Feeling drained by a temp agency..need advice.

25 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 5:19PM UTC

   Thank you for your reply. They staff multiple schools all over the area. I have checked them out on indeed and they are a real agency but they do get bad reviews from about half of their employees. it seems they are a typical low-quality temp agency, but nothing illegal.

2. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 5:33PM UTC

   I would let them know your availability for WORK and tell them you are finished with the application and background check requests.

3. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 5:35PM UTC

   omg great idea. I thought about doing that but was afraid of being too confrontational.

4. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 6:08PM UTC

   You are a professional and are handling your communication as such. Alerting this company as to your position and availability is professional and proactively setting expectations. They have been disorganized and unprofessional in their handling of your application. And that is disrespectful of your time.

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 15,2023 at 12:37AM UTC

   If they're giving you zero work now, what exactly do you have to lose?

6. Heather CutlerMarch 14,2023 at 6:26PM UTC

   As the mother of a school aged child, if some stranger showed up at my kid's school insisting on employment information at pick up time, I'd call the cops. The school and teachers are ON DECK to protect my kid, and all the children at the school. Not host ad hoc job interviews with prospective child care workers who are trying to figure out work-around's for the background check process. This is a recipe for disaster and it will take time away from the teacher's primary responsibility to the kids leaving the school and making sure they're being handed off to a parent or guardian.

   Moreover, if a stranger approached me at my kid's school doing a "reference check" on the facility, I'd refuse to talk with them. There are so many security breaches at schools right now, I'd assume that this person was a stalker and trying to infiltrate the school. This is not good advice!

7. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 7:17PM UTC

   It was a bit of a strange suggestion, don't think she meant any harm but, yeah there's no way I would ever do anything like that.

8. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 7:08PM UTC

   Temp agency is not good long term.
   Temp agencies do not help people find permanent, full-time, and meaningful work at all. They take advantage of people who are unemployed. STOP USING TEMP AGENCIES! Please find full-time employment at a real company, not a temp agency.

   Note: I used to work for a temp agency in temp jobs not in my industry and undergone this experience firsthand. The temp agencies did not help me and assigned me to short-term that did nothing for me long-term. I was able get employment at a real company. Temp agencies truly suck and don't let anyone on FairyGodBoss or anyone else tell you otherwise. Thank you.

9. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 12:48AM UTC

   I definitely feel the lack of meaning in the situation right now, feel more like a number at the moment.

10. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 2:23AM UTC

    Well I’m here to tell you different. At least how it was before the 2009 recession. As I wasn’t looking for full time work they would consistently find me gigs whenever I wanted to work. I even got hired full

    time working as a temp but again this was years ago.

    I went back to work in ‘06 and when I got laid off in ‘09 I didn’t get any work unless I had a connection at a firm.

    I'm sorry that things don’t seem to have improved.

11. AnonymousMarch 14,2023 at 11:36PM UTC

    Some temp agencies advertise "temp-to-hire," so one thing to know is that you can sign up and work for more than one simultaneously.

    Additionally, suppose you are working for an agency that lets its clients dictate the "background check" rather than doing it and stating that all of their employees can provide proof of a clean background. In that case, you need to find a different agency. I presume you are doing either early childhood education (i.e., preschool) or substitute teaching. If you have a teaching certification, jobs should open up over the summer (so there is an end in sight). If you don't have the certificate, there are plenty of online programs with accredited universities where you can get your teaching certification. Hang in there, and good luck.

12. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 15,2023 at 12:37AM UTC

    Why are you having to pay for background checks? In over 20 plus years of recruiting, a candidate has never ever paid for a background check. That's a business expense.

    I could also see how that could be a conflict of interest - I don't want someone who passed a background check they paid for themselves. How do I trust those results?

13. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 12:51AM UTC

    the background check companies are all reputable, verifiable, long-standing institutions. However, it's like, I have to pay for the parking, and the test in some cases, but not all of them. I really regret signing with them and I wish I had just said I was out during the onboarding when I saw the incredibly long ridiculous list of almost demeaning list of items. I have never committed a crime in my entire life, not even a speeding ticket in 34 years,..but they did a child protective services check on me. It just seems like overkill.
    I think they do this in place of checking references, but, its teaching me a lesson on self worth and accepting icky things right now. oh well.

14. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 15,2023 at 1:47AM UTC

    Again, the background checks should not be paid for by candidates.

    You want to work with kids but you think it's overkill to do a CPS check on you? I haven't recruited in that space but if you were going to be taking care of my kids, that seems pretty reasonable to me.

    I would never accept the results of a background check that the subject of the background check had paid for.

15. Heather CutlerMarch 15,2023 at 1:36PM UTC

    Of course they're doing a CPS check on you! Nothing about this is unreasonable or overkill! Frankly, I expect this from an educational or child care institution. If you're taking care of my kid, I want the due diligence done on your background and history.

16. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 12:01PM UTC

    It is a normal practice for some educational positions to incur that cost.

17. Becca A.March 15,2023 at 12:14PM UTC

    That temp agency is bad news and you need to stop interacting with them ASAP. You should not have had to pay for anything especially not a background check or even go through multiples of it. With that shared, I have to ask, why was there no research performed on your end online to search what are red flags from temp agencies or employers? There are a plethora of articles that would have been able to highlight this unprofessional temp agencies mishandling of you and your TIME!

    I'm happy you came here to share so we can share our take and give credence to the bad feeling you have about being taken advantage of to which you are through and through in this situation.

    A temp agency , at least from my experience, I have interacted with an active job posting they have that I am interested in and as soon as that falls through I move on from them by means of continuing to actively look for job positions on my own using alternative means. While leaving the door open for them to present me with others that align with the goals I shared with them.

    In doing this, I keep autonomy of my time, feel more in control of my success in getting roles as opposed to 'waiting' for anyone outside of me to give me one which can make me one feel like they're waiting for someone else to save them from their situation and who wants to feel like that?

    In the beginning of your post you shared that you don't know what route you want to take in the education field and with that, I say, there lies the problem. You need to sit down and hone in one what route you want to take in the field or at least where your interest is specifically. As from there it will be easy to search and receive jobs that are more applicable to you.

    Best wishes to you and your success.

18. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 12:27PM UTC

    IMO I would stop with that agency, as it sounds like an outside type 'contractor' for schools. I would cut out the middle man and go to the sources. With those background checks and since you paid for them you may be able to just use them still. I would go to them and ask if I apply for school system A and school system B can I have the results just sent to them after letting you know where they need to go? I do appreciate a diligent system taking any precautions on who are put in front of the kiddos out there, and for that matter adding to any team setting. Finding a new position can be taxing but not worth complaining about how much effort it takes. Seeing and working toward a goal of a type of position you're passionate about will serve you well. Good luck.

19. AnonymousMarch 15,2023 at 7:43PM UTC

    7 different background checks is extremely unnecessary. This is nuts.

20. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 15,2023 at 10:47PM UTC

    I'm shocked to hear that candidates are having to pay for their own background checks. Fingerprints, yes - I've done that myself. I haven't recruited in that space but I see that as such a conflict of interest.

21. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 16,2023 at 5:50PM UTC

    Of course there are no refunds. That would be completely unethical. A background check company can't make only people who pass pay.

22. AnonymousMarch 17,2023 at 6:50PM UTC

    paying for testing for temp roles and at your own expense? crazy to do this. Step back find another temp agency and move on.

23. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 2:56PM UTC

    Make things being sure is best ,now solution how it interact your feeling and your work. Find out and you going to get the solutions soon. Thanks

24. AbeMarch 19,2023 at 10:14AM UTC

    Dear you have to focus on the feelings of your own on which ? And why ? Connected with energy? Which situation ? So you can change your situation for your advantage of interest. Just focus on your feelings where it feel laid on .

25. AnonymousMarch 20,2023 at 10:56AM UTC

    Stop working at temp agencies. They do not care about you and will not help you find work. Temp agencies only care about the companies that they are helping, not the employee. Once you (the job candidate) contact an agency and speak with you, you may not be working for months or years, or only working for part or half of the year. Once your contracted job assignment is up, you may not be working months or years, or only working for part or half of the year. Temp agencies will use you for their purposes. You will feel used. Temp agencies do not care about your career goals. Temp agencies make money off of the employees. Temp agencies do not care about you. Quit relying on temp agencies and find a job on your own.