Am I tripping?

47 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 7:47PM UTC

   I've temped long enough to know that they're looking for good (or great) help cheap and will play that card until you leave. In my experience, even the mention of leaving didn't make them extend an offer. They went onto the next, good cheap temp.

   Found a great meme: "I know what I bring to the table so trust that I'm not afraid to eat alone."

   Use them to pay the bills while looking for a place that really deserves your skills and talents.

2. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 7:55PM UTC

   Thank you for validating my experience and feelings. You’re exactly right.

3. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 9:00PM UTC

   You’re exactly right. Thank you.

4. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 8:02PM UTC

   This role has been posted on LinkedIn for weeks and they just sneakily had a candidate come an interview today. I’ve been here long enough to see that the company has toxic practices. The few Black employees have warned me of certain things that turned out to be true. So it’s a stepping stone job, but it would be nice to have a safety net while look for a better job. I’ll def reach out to my temp recruiter

5. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 8:11PM UTC

   I would kindly ask the HR contact at said company how you might submit your resume for the position as you really like it, and are qualified. Providing them a cover letter. As a former contract recruiter, the contracts were a better world to work as temp is just that, temp. Way too much movement of people in and out of jobs. It's the nature of the business to fulfill a company's need and fast. If you can find a staffing firm that offers contracts instead of temp positions, then you may find yourself in a better position to go perm later. Or look for a perm job.

   Go to ChatGPT and put your resume in. It's pretty intuitive and can provide suggestions for jobs with your skill set. If you have a degree, revisit your alma mater's job site/career center. Many colleges allow alumna to attend events, or keep their resume in their recruiting system. It keeps you very relevant for company's to see. I so hope this works out for you and best of luck!

6. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 9:03PM UTC

   Thank you for the advice! I think because of the initial overlooking and gaslighting, I should apply elsewhere. I’ve proven myself this whole time, nothing else left to do. If they wanted to hire me they would’ve. I’ll take my talent and skills somewhere better.

7. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 8:27PM UTC

   I used to work for an employer who was fine with using temps as needed but wouldn't hire them over direct applicants for a full time job because they didn't want to pay the agency's fees.

   It's the reason I've been trying to avoid going through an agency and applying via an employer's website for permanent positions when ever possible.

   I was told by an HR professional, if the "agency" is the one who brings you to a perspective employer's attention. They're on the hook for fees if you get hired.

8. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 8:41PM UTC

   Temps serve a purpose, it's not as common as you think that they move to being actually hired, it's a role to just keep it together while they look. That is what a temporary role is. Companies don't often have a 'let's try out this temp to see if they fit hiring model'.

9. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 4:12AM UTC

   I hear you, but the agencies will book you and say this is a “temp to perm” and will give you all the job salary information just for OP’s situation to happen. If she took the job and it was strictly a temp role, then so be it. But if they sold her the role on it going perm, given this super tough market, what they did was misleading.

   I’ve been there and know this too well.

10. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 11:18AM UTC

    For which we can't speak to as that is not shared, as you are correct if 'other' selling the temp role conversations occurred, and not assumed that they'd be considered first.

11. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 1:56PM UTC

    Bingo. That’s what happened.

12. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 3:33PM UTC

    It sounds like that's on the agency more than the temporary employer.

13. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 1:55PM UTC

    True. And they shouldn’t expect a temp employee to fully perform as if they’re a perm hire, especially with such little onboarding!

14. AnonymousApril 11,2024 at 9:30PM UTC

    They are cheapskates and ignorant.

    For what they pay in agency fees, they can pay for your benefits and higher pay.

    Them not interviewing you is a bad sign on THEM. They found a SMART "warm body" and too stupid to know how to handle the intelligence and integrity you have!! The organization lacks any ability to think ahead and have a plan- putting out fires THEY caused and you, someone to clean up

    Use them for your income as long as you can and keep looking. The staffing agency is useless because they won't help until your assignment ends--

15. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 1:08AM UTC

    Great comments. Couldn't agree more. I've just (this morning in fact) been laid off myself from an FTE role and dread the thought of having to ever go back to temping again and being treated like a disposable commodity.

16. AnonymousApril 13,2024 at 1:08PM UTC

    Thank you!

    Something will show up for you!!
    Yep, despite bringing intelligence, "temps" are seen as disposable and no apt for goals when often permanent staff are that way!!!!

