primitives discuss employment agencies

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=362x796

Kat45  (1000+ posts)        Thu Jul-30-09 11:16 PM
Original message
 
Do employment agencies have anything to offer these days?

I'm thinking that they probably don't. It's such an employers' market today that I don't see why any company would pay an agency to find employees for them (except perhaps for extremely specialized jobs). Whenever I look at Craig's List ads, a good number of them are posted by agencies. I think the jobs probably don't even exist, but the agencies are just posting them to try to get more people signed up with their agency.

Though I'm a bit confused here: what is the point of signing up workers if the agencies don't have any jobs to set them up with. Unless of course it is just a way to give their employees something to do and justify their jobs.

And what about temp agencies? I'm thinking that companies probably are making use of temp workers (so they won't have to hire permanent workers and give them benefits). But are there even any temp jobs out there now, or are they already filled with "permanent temps"?

drm604  (1000+ posts)        Sat Aug-01-09 01:23 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. My experience with employment agencies recently hasn't been very positive.

They contact me, sell me on a position they're trying to fill, tell me they'll try to set up an interview, then never get back to me. When I follow up with them either the position has been filled or it's "on hold".

I've gotten more interviews lately through Craigslist than any other way. Of course, none of those interviews has gotten me a job offer, and you have to be careful of scams.

However, it doesn't cost you anything to use an employment agency (be wary of any that want to charge you), so you might as well utilize them.

Kat45  (1000+ posts)        Sat Aug-01-09 08:15 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
2. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

The thing I hate about using them when there is no job is that I end up having to go into the city, which is not cheap to do any more, then spending all day going through all the bs at the agency, all for nothing.

[rich_t]

Not worth further comment in my book.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm not a huge fan of employment agencies.  They can and do serve a useful purpose at times, as many employers only use agencies to recruit new employees.

[AprilRazz]

drm604  (1000+ posts)        Sat Aug-01-09 01:23 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. My experience with employment agencies recently hasn't been very positive.

They contact me, sell me on a position they're trying to fill, tell me they'll try to set up an interview, then never get back to me. When I follow up with them either the position has been filled or it's "on hold".

I've gotten more interviews lately through Craigslist than any other way. Of course, none of those interviews has gotten me a job offer, and you have to be careful of scams.

However, it doesn't cost you anything to use an employment agency (be wary of any that want to charge you), so you might as well utilize them.

Most normal people would just go directly to the MacDonald's and skip the agency.

[JohnnyReb]

I'm not a huge fan of employment agencies.  They can and do serve a useful purpose at times, as many employers only use agencies to recruit new employees.

Yeah, agencies make it much easier, cheaper to cull out the non-working DUmmies.

[Carl]

They contact me, sell me on a position they're trying to fill, tell me they'll try to set up an interview, then never get back to me. When I follow up with them either the position has been filled or it's "on hold".

Probably because after the interview you have been considered batshit insane and non-employable.

[Celtic Rose]

I got my job through a temp agency.  The company I work for prefers to hire employees through temp-to-hire positions, unless they are highly skilled.  As I had just graduated from college when I got this job, I definitely did not qualify as highly skilled.

Basically, they hired temporary employees to see how they worked out.  If there was an issue, it was easy for them to get rid of the employee without going through a lot of hassle, and I had worked there on a temporary basis for four months when they finally hired me, so I didn't have any probationary period without health insurance or anything.  Win/win situation for good workers as far as I'm concerned. 

Yes, this is a difficult job market, but I would think that temporary positions would be where companies are hiring if they are hiring at all.  It is a lower risk way to fill openings. 

[thundley4]

 

The company I work for uses a temp agency for secretarial/administrative assistants. They hire most full time after a year or so. I think more companies might start using temp agencies for long term employment if the Health Care fiasco goes through.

[jukin]

For DUchebag, the problem with employment agencies is well... they find you work.  Yep the worst most nasty word to a DUchebag...WORK.

That is all.

[Karin]

Did you catch this gem?

Unless of course it is just a way to give their employees something to do and justify their jobs.

Oh is that the way business works?  Bogus busywork = job justification
Well, I guess that's the way government jobs work. 

[bcsco]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=362x796

My wife is looking to hire for a management position in her store. Most of the people seeing her window sign who come in, aren't interested in full time. Yet the county is at 11/5% unemployment. Also, when told that as management they have to be available at all times, they also aren't interested. They want to pick and choose work hours, work days, etc.

And she told me a similar job at another of the corporation's stores had an applicant demand $45,000 annually or she wouldn't take the position. The position's still open.

People aren't all that interested in working, it seems...