what are some signs a temp agency is trying to push the position on to you?

19 Comments

1. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachJune 2,2023 at 6:54PM UTC

   Sign nothing until you receive a formal job description. Ask for the details on the benefits. For example, government contractors can be very stingy with days off/personal leave, particularly smaller agencies. Read the contract thoroughly. My daughter was once offered a contractor job with a good hourly rate, but minimal paid leave and forced days off for each of the federal holidays, which made it much less appealing and a lower annual salary than she had expected. Get all the details before you sign anything.

2. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 11:07PM UTC

   I am already feeling uneasy about this job as they never officially sent me a job description stating it has a lot of wording from government job that I won’t understand ? Even now the recruiter said she scheduled a call with the contractor but never sent a job description!

3. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachJune 2,2023 at 11:38PM UTC

   Well that’s insulting to you. Tell them you won’t sign anything without a job description. Geez. That’s a new one. Maybe just run away.

4. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 12:35AM UTC

   am I obligated to speak with the contractor? I feel this whole thing is just to get someone hyped about a position that probably isn’t even real. Apparently it’s a 4 year contract as an administrator for one of the research hospitals.

5. Victoria NoltenJune 3,2023 at 1:25PM UTC

   You are not obliged to do anything. It’s a job. Unless you are signing up for the military. Say “no thanks” and block the recruiter. If it feels shady then it is.

6. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 8:17PM UTC

   Sounds like a scam job. And yes, even the government jobs have scammers.

7. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 8:35PM UTC

   The recruiter said she will schedule a call with the contractor and it’s been a few hours and she hasn’t scheduled anything.

8. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 10:05PM UTC

   They have zero intention of arranging anything. You are a contact now (I had xx number of people 'apply' they tell the supervisor or client).

   I know SOME recruiters are great, but many I have no faith in whatsoever.

9. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 10:04PM UTC

   Easy: they are salespeople and want a commission. They don't care WHO fills the role. Probably one they have trouble with (or alot of attrition as it's a revolving door)

10. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 11:00PM UTC

    I feel uneasy about this job position.
    I don’t think I want to talk with a contractor on a Saturday. Is it ok to decline? The recruiter just emailed with time I will get a call but not a link or anything calendar invite. I asked the recruiter for job description and haven’t gotten one.

11. AnonymousJune 2,2023 at 10:06PM UTC

    I went to a temp agency to actually get hired on with the agency. They didn’t seem to like why I wanted to leave current job. They send a lot of temps to current job. I was like well most of them end up leaving. They didn’t like that too much

12. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 12:17PM UTC

    I worked at a place that was a revolving door of temps.

    More temps than normal hires at this organization.

    We dealt with THREE groups and it was horrible. In a small town outside of Knoxville, TN - the temp would have the 1h orientation meeting, train 3h, go to lunch and never returned.

    Happened 85% of the time and the lead person (I was his Accountant) couldn't figure it out. (He knew as I did: a dime a dozen for his profit and treated people that way. Thought free lunch twice a month from Zaxby's or a local Mexican restaurant would fix the issue. Usually I rejected the lunch; they were disgusting and I could eat leftovers.) I ate at my desk alone.

    No free lunch was a good enough band-aid to cover up the crap.

    Place was HORRIBLE - we understandably couldn't find anyone and even the AGENCIES were getting frustrated because they had to do the repetitive and unnecessary paperwork to recruit. Plus, others left agency as a whole because they put them in a rotten situation.

    Bad circumstances all around
    ----
    I was at this place about 6m MAX as a direct hire. My BS tolerance is relatively high and I HATED it. Corruption from every angle that started at the top.

13. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 11:02PM UTC

    I knew that’s why they didn’t hire me on. It wasn’t a temp job but a job actually at the agency. I am like sorry to burst your bubble but the temps you send make it maybe 6 months. Only one was ever hired on and they then fired them. I have been at my current job over 3 years and 60 have left or been fired. That’s they they depend on temps

14. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 11:18PM UTC

    I get it totally. I dealt with a temp office and they wanted me IMMEDIATELY (warm body). I tried to explain my background and she had no desire - had an "urgent opening".I've been dealing with temps only when ABSOLUTELY necessary. They treat you like crap and the organization that hires temps know that you are a phone call or email away from "no longer needed".

    I could never work directly for the agency itself. I'm not interested in sales or knowingly setting people up that truly are great employees down on their luck

15. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 3,2023 at 3:37AM UTC

    The process may indeed be being rushed. Sometimes that's literally the reason a contracting company is engaged - they need that position filled ASAP. They need a body and can't wait to go through an extensive interview process.

    The not sending you a job description is a red flag for me. Did you have an in-depth discussion with the recruiter about all the major specific responsibilities?

    You said a contractor is going to call you. So will that person be a peer to the position you're being considered for? Hopefully, they will be able to give you good insight into what the position would entail. I recommend you have good, specific questions prepared.

    What difference does it make if it's the weekend? Some folks are so jammed up - especially with short notice - that's the only time they have to speak. I've done plenty of interviews on the weekend.

    They may indeed being trying to push the position on you. Because they need to get it filled quickly. That shouldn't determine whether you think the position is or isn't a fit for you. Have you googled the contracting company? You're going to be talking to another contractor - that's a great way to get some insight into the company.

    Keep your antenna up for anything that might sound like a scam like them wanting you to send them money for equipment, etc.

    Did they mention anything about a background check or drug test? I would think a background check would be pretty standard for a government job.

16. AnonymousJune 3,2023 at 6:03PM UTC

    Take a deep breath, unless you have a signed offer of intent, contract or employment it's just conversations. If you did not apply and the agency reached out to you definitely write out a list of questions about the job as it was presented to you and see if you have alignment based upon the responses you get. As for a call on the weekend, I would also let that go as they might be respectful of people working FT and not taking time from their work to talk to new companies. A recruiters job is to do several things and it sounds like for this one she is vetting you against your interest in the job, there is a timeline to get the job filled and also she wants to know if you think you can do it. Let it roll and respond in honest terms against what you want. No one can force you to do things if you don't let them.

17. AnonymousJune 4,2023 at 4:56PM UTC

    Thank you everyone for your advice. I decided to drop this one. I thought well through it and the red flags.

    1. Recruiter didn’t respect my time and schedule when I gave them times to set up a call. No official calendar invites were sent. Just back and forth in emails.
    2. The recruiter never sent me the job description as I had asked for and said I won’t understand the government lingo.
    3. I received an email late Friday saying the contractor will call on Sunday at the set time. Again no official calendar invite was sent. The contractor called later than the scheduled time. I went on to do other things as I did wait for them to call.
    4. I did some research on the potential job based on the title they provided on the government job website and found nothing. Then I went on to the organization’s website to check on the job and found nothing.

    I just felt this was going back and forth with a fake job or this job was being presented as federal job but was actually for the contractor. I am seeking other opportunities but I know when my time and talent is being respected.

18. misskelleypJune 4,2023 at 7:10PM UTC

    it might also have been one of those job scams - they tell you you're hired and send you the hire paperwork, which includes your SSN and banking info (for direct deposit). Likely you dodged a bullet.

19. AnonymousJune 4,2023 at 7:59PM UTC

    They will try to shove anything on you, even if it is not what you are looking for because they want the fees. Be careful. Refuse it if it doesn't seem right or what you are looking for. They are only looking out for themselves so look out for yourself.