Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been unemployed for several months. I've been focusing on companies that are directly hiring employees for full-time jobs. I've had first and second interviews...but no offer yet.
I've been avoiding temp and staffing agencies for a variety of reasons I've read about on Monster, here, etc. I get quite a few calls from them but haven't agreed to go in and sign up with them.
Last week and this week when I applied for two jobs on Craiglist. I received a phone call within 1/2 hour both times asking me to come in to their office. The two agencies are Adecco and Employment Solutions.
What is most likely their angle? Do you think they legitimately want to hire me or are they trying to meet some sort of recruiting quotas? What should I watch for and see as red flags? I have no experience with temp/staffing agencies.
When you use a temp agency, you really have nothing to lose. At least that's been my experience. They sell a service and that service is to provide quality candidates for the jobs posted by their clients. The only thing required of you is that you go in an interview with the agency. If they find your skills sufficient for the types of jobs their clients offer, they will assign you to that company for a temporary/contract assignment. If you're not a good candidate, there are no strings attached. You typically pay nothing to the agency, and I would strongly suggest that you never pay for their services. There are plenty of temp. agencies that charge nothing for signing up with them.
I've been unemployed for several months. I've been focusing on companies that are directly hiring employees for full-time jobs. I've had first and second interviews...but no offer yet.
I've been avoiding temp and staffing agencies for a variety of reasons I've read about on Monster, here, etc. I get quite a few calls from them but haven't agreed to go in and sign up with them.
Last week and this week when I applied for two jobs on Craiglist. I received a phone call within 1/2 hour both times asking me to come in to their office. The two agencies are Adecco and Employment Solutions.
What is most likely their angle? Do you think they legitimately want to hire me or are they trying to meet some sort of recruiting quotas? What should I watch for and see as red flags? I have no experience with temp/staffing agencies.
Thanks! Julie
Hey Julie,
It`s a shame the way these recruiting companies prey on the hopes of the unemployed, using such vehicles as craigslist,etc. when they have no intention of hiring you. I`m not saying this is the case each and every time,but I believe the overwhelming majority of the time,it is. So if you go in for an interview then go into it with that thought in the back of your mind. Also, I would read the thread on here that is titled.."UI and thinking of a part time or temp job..think again". A lot of people tried to do the right thing and just find any kind of work at all just to get off of unemployment, only to get burned by unemployment after they got laid off again. Just be careful. Good luck!
Most temp agencies are legit and as noted here, there's no "loss" for you the potential employee. In fact the one bright spot the last couple of months (and I've seen personal evidence) is that demand by companies for temp help is going up, historically that's the beginning of a turnaround in general hiring. And there are cases of temps who do well being eventually hired for a permanent position at the company they temped for.
The only thing to watch out for is what was said in that thread someone mentioned in terms of it affecting your unemployment. It is a shame that that "problem" exists, since it kind of encourages people to not look and stay on UI. But not all states do it that way (for example, NY looks at your last 18 months and goes by your highest paying quarter in that period which almost assures a small or no reduction in benefits unless it was like 2 years ago).
Addecco is a legitimate agency. I've worked for them in the past.
Addecco is I think of the larger temp agencies.
Except for a few "bad apples," my experience with temp agencies has been overhelmingly positive.
Here are a few things I like about temping:
(1) Gets you out into the workforce--important psychologically, and monetarily
(2) Helps your confidence if you do well at the job
(3) Opportunity to build up references at the temp site for future job interviews
(4) Opportunity for networking -- some jobs are "temp to perm." In a tight labor market, an "overqualified" temp has been known to "network" into a higher level job (less likely in a tight job market, but you never know).
(5) Bad situations don't last for long -- you can move onto the next one which will hopefully be better.
(6) Meet nice people. I am still in close touch with two people I worked with on temp assignments nearly 20 years ago, in a different country, who turned into friends.
There are some caveats with this. I read one anecdotal account of a temp getting blackballed by an agency after they were approached by the employer for a permanent job...you have to be cautious about not "violating policies."
Last edited by DreamingSpires; 11-10-2009 at 05:08 PM..
I had bad luck with Adecco. Did you know if they are paying you $10 an hour they are charging the company $20? Adecco had left me high and dry and I would never go back to them. They knew a week before I did that the job I was at was ending, but they didnt tell me till the end of my last day.
I had bad luck with Adecco. Did you know if they are paying you $10 an hour they are charging the company $20?
That's the way all temp agencies work. In all honesty by the time they get done paying the employers share of payroll taxes, recruiting costs, their in-office employee salaries, rent/power/etc., they are operating on a fairly slim margin.
I really appreciate your replies. I agree that working is so much better for our spirits and well being. At the same time, I would not want a temp job to interfere with finding my next full-time perm job. Lots of pros and cons to consider.
I wanted to know the types of tests they give you so I can brush up on my skills.
There are plenty of legitimate temp agencies out there and Adecco is one of them.
But the entire business model for temp agencies is to have vastly more resumes and applicants on call than a direct-hire employer would want to keep on hand or sift through for every job. Even the legitimate temp agencies have to do this. For the applicant this means getting many more rejections than job offers.
I have done temping in the past and I do think, just like in a direct-hire interview, you have to find one you 'gel' with. Last time I temped, I went to three or four temp agencies and then found one where I just got along well with the placement officer and often got temp assignment offers.
I am also leery of the 'list every place you've applied to' requests. Some agencies have more insistent policies than others. Mostly I've found the ones who are very demanding that you inform them of every job you've ever applied to are the ones that are really only using you to get leads on employers that are hiring, that they can sell their services to.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
