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In all the years I have done contract work and having about six agencies,
represent me at different times, I have never encountered this situation.
It has always been understood that a recruiter will only submit my
application to the positions I have discussed and authorized.
How does the recruiter even know of your availability and whether or not
you agree to the work and the rate?
> (basically, he tells me that they'll only make maybe 50Â per hour on me).
I call B.S. on that statement! This guy is clearly lying!
Or... maybe it is different in the U.S.? In Canada, agencies typically make
around 45% of what the contractor is paid. The most outrageous agency fees
was during my first contract job where the agency took 68%. I was shocked
when my manager told me what they were really paying for my services!
Thankfully, those crooks are out of business now.
Good luck, I hope you get the contract.
Best regards,
Shawn
On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 11:49 AM, Mike Starr <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com> wrote:
> Tuesday, a large local corporation posted a requirement for a contract
> role. I've worked for them in the past. Whenever they post a requirement, I
> get calls and emails from agencies all over the country. I press each one
> of them to give me their best W-2 rate for the role because from my
> perspective there's no difference in which of the agencies I worked for. So
> after a long day of fielding phone calls and emails, I chose the agency
> that quoted me the best rate... gave them the current resume and a
> right-to-represent statement.
>
> So, today, I get an email from another agency that they've submitted me
> for the role and I've been shortlisted for the assignment AT A LOWER RATE.
> I can expect to be asked to interview for the assignment.
>
> Turns out that the I had worked with the recruiter who submitted me a
> couple months ago and agreed to allow his firm to submit me for a different
> role (identified by a specific requisition ID). I did not give his firm a
> blank check right-to-represent... just the right to represent me for the
> previous assignment. This recruiter committed a serious breach of ethics. I
> called him and read him the riot act then made him transfer me to his
> supervisor (the account manager). I read him the riot act as well.
>
> I really don't want to work for this agency... however, I'm afraid that
> there's no way I can back myself out of this situation without losing the
> opportunity to work for the client. I need the job... I need the money. The
> account manager is doing his best to mollify me, including offering me a
> much higher rate (basically, he tells me that they'll only make maybe 50Â
> per hour on me). He's also telling me that in order for this to happen,
> I'll have to provide his company with a right-to-represent agreement.
>
> I told him that was all well and good but what about the other agency...
> the one I originally agreed to allow to submit me for this role. This is
> one of those large corporations where they do not permit
> double-submissions. I'm going to call the original agency and explain
> exactly what happened. There are a couple things that could happen. The
> original agency could ask me to have the unethical agency pull their
> submission of me or they could release me but then file a lawsuit against
> the unethical agency or they could release me but file a complaint with the
> master agency that all the smaller agencies have to go through.
>
> Like I said, I'm furious. Any advice would be welcome.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Mike
> --
> Mike Starr, Writer
> Technical Writer - Online Help Developer - WordPress Websites
> Graphic Designer - Desktop Publisher - Custom Microsoft Word templates
> (262) 694-1028 - mike -at- writestarr -dot- com - http://www.writestarr.com
> President - Working Writers of Wisconsin http://www.workingwriters.org/
>
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--
*Shawn Connelly*
Technical writer
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