It’s a sad fact of life but most people with the word “Agent” in their job title aren’t too popular with the rest of us (with the possible exception of Travel Agents). Lets’ see…… there are Estate Agents, Publicity Agents, Insurance Agents and, my personal favourite, Recruitment Agents.

Probably the most frequently asked question by people who haven’t dealt with recruitment agencies before is “Which agency do you normally deal with?”. People mistakenly believe that there is a degree of loyalty between the prospective candidate and an agency.

Let’s look at the reality of this ‘relationship’ ……..

The agency holds most of the cards - 

• They know how much the employer will pay but they won’t tell you so that they can maximise their cut.
• They’ll advertise non-existent jobs on job boards to get hold of your CV.
• If you’re not available for work they’ll quiz you for names of your current employer or colleagues.
• They’ll straight off ask how much money you earn as a salary or a contract rate and how much you would be prepared to accept.
• They might ask you what other positions you have applied for so that they can work out who is hiring and send some other candidates’ CVs to go up against you!
• They’ll expect you to find your own contract renewals within the company you are currently working for.
• Once you’ve finished a contract with a company don’t expect a silver service from the agency. You’re on your own!

How do you play YOUR hand? 

• Realise that this isn’t a relationship at all. At best it’s very one-sided and NOT in your favour. 
• Understand that for some large corporates there are different tiers of agency. Tier1 will likely be a single big agency with several smaller Tier2 agencies feeding into it. This means that if you go through a Tier2 agency they’ll take a cut and so will the Tier1 agency with you ending up with a lower rate. 
• Be smart. The same job is likely to be advertised by more than one agency. Get to know who the good ones are and stick with them. 
• Always ask “How much is the company offering?” rather than telling the agency how much you will accept. 
• If you’re not available for work when you get a call from an agent, try and get some details from them for a change. Tell them that the rate that is on offer is very low. A little positive marketing can’t hurt and maybe the next person they call will get a better rate.

The best advice though is to get to know as many like minded people who have the same job skills as you. Make as many contacts as you can and build up a picture of which companies are hiring and what their rates and terms are likely to be.