a days work as some guy had been sacked or left and and they wanted to pay £8.50 an hour. The location was like 120 miles round trip so they wanted me to drive 60 miles in 30 minutes. Told them to jog on.
Also heard of them calling a guy and his task for a dealership was him driving half the length of England to deliver urgent parts by the end of the day. Using his own car and fuel and probably an overnight stay at his own expense with no guarantee he would get further employment with the company. He was actually going to do it as he was so hard up for work at the time.
In my opinion they are shysters and knowing some people that work for employment agencies you wouldn't trust them to mind your dog let alone trust them to put you into the right job.
Edited by sutoka on Sunday 27th March 06:52
Dan-k said:
Having got my hgv license I’ve applied to various jobs in locations that I’m able to travel to (due to family situation I need 5am start to try to finish before 4pm) only to be messed about waiting for assessment days or the transport manager is “off this week” then to be told oh they’ve cut the budget so not employing for the role.
Then being offered jobs that are too far to travel to (cost of petrol/time) and then them getting the arse because I’ve told them the areas I’m willing to go to.
Why would I apply to job within 15 miles of my house to then consider taking a job that’s 45 miles away and for less money. Then the 7am calls of “do you want to work today?” Or the constant emails and texts of night cleaning jobs for £9.48 per hr.
Let’s not talk about the fact they’ve added the holiday pay to the hourly rate to bump it to up sound better so when you go get offered perm you will be getting a wage cut! Do people accept that?
Then the registration forms and theory test you have to do just to sign onto the agency to then have to do it again for the employer on the assessment. Also they ask if you want to pay insurance so if you have a bump they can’t take payment for the damage out of your wages!
I’ve been offered tipper work that I’m going to end up accepting but I really would prefer delivery work.
Utterly fked off with agencies.
I’m probably out of touch with current job hunting practices but this is hard work to find work!
as a transport manager of 25 years you may find it difficult to find the hours you want as a new driver. HGV jobs that pay well and have short hours are like gold dust, that said they aren't impossible to find but I wouldn't use an agency for it.Then being offered jobs that are too far to travel to (cost of petrol/time) and then them getting the arse because I’ve told them the areas I’m willing to go to.
Why would I apply to job within 15 miles of my house to then consider taking a job that’s 45 miles away and for less money. Then the 7am calls of “do you want to work today?” Or the constant emails and texts of night cleaning jobs for £9.48 per hr.
Let’s not talk about the fact they’ve added the holiday pay to the hourly rate to bump it to up sound better so when you go get offered perm you will be getting a wage cut! Do people accept that?
Then the registration forms and theory test you have to do just to sign onto the agency to then have to do it again for the employer on the assessment. Also they ask if you want to pay insurance so if you have a bump they can’t take payment for the damage out of your wages!
I’ve been offered tipper work that I’m going to end up accepting but I really would prefer delivery work.
Utterly f
ked off with agencies. I’m probably out of touch with current job hunting practices but this is hard work to find work!
Having been in my current job for 17 years I'm out of touch with the whole job searching routine these days. I did set up a LinkedIn account quite a few years ago (actually while attending a meeting at work and they encouraged it, more for 'Networking' purposes). More recently updated it, but I've now had a constant stream of agencies contacting me, but ignoring that I've put 'Part time' in my profile, plus some other issues that mean they are just wasting theirs and my time. However, since I don't want to burn any bridges I end up writing a polite reply just incase they come back with something useful.
I'm planning on taking off 3-4 months at least after I finish mid May, so maybe by the time I'm looking seriously I might have weeded out the more useful agencies...or just concluded they are all as bad.
I'm planning on taking off 3-4 months at least after I finish mid May, so maybe by the time I'm looking seriously I might have weeded out the more useful agencies...or just concluded they are all as bad.
They’re slowly losing relevancy it seems in tech. Most companies of any size have their own in-house these days and given LI is where anyone would go to headhunt they have the same tools as any agency these days.
But most are just sales people to your questions. They’ll sell what they have. Not what you want, much like estate agents in that respect. And for every 10 that tell them to fk off, they’ll flog something to someone who initially was looking at something else.
But most are just sales people to your questions. They’ll sell what they have. Not what you want, much like estate agents in that respect. And for every 10 that tell them to f
k off, they’ll flog something to someone who initially was looking at something else. Early on in my career I dealt with these types and concluded they bring nothing to the table other than time wasting lies. I vowed never to use them , ever, either as a employee or employer.
I did meet a good one once, but he is no longer working as I had him stuffed and hes now in the British Museum.
I did meet a good one once, but he is no longer working as I had him stuffed and hes now in the British Museum.
CoolHands said:
I know nothing about driving but could you just go round your local trading / business estate (if large) and ask those sorts of companies if they have any driving jobs? Might be able to find a job directly that way
Edit, hadn’t read bad companies post above
You could look up the transport managers online and contact them by email. I believe there’s a shortage of drivers so that could be worthwhile.Edit, hadn’t read bad companies post above
Fru.T.Bun said:
Early on in my career I dealt with these types and concluded they bring nothing to the table other than time wasting lies. I vowed never to use them , ever, either as a employee or employer.
I did meet a good one once, but he is no longer working as I had him stuffed and hes now in the British Museum.
That’s a bit like saying all Frenchman eat garlic.I did meet a good one once, but he is no longer working as I had him stuffed and hes now in the British Museum.
There’s good & bad in everything. If the driving agencies were all bad they wouldn’t exist.
phil-sti said:
as a transport manager of 25 years you may find it difficult to find the hours you want as a new driver. HGV jobs that pay well and have short hours are like gold dust, that said they aren't impossible to find but I wouldn't use an agency for it.
I know I’m not going to walk into the perfect job straight off but I’ll keep applying to the relevant “new passes welcome” early start and manual handling jobs that come up. I don’t mind 12hr shifts because I’ll just have to start earlier, I also like the manual handling part to the job hence me not wanting tipper work. The moan is these jobs are being advertised but once I’ve signed up to the agency - they don’t actually happen instead I’m being offered £13.50 an hour. I can go and drive a 3.5t for that money without the tacho regs hassle.
Mostly absolute dross,have worked through agency's on n off last 15 years, usually try n keep to one or two I know well, getting them work helps,last one, working on hs2 started on cis,then 'had' to go paye,issued contract they didn't abide to,refused to listen when I pointed out their error,within a day of notice for tribunal had fancy lawyer on phone,ended up taking more than I was owed to avoid settlement against them,rest of guys on contract just took what agency said, currently working through one,guy pays top rate,easy work so there is odd decent one about
bad company said:
The recruitment industry is worth some £42 billion. Must be doing something right.
If you don’t like agencies why not approach potential employers direct? Find your own work
That doesn’t mean the not taking the piss. If you look there are lots of industry worth a lot of money but as an employer they’re sIf you don’t like agencies why not approach potential employers direct? Find your own work
Edited by bad company on Sunday 27th March 23:51
t. - Amazon? I will be going directly to company’s now and then if they want me I’ll sign on to the agency they use because signing onto they agency is taking up too much time and I will not “help” them by doing poorly paid work.
Just to add about the signing up to the agency - I’ve had to do theory tests/tacho tests/spelling tests/numeracy tests and number list compare test just to register with them! I thought that having got my license from dvla would be enough - obviously not.
Also if I did 2 weeks work I’m not entitled to the holiday pay that the agency is taking payment for.
I’m on a good position and not desperate for work so I’ll just keep pissing them off saying no until something I want comes up.
Edited by Dan-k on Monday 28th March 09:38
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