Applying For Jobs (Via "Resource Management" Company)

[RastaManBob]

Hi,

Whilst searching for graduate jobs I found a very interesting position available. After completing a brief bit of research about the role and company I promptly contacted the person in the advertisement.

Almost immediately I received excellent feedback and have been lined up for an interview. In my (limited) experience, everything seemed too good to be true.

This led me to research the advertisement further. I noticed that the same vacancy was available on the company’s website, with an online application form. Meanwhile, it appears the advertisement that I had responded to was through a "Resource Management" company.

Being new to the world of job hunting can anybody advise me if this is something to be concerned about? Am I likely to obtain (if successful in getting the job) a worse contact, pay, etc? What is the difference between applying directly and through the resource management company? What is "in it" for the resource management company, and does this leave me with anything to lose?

I want to avoid asking these questions to the resource management company directly as I do not want to appear negative, especially considering the excellent recommendation that they made to the company and the efforts they are putting in to help me secure the job.

Can anybody give me any pointers on resource management companies? Any questions that I should ask, or points to be wary about would be really very useful.

Thank you.

 

[ard-tullaich]

hmmm, well I am sure the Resource company will get a fee for recommending you, so its in their interest to push you forward, but is there any harm in applying online yourself?

 

[ikillbears]

My mate works in recruitment, which is the exact same thing I imagine ?

Any way, they obviously get a slice of the salary and a fee for recommending you for the position. They might feel to trust the fact that you are there as usually you have an interview with them first to see if you're worth being put forward

Looking at it from the other end. My brother hired a couple of people pushed forward to them from recruitment agencies. He told me they often got paid a lot more but were also usually worse

For him what he said about pushing candidates forward. That they will push some one forward obviously if they seem to fit the profile and believe that they would actually turn up to the next interview, apparently a lot of people don't. Oh and also their ' switched on ness ' and general desire to get the position and sense of motivation. But there company is specifically sales jobs so it may be a little different for what your apply for

 

[RastaManBob]

Thanks for the replies

hmmm, well I am sure the Resource company will get a fee for recommending you, so its in their interest to push you forward, but is there any harm in applying online yourself?

I guess there is no harm, but it seems pointless if I'm already at the interview stage with the company. Applying directly would mean having to complete the entire application process (which I believe is no doubt longer than I've completed through the "Resource Management" company). Time is of the essence as I've received an offer for a position on a post-graduate course which I am also interested in and only have approximately two weeks to accept (or decline) that offer.

My mate works in recruitment, which is the exact same thing I imagine ?

Any way, they obviously get a slice of the salary and a fee for recommending you for the position. They might feel to trust the fact that you are there as usually you have an interview with them first to see if you're worth being put forward

A slice of the salary? Or they also receive a percentage of what the employer pays? I guess this would explain why they recommended that I raised salary expectations? Does this mean that the employer is less likely to offer the place through a resource management company (or pay a lesser salary), due to the additional costs involved?

Looking at it from the other end. My brother hired a couple of people pushed forward to them from recruitment agencies. He told me they often got paid a lot more but were also usually worse

This concerns me a little; I'd rather get a job on my own merits. I wouldn't like to get a job only to find that I wasn't suitable in the first place. I would have hoped that it would be the role of the employer (and/or resource management company?) to vet this? In any case, I'd rather not end up with any tarnished record due to this.

For him what he said about pushing candidates forward. That they will push some one forward obviously if they seem to fit the profile and believe that they would actually turn up to the next interview, apparently a lot of people don't. Oh and also their ' switched on ness ' and general desire to get the position and sense of motivation. But there company is specifically sales jobs so it may be a little different for what your apply for

At the moment the resource management company has received a cover letter and CV and spoke to me on the telephone for less than five minutes. The phone call didn't discuss my technical experience but was more interested in details such as willingness to relocate and salary expectations.

I'm feeling very uneasy about this. I know the usual saying that if something sounds too good to be true then it usually is, but I'd like to think this may be genuine. The work sounds interesting and the proposed salary is well ahead of what I imagined. Despite this, I feel as though I'm being put forward with comments that I do not believe the resource management company are in a position make after the limited communication with me.

I am very busy at the moment and do not want to waste my, or any other companies, time. Of course, most importantly - I do not want to embarrass myself.

I'm considering withdrawing my interest from the position but I don't want to be doing this foolishly (and getting paranoid about a problem which isn't a problem).

Does anybody have any additional advice or experience with resource management companies?

 

[ikillbears]

A slice of the salary? Or they also receive a percentage of what the employer pays? I guess this would explain why they recommended that I raised salary expectations? Does this mean that the employer is less likely to offer the place through a resource management company (or pay a lesser salary), due to the additional costs involved?

Im not completely aware of how it works. I know that the company definitely receives a finders fee as it were and i also believe they might receive a percentage of what you salary would be for a certain period of time ( maybe a year ). I remember him saying that if some one stays with the position they are placed in for a certain period of time then they get a secondary finders fee and then that's the end of that

This concerns me a little; I'd rather get a job on my own merits. I wouldn't like to get a job only to find that I wasn't suitable in the first place. I would have hoped that it would be the role of the employer (and/or resource management company?) to vet this? In any case, I'd rather not end up with any tarnished record due to this.