    It's ridiculous.

17. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 2:39AM UTC

    From my experience with temping (and I have a lot), I would assume that they don't want to pay to buy out your agency contract -- at least until proven otherwise.
    The requirement for "more experience" is often used as an excuse to the temp employee. As you have seen that they are interviewing others and have given you this excuse, the advice given to reach out to your agency for another placement seems sound. Meanwhile, continue to do your best and use this experience as a positive on your resume.

    Early in my career I had a similar experience where I was working with an agency and told that I did not have enough administrative experience. Well, they hired an employee with administrative experience, all right, but no experience in the couple of software packages we used on the job, then had the audacity to ask me to train their new employee on the software even though I was working by that time in another department. When I had seen that they were interviewing others and not considering me for the position, I had reached out to my agency, which is why had another position within the same company. My reply to their request to train was that if they could work it out with my new manager, I would consider it. Of course, nothing came of it. BTW, I did enjoy the new position within the company - turned out it was an upgrade for me!

18. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 12,2024 at 6:48AM UTC

    FYI - In my experience, most temp contracts have a clause that after a certain amount of time, the employer can convert the temp for no fee. The company has already made x amount of money having that person out on contract. The time frame varies - typical that I've seen is 6 months.

19. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 3:20PM UTC

    THIS! Temp Agencies can make it expensive and difficult for companies to hire you on full time. Frankly, agencies, recruiters and middle people are rarely, if ever working in our best interest and can make everything more difficult and time consuming.

20. AnonymousApril 13,2024 at 1:05PM UTC

    Amen!!!! And I have heard temp agencies rag on and on and on about how my resume isn't "close to acceptability " and wanted to change EVERYTHING. I let this happen once and no one hired me. I changed it back, dumped agency and got calls again.

    I hate to generalize, but staffing agencies are good for short term $$. Went to one before years later as I was desperate and before we talked about skills, etc., she drug tested me on the spot!!!

    I have nothing to hide, but dang!!

21. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 4:05AM UTC

    Same scenario JUST happened to me. You are seeing everything clearly. It’s THEM, not you.

    The executive I was assigned to was a toxic person, making all of your shared experiences even more complicated!

    When it came down to them bringing on another FULL TIME hire, I was fed up, because I put it so much elbow grease to get that role up and running after it being underperformed for so long. I took all of my notes and deleted them all. Told them to use the “onboarding doc” I had to use for the new hire since they think their work was so special.

    I’ve been an EA for a very long time and just constantly shafted either by a toxic executive, toxic company/staff, or underpaid. As a human being, I can’t continue to work like that anymore.

    my corporate days are done. They broke me.

    If you could do anything to not feel how I feel, get you a side hustle and up skill yourself in other work. Diversify your skillset so you can freelance on your own. Why? I feel like I didn’t do enough to pour back into myself, and completely allowed companies to have full control over what my success looks like.

22. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 5:51AM UTC

    Omg, you sound like a great employee. It's too bad you couldn't see what was happening. They didn't deserve you.

23. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 1:30PM UTC

    OMG you hit the nail on the head! I’m sorry you’ve also experienced this too… it’s effing dehumanizing. I can’t see myself doing Admin work much longer and I’m going to put my focus back on my freelance SM work and project manager courses. Best of luck to you as well

24. Scharmel MitchellApril 12,2024 at 1:58PM UTC

    Even though you feel strongly that you have all the experience necessary to handle the responsibilities of this position, its more than likely they are also judging you on how you "fit" into their organization. I have done the work of managers and executives, creating process improvements projects that brought money into the company and none of this was a part of my job, so of course I was not compensated or recognized. Still, no one has considered me for managerial positions. I have learned the hard way, in a corporate environment you are judge not only on your skillsets/what you do to benefit the company, but if you are someone they see as "one of them"

25. AnonymousApril 14,2024 at 12:26PM UTC

    This. A company won’t ever come out and tell you that you aren’t a “cultural fit”, but it sounds like that might be the case. If your performance is good and you have the skills, but they don’t want to hire you, it’s often because they don’t want to work with you as the person/ personality.

