The importance of having all the information
So I get the paperwork all straight. I line up two talent to work for a new client. The client asks me, at the last minute, to postpone the start date for the talent one day. Okay, no problem.
The day before the talent are to start, I’m confirming details and the bill rate with the client, and he says, “Oh, and make sure they know they’ll be working mostly evening hours, because that’s when our customers are available.”
Evening hours? Excuse me? That wasn’t part of the original deal. Now the talent don’t really want the job, but they’ve already passed on other opportunities to take the job, and they’re feeling a little betrayed that the rules are changing after everything had been agreed upon.
I’m not interested in working with a client who withholds critical information like that until after the $$ have been agreed upon. The bill rate assumed normal business hours- I’m placing IT people, not factory workers after all- and if you want people to give up time with their families or incur additional childcare costs, you’re going to have to pony up the extra cash. And if you’re going to keep information like that from me and cause me to lose the trust of my talent, then we aren’t going to do business, because my reputation with my talent is the single most valuable asset I have in finding and retaining the best.
The client needs several people, and I’d really like to provide them, but not at the cost of making my talent feel like they’re being lied to.
March 28th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Hi Tiffany,
Ok two points.
(1) Research
You sound surprised at the “working evenings” request from your client. Did you ever ask what your client did? How they did it? *WHEN* they did it before you went into a whole heap of work to find people to do it? Sounds like you ASSumed a point of two along the way.
(2) Come on!!!
Quote “my reputation with my talent is the single most valuable asset I have” - oh please… How long have you been in recruitment? Your reputation counts for zilch with your “talent” as you so lovingly refer to them. They are punters. Your real customers are the hiring clients (unpredictable buggers they can be) and your objective is to make money from getting the biggest margin from a hire as possible. And all that work is for the shareholders of the company you work for. And if you say you work for yourself then I’m impressed - solely because your still in business right now.
The truth hurts - as it will for your “talents” when they, invitably, discover your 40% mark up.
Kind and honest regards.
Anders.
March 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
Oh look, I have a troll, and apparently one who has had a bad experience with a recruiter- fair enough, lord knows there are enough bad ones out there who make it hard for the rest of us. But it seems to be a foreign concept to you that some of us actually think putting people to work and enabling them to provide for their families is a noble profession, and ought to be conducted as such.
I’ve already addressed my markup and how I work my ass off for it here: http://www.magicpotofjobs.com/2006/02/24/she-works-hard-for-the-money-so-hard-for-it-honey/ But to reiterate- everyone who works for me gets the same wage they’d get if they were working for the client full time, and in the cases where the client is a cheap bastard, more. As such, my markup is none of their business. They aren’t the ones recruiting, screening, and meeting with the client in advance, so when I get paid for those services is none of their concern. They all know I mark up, and none of them care as long as they’re getting a fair rate. What most people fail to understand is that in this business model, only the tiniest percentage of what we charge is actual profit- the rest goes to things like office space and salaries and whatnot.
I call them “talent” because far too many people think of contingent workers as disposable, and it’s important that my clients understand that my people are professionals and deserving of their respect. It’s important for the talent to know that I think of them that way as well, and that I will cease doing business with a client if my people are mistreated. In fact, I’ve dropped clients for exactly the kind of stunt this one pulled today, and would have dropped this one had he not immediately set the situation to rights. The fact is, unemployment in my metro area is at 2%- I have more open positions than I have people to full them, and the plain and simple reality is that any individual client needs me more than I need him or her right now. Why work with the dishonest and uncooperative when I can work with the good ones?
And yes, since you mentioned it- my work is for the shareholders of my company, and I happen to be one myself, so… was that supposed to make me feel bad about where my labor is going? Because it doesn’t.
And no, in fact I didn’t assume anything- I was told that the hours of the position were 10-6, and it was only after everything was agreed upon was I told that it was 10-6 this week, and 2-10 all weeks thereafter. So it seems like you are indeed the one ASSuming things, no?
Anyway, my point is, it doesn’t *have* to be done the way you describe. The whole thing can be a really positive experience for the jobseeker if the recruiter is doing her job properly- it’s a relationship business, and anyone who doesn’t run it that way is doing a bad job.