Agencies- when it goes quiet

[Ravintola]

How many of you have responded to an agency's advert, or have been contacted by an agency only for it to go very quiet after a few 'phone calls or emails?
Agencies seem very keen to find out your rate and other details but then fail to provide any feedback.

[Genghis the Engineer]

They do rather don't they. Plus the need usually to explain what your qualifications and experience actually mean because they rarely employ or train their staff to actually understand them.

G

[Krystal n chips]

The comments regarding the species known as "Recruitment Consultants" are simply the tip of the iceberg. Given that the sector is unregulated --please--no "Code of Conduct" or "Best Practice" etc in mitigation because this would simply be yet another fallacy--anybody can become one and start an agency. It speaks volumes for the general indifference of the HR sector-or maybe not-that organisations are only too willing to subcontract out the recruitment process to a strata of society that occupies a level slightly lower than vermin. My own experience with these parasites is that most have NO idea about Aviation in any form--they simply look for keywords on the CV / Job Spec. I have dealt with 3 about whom I could say they were professional and business like and with whom I could do business again. The rest, considerably more than 3, were simply inane as were the staff. E.G. " you are a terribly good fit for the role--OH ! --it says here you have a Degree--but you were ONLY an Airman in the RAF--sorry--teensy, weensy weaky poohs on the prodgy wodgy management skills I feel--speak again--soops" Translate that into English !--another, "Theeneor conthultunt ( girlie about 20 at a guess) who tells me that it is "very important to have qualifications and expereince in Aviation--and do you have ANY NVQ's at all?" As the answer is no--she informs me she cannot put me forward for the role ! Then there was the one who sent me for a position that was not even my area--and it was all my fault!--the one who said she had never heard of a Licence and I was the 10th person to contact her--and why did we all persist in doing so when the Licence did not exist!--the one who told me to relocate to Lincs--as it was a rural area--cheap-and I could commute to Coventry every day with no problem !--Many of the job adverts they produce display an atrocious level of illiteracy and thus no credibility. I wonder just how much damage these morons do to peoples opportunities and why "managers" persist in using agencies other than to abrogate their own responsibilities. I also wonder if the new, or proposed, age discrimination bill will include agencies who already seem to practice the concept of age discrimination as a matter of policy. Any self centric recruitment "consultant" care to comment--other than to tell us all how wonderful he / she is ??

[Genghis the Engineer]

All for 10-20% of the new employees first years salary !

G

[Joe Bolt]

Why are agency advertisements often so vague about the location of a contract. They will descibe the location as being in 'Europe' or 'UK' or possibly 'South'. For goodness sake what is wrong with telling us exactly where the work is? If the contract is at Bournemouth, why don't they say so?

[allthatglitters]

Simple, if they tell you they are worried someone else, another agent, will get in on the act. I think it is called "Keeping your cards close to your chest"

[Genghis the Engineer]

Or even if you bypass them and go to the company directly, they'll lose their 20% of your first years pay.

G

[mainwheel]

I think alot of this is to get you and your particulars on their database. Then, if something does come up they have available personell.
There is one agency in asia that advertise for "immediate" vacancies and then after applying put you through the mill and nothing eventuates. When a vacancy does come up you are reminded that they have you on their books and some exclusivity on you. All BS of course. deters most from going to another agency though.

[Jango]

Okay, second attempt at replying!

As Mainwheel stated, a lot of agencies just collect Cvs so they can go round facilities and airlines with a fully loaded portfolio saying "we have all these guys ready to start work" (BS from agencies)

Secondly, the likes of FLS, SASCO, GAMCO etc will tender for a contract knowing they need extra LAEs to do the job. So they go to the agents and say "we need 5 737 A&C next week" Agents spend on adverts, "immediate start", get guys lined up (if you pardon the pun) and then the facility does not get the contract! So guys are left hanging on a phone call wondering what the hell has happened. (BS from facilities!)

At the end of the day, wait until you get it in black and white before you do anything!

Okay, second attempt at replying!

As Mainwheel stated, a lot of agencies just collect Cvs so they can go round facilities and airlines with a fully loaded portfolio saying "we have all these guys ready to start work" (BS from agencies)

Secondly, the likes of FLS, SASCO, GAMCO etc will tender for a contract knowing they need extra LAEs to do the job. So they go to the agents and say "we need 5 737 A&C next week" Agents spend on adverts, "immediate start", get guys lined up (if you pardon the pun) and then the facility does not get the contract! So guys are left hanging on a phone call wondering what the hell has happened. (BS from facilities!)

At the end of the day, wait until you get it in black and white before you do anything!

As for "location vagueness", well they do not want other agencies to know who they are supplying man power to. All the agencies call each other pretending to be engineers so thay can try and get the scoop on where the contract is so they can go and undercut them.

Whats the old adage "How do you know an agent is lying?"

"His lips are moving!"

[Krystal n chips]

Some interesting and valid response's to the orginal question--but I note that, as yet, a very pregnant silence from the vermin themselves---why the reticence I wonder from those who are usually the most vociferous ??

[mainwheel]

To get an aircraft into a major maintence facility at the moment is not easy, especially if it involves mods.

Operators look for tenders from various facilities. Naturally well in advance.

As far as "immediate" vacancies go, history would say there are very few filled by such adverts.

Pprune should be a good source of reality though regarding agencies.

Contract in your hand!! Then think.

[allthatglitters]

Take a well earned rest with the family and let them chase you..