26. AnonymousApril 15,2024 at 1:37AM UTC

    I looked at Glassdoor reviews and have had conversations with the few Black employees and both say that this company is disrespectful towards minorities. I have been nothing but pleasant, friendly, and professional. But I'm not a white Jewish woman at the end of the day. So on to the next opportunity I go...

27. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 3:22PM UTC

    I've worked many years as a contractor. I worked for one company as a contractor for over a year with multiple extension. When I finally threatened to leave, they created a position for me. Issue was, the pay and role 3 times less than what I was work and I would be reporting to someone I trained and my junior. It was a joke. I say that to say, it's not about the "culture", or how you fit in, they don't respect you or the role you play. If they truly wanted to hire you regardless of your knowledge, they would. If you didn't have the knowledge, they would say you are trainable. If you had the knowledge then you would be a great fit. Honestly, if you didn't meet the need, they would have told the agency they need someone else. Besides, they are paying the agency more money for you as a contractor than they will an employee. The only difference is benefits and the employee will be harder to fire plus unemployment. Trust, get out now. Sorry, reality is what it is. I wish someone had told me that. Or they did and I didn't listen. The other side to this coin is, employers want you to beg for a job. They want you to want into the office and tell them why you deserve it. Either they agree and will give it to you or they don't and don't care and will give you a sob story about why they can't. Either way, you will still find yourself in the same place. I do wish you luck. There is no easy answer to this.

28. Jill KapinusApril 12,2024 at 3:33PM UTC

    Do you mind sharing the temp agency that you used?

29. AnonymousApril 13,2024 at 12:59PM UTC

    All agencies are the same. Doesn't matter who she is associated with.

30. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 4:09PM UTC

    Welcome to the "CIRCUS!" Nothing surprises me at this point.
    It's NOT qualifications/experience anymore (Especially for 'minorities' with their ducks in a row). Rather, it is who, knows who.... Definition of.....You know what!!

31. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 5:04PM UTC

    It simply could be the temp contract states they can't hire you permanently now or within a specified time or if they do they pay a pretty hefty buyout fee to the temp agency.

32. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 5:32PM UTC

    Update from OP:

    I filled my temp agency on what’s been going on and she said the company’s HR hasn’t been communicating with them. The temp account manager will reach out to them again and if they don’t respond within a week, will begin submitting my resume for other roles. The company is obviously sloppy and this further confirms it’s not a ME problem.

33. AnonymousApril 12,2024 at 9:20PM UTC

    In my experience, the smaller companies are better at converting from temp to perm after the contract runs out (either those or smaller business units of larger companies). In one of my experiences, I found that contacts I made while temping eventually worked for getting a permanent position. When I applied to other companies for a permanent (i.e. "full time") position, I asked one of the former coworkers from the temping company for a reference, and he ended up having enough influence with his new company that he got me an interview and he and his manager created a new position for me, as this company where he now worked was really stretched and urgently needed help.

    Didn't happen all of the time in my temp positions, but it may pay to ask for references from those you worked closely with while temping, particularly if you made them look good in the time that you worked with them. You never know what might happen!

34. GirlBossanova934974April 13,2024 at 12:30PM UTC

    This one is so easy! This situation has all the hallmarks of company management trying to do EVERYTHING ON THE CHEAP! Qualifications are experience have very little to do with anything. As long as the company doesn't have to pay much, it's all good according to company management. Bring in a TEMP and ask her to clean up the mess. Then come with a few more weeks of TEMP work to clean up more messes but do it with no such thing as benefits. I have worked for outfits like this! IT is the company DNA. Come up with all sorts of fancy talk about their greater mission but try to do it with employees who work cheap because they don't have the experience to do the job. The minute they want more money, they leave.....

35. Jen B MaysApril 15,2024 at 12:30PM UTC

    Likely a big reason the former holder of this position left.

36. AnonymousApril 13,2024 at 1:16PM UTC

    Once at a job, my predecessor VOLUNTEERED to train me!!

    Why? She left on a salary disagreement and wanted the opportunity to return so purposely trained me incorrectly and manager was ignorant of entire scheme- i found out from a colleague who had been there 10 years AND from corporate. It was hell- I hated that entire organization. 6m after I started, they wanted to re-train me, but by then I was actively searching to leave.

    This issue was one of MANY REASONS place was horrible.