At the moment the resource management company has received a cover letter and CV and spoke to me on the telephone for less than five minutes. The phone call didn't discuss my technical experience but was more interested in details such as willingness to relocate and salary expectations.

I think this is pretty standard. As you said they are gauging your willingness to actually possibly go for the job. Essentially if it is worth their time to keep chasing you up on this. At my friends they will do this. Then get them in for an interview which is to really gauge their personality and skills. Obviously though they aren't the employers and don't know exactly specifically what they may require. But they are assessing if you as a person could go forward and impress more than anything seems to be my understanding of the whole procedure. Also remember if they send crappy people if reflects badly on the company and in future may not acquire any future business

I'm feeling very uneasy about this. I know the usual saying that if something sounds too good to be true then it usually is, but I'd like to think this may be genuine. The work sounds interesting and the proposed salary is well ahead of what I imagined. Despite this, I feel as though I'm being put forward with comments that I do not believe the resource management company are in a position make after the limited communication with me.

I am very busy at the moment and do not want to waste my, or any other companies, time. Of course, most importantly - I do not want to embarrass myself.

I'm considering withdrawing my interest from the position but I don't want to be doing this foolishly (and getting paranoid about a problem which isn't a problem).

Does anybody have any additional advice or experience with resource management companies?

I see no real reason why you shouldn't keep rolling with this. At the end of the day you may discover that you don't want the job or anything but it is still interview practice and can't hurt you in any way shape or form. Recruitment companies it seems just care if you're really eager so that if they do send you on you might impress

 

[Ev0]

If you get hired the recruitment company get a payment from the hiring company, usually a set percentage of whatever your annual salary would be. Hence it's in the recruitment companies interests to get you on as higher salary as possible starting as they then get more cash

In my experience recruitment 'consultants' are snakes and I tend to be a little careful when dealing with them.

At the end of the day it's the employer who will decide who gets the job, the agency is just there to find candidates. You'd go through the same application/interview process at the company applying direct than you would through an agency. Just with an agency you might have an extra step in there, some employers like this as it takes the legwork off them in some cases.

I wouldn't worry too much though, it's nothing sinister, just that they are using an agency to try and find people as well as an ad on their site.

(a 'resource management' company is just a posh way of saying recruitment agency by the sounds of it)

 

[RastaManBob]

Thanks for the replies once again,

It's very interesting and certainly left me feeling as though I wish I'd paid more attention. To be honest, I simply saw a role that I thought looked good and didn't give it a second thought.

Everything adds up based on what you're saying... Little things, like removing my contacts details from my CV (I was sent a copy of the version that was sent to the company)... I guess this is so if the company were interested they would have to go back via the "Resource Management" (RM) company (to avoid paying a reduced salary?).

Interestingly, when asked of salary expectations I simply mentioned the highest paid job that I have so far applied for (as I didn't know what else to say). To my surprise it was suggested that I apply for more than that price, and further reiterated that I should emphasise this at interview.

I suppose my main concern is does being employed having applied via a RM company have *any* long term issues? E.g., would a contract be different and would the employing company treat you any differently?

I'm pretty worried that I am being made out superior than I am. There were a few skills/experiences on the job description I do not currently have. My covering letter and CV clearly highlighted what relevant skills and experiences I do have and therefore the fact that the ones I don't have was omitted should have been enough for them to realise (assuming it was a problem). Despite this, in the notes sent from the RM to the employing company I am referred to as an excellent candidate with all of the required skills. I really don't want to waste a day travelling to the interview if the interviewer is disappointed from the start, if the RM have not accurately represented me.

Does this sort of behaviour seem normal for an RM? If so, I guess I should proceed (nothing to lose)... But as ever, don't want to waste anybodies time!

PS. Apologies if this really hasn't developed far from the OP but I'm simply finding it very hard to decide if I'm being had on a little, or if this is perfectly normal. Lack of job application experience =

 

[ikillbears]

I would say its normal. Just go with it. The company won't hire you if they don't think you can handle it. If you do get the job and might not be able to do certain things they may have hired you for other reasons and expect to help you out a little bit. This will all be experience any way, and you'll learn from it

 

[Ev0]

In all honesty just chill out a bit, it's nothing to worry about, companies use recruitment agencies all the time.

There is no difference, long term issues etc, on getting a job through an agency or direct. All the agency does is introduce you to the company, it plays no direct part in the hiring process.

At the end of the day the company decide if they want you or not based on their standard hiring procedures, they use a recruitment company to filter out the crap to save them doing it. This is partly why the agency will amend your cv with only the relevant bits in.

They do sometimes have a tendancy to over egg your skills sometimes, I know of people being sent for interviews where the recruitment agency have said they were experts in field x, when they had no idea about it. Makes an interview a bit embarrassing!

As for being normal behaviour, yes, as I said don't trust recruitment 'consultants' as far as I can throw them tbh. That's purely going on my own experiences over the years.

Had one call me up last week with a role, sounded good, he was really excited to put me forward for it, not heard a peep since....