On Temp agencies....i'm somewhat loosing hope (highest, jobs, companies)
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I wasn't referring to any particular comment; just to what seems to be the common perception, among lay-people, of how temp agencies work, and my own experience of how they worked up to ten years or so ago.
It's different now; often I'll apply for a job through Indeed or CraigsList and only belatedly find out that it's being offered through a temp agency. I've never ONCE called in and been offered a position... and, in fact, I've been told by more than one office worker at these agencies that the "weekly call-in" is either a hold-over from the old days, or simply to let them know that you are still available and still looking for work. The onus seems to be on workers to identify and pursue positions, rather than on the employees of the agency themselves to present and match workers with opportunities.
Just because "you" got a job through a temp agency, doesn't mean that everyone else can, or will. And it doesn't mean they are lacking something if they are not hired through a temp agency.
Many temp agencies have sleazy, unethical standards. I wouldn't bother vetting any of them, I just would avoid them altogether. For the past 10 years, I haven't contacted them at all. My resume on job sites says "no agencies, please".
Most temp agencies are good. I've worked for several in the past 20 years in between permanent employment, and found all of them to be ethical and genuinely interested in placing their candidates. At least, that has been my experience over the years.
My experience with temp agencies has been largely negative with the exception of 1 case wherein I actually did get an interview with the employer. Bear in mind the temp agency contacted me in May and I did not interview with the employer till the end of July (sadly did not get that job but hey at least an interview).
Perhaps for candidates more experienced or those with a more marketable degree, temp agencies do something. However for those with little to no experience I find temp agencies to be underwhelming. You interview with them, take their tests, they tell you that they will periodically email/call you with jobs that they think are a good fit and then you hear nothing back from them.
A temp agency should be but one arrow in your quiver for finding work
My experience with temp agencies has been largely negative with the exception of 1 case wherein I actually did get an interview with the employer. Bear in mind the temp agency contacted me in May and I did not interview with the employer till the end of July (sadly did not get that job but hey at least an interview).
Perhaps for candidates more experienced or those with a more marketable degree, temp agencies do something. However for those with little to no experience I find temp agencies to be underwhelming. You interview with them, take their tests, they tell you that they will periodically email/call you with jobs that they think are a good fit and then you hear nothing back from them.
A temp agency should be but one arrow in your quiver for finding work
One thing I've noticed is that those who tend to report positive experiences with these temp agencies generally dealt with them pre-Dot Com Recession/Great Recession, where as those who tend to report negative experiences with these temp agencies have generally only dealt with them in the last few years.
So this just goes to show how much things have change in the economy, as far as how businesses operate....
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Originally Posted by 313Weather
One thing I've noticed is that those who tend to report positive experiences with these temp agencies generally dealt with them pre-Dot Com Recession/Great Recession, where as those who tend to report negative experiences with these temp agencies have generally only dealt with them in the last few years.
So this just goes to show how much things have change in the economy, as far as how businesses operate....
I've dealt with them on both sides, within the last few years and 20 years ago, only as a worker 20 years ago but on both sides in the past few years. These have been almost exclusively admin positions, but some project management positions as well.
There are some good ones. It's one in my area that post positions and if you are qualified u will be called in for testing. Then they send you on a interview to the company and if u are selected you start working and paid by them until the company makes you permanent
It is advisable to not use temp agencies anymore at all. You can find a job without using them. Why not just directly apply to permanent jobs that are listed? Go to careerbuilder.com, indeed.com or linkedin. Register and post your resume. Start searching. Avoid the ones that are temp agency listings and go for the direct permanent hire jobs. I will give you a hint: many jobs listed online by temp agencies are fake. This is why its a waste of time to keep applying for them. They list fake jobs because they need to get a constant stream of people coming in, applying so they can add their resumes to their database and collect their references for hiring information.
Don't wind up like a friend of mine who got on the temp merry-go-round ten years ago, and never got off. She is now over 40, has a chopped up resume with little temp jobs on it here & there, and has no health insurance or benefits to speak of. Her teeth are falling out because she can't afford to get them fixed. She's applied to every temp service in the city at various times. When I've tried to give her advice to do something different, she's gotten upset. I don't know how to get through to people anymore about this.
Trying to give someone advice about how to deal with temp agencies is pointless, since there is no "correct" way to deal with unethical businesses except to avoid them altogether. Whether you create a new email or keep using the same one is pointless, too. They would probably complain and point the finger of blame back at you if nothing pans out.
One thing I've noticed is that those who tend to report positive experiences with these temp agencies generally dealt with them pre-Dot Com Recession/Great Recession, where as those who tend to report negative experiences with these temp agencies have generally only dealt with them in the last few years.
So this just goes to show how much things have change in the economy, as far as how businesses operate....
Absolutely!
I got several full-time jobs from three different temp agencies all pre-2002.
Afterwards, when I needed to use them, nothing. An exaggerated temp-to-perm job that lead to a lay off from one, and quitting on the other.
Temp agencies were great back in the day, and they may still be helpful to those today... who aren't looking for benefits or a full-time reliable job.
I got several full-time jobs from three different temp agencies all pre-2002.
Afterwards, when I needed to use them, nothing. An exaggerated temp-to-perm job that lead to a lay off from one, and quitting on the other.
Temp agencies were great back in the day, and they may still be helpful to those today... who aren't looking for benefits or a full-time reliable job.
Temp agencies were also great in the past for inexperienced workers who were trying to gain actual industry/professional experience while attending school. You could sign up for a temp agency and almost immediately be placed into, say, an accounting clerk or administrative assistant position that paid a decent living wage.
There was no having to first interview with the client or going through credit and extensive background checks. After simply testing your skills, they sent you on your assignment.
I remember my mom telling me that she worked for a temp agency back in the mid-1980s binding Owner's Manuals for the Big 3 automakers (it was at a contractor). In mid-1980s dollars, she was making about $6-$8 per hour full time at this job.
By today's standards, she was relatively low-skilled and inexperienced as well (she only had a GED and experience temping in other warehouses).
The contractor has been out of business for years and the Big 3 automakers now load the Owner's manuals onto their websites, but the sad part is if that job still existed today, they'd probably demand several years of experience with specifically binding Owner's Manuals and at least some college education. And in 2014 dollars, that job would still probably only pay $8 per hour, or whatever Michigan's minimum wage has increased to now.
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