37. AnonymousApril 13,2024 at 6:14PM UTC

    Speak to your agency and find out if they can continue to extend you.
    You could be in a situation where the cost of converting you means paying a fee to hire you FTE and if that is the case, then you are not going to move ahead unless within their budget they have the cash to do that. Tell your agency what is going on and perhaps they would cut the fee for converting you. And oh FYI when a temp gets hired they are a hired gun and should come able immediately to jump in with no training or anything and if you have been successful despite getting zero guidance then clearly you are qualified. If they choose not to hire you definitely apply directly so that you can get tracking of your application. You might also write a very kind note about how much you enjoy working there to the CEO and let it trickle down from there that you would like to stay FT.

38. AnonymousApril 14,2024 at 5:18PM UTC

    I would ask yourself, after these “check in” experiences, why the other person left and in such chaos. As a former temp, sometimes you don’t see what’s happening to their regular staff, nor do they divulge anything to a temp they know isn’t experiencing the same issues they are. They aren’t telling you you aren’t good enough more than telling you they aren’t good enough for you. Be glad you’re only a temp there if they aren’t willing to talk to you about converting you from temp to perm. If that conversation is t happening at this point, and their ad for the role shows you clearly OQ, take it as a sign you are there doing good work for which you’ll likely get well deserved compliments to your temp agent who can write an LOR or be a business contact for you if you need! Personally, it feels like they are using your skills to get caught up and slightly ahead so that they can pay someone else less for the role, while they know they’ll be paying for benefits for them. Take this as a win. Turn it around and thank them for the opportunity to get them caught up and if they need anything else, you’ll be happy to tackle whatever it is. Let your temp agent know that you’d like them to line something else up for you for when your contract is up with this company but that if s/he can focus on a temp to perm role, you’d be grateful. While you’re earning an income, take the opportunity to polish up your resume and start sending it out. Job searches take time, as do getting noticed with everyone throwing their hats in the ring these days.

39. AnonymousApril 14,2024 at 8:57PM UTC

    Depending on the temp agency, you can't always count on them to line up a next assignment for you because they want to let the current client keep you for as long as they like.

    Temp agencies make their money by lending out skilled people like you - it makes the temp agency look good. Some temp agencies are not motivated to help you find a regular full time position.

    As best you can, keep applying for regular full time positions and fit in those interviews. Keep track of all the learning and skills you pick up along the way on the temp jobs and add them to your resume. You can end up having a greater range of job knowledge than if you hadn't accepted those positions.

    Years ago, when I would contact recruiters, the first question from all of them would be, "are you willing to accept temp work?" Once I said yes, all I would be offered was temp assignments. And once I stopped saying yes, I was referred over to their colleagues who focused on regular full time placement.

40. AnonymousApril 15,2024 at 1:07PM UTC

    Move on big red flags flashing lights

41. Holly WilliamsApril 15,2024 at 2:31PM UTC

    I've been in this situation and, thankfully, could afford to leave. The day I found out that I was not being considered for the position I had been doing for the last 4 months and would be expected to train the person they hired full-time was my last day. I felt totally disrespected and used. I was not going to stick around longer to be abused and feel humiliated. I'm sorry this is happening to you. People can be so selfish and in a work environment assume everyone needs the money and subconsciously assume they can treat people poorly because they assume they need the money and will just put up with it.

42. AnonymousApril 15,2024 at 2:58PM UTC

    You have the skills they claim you are lacking, make sure all of those skills are on your resume and get to stepping right out of there to a position and organization that is right for you.
    They do not deserve you. Good luck!

43. AnonymousApril 15,2024 at 3:06PM UTC

    The nerve of them!
    That's a slap in the face. If you can afford to leave, do so right now!

44. Christi MillerApril 15,2024 at 4:00PM UTC

    I suggest asking the agency to find you a new assignment. This place seems horrible.

45. Cecile Marie GirouxApril 15,2024 at 9:47PM UTC

    This is how they avoid paying Bennie’s…get off of their temp merry go round-

46. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 4:03PM UTC

    Run away once your time there is done and don't look back. People (and companies) will tell you who they are if you listen. My guess is the previous person preferred not to play another round of "what's my favorite color."

47. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 8:56PM UTC

    Thank you for sharing this 'experience.' I now understand why that word covers so much. ....

    Yes, leave - walk at a brisk pace. Use this experience to find your own 'good experience' at a company that appreciates you and does not use you in this manner.