Do employment agencies blacklist people?

Question

I was with a agency and I left the job and fell out with the consultant. since then, I have not been able to get a job with a agency. I was wondering if these organisations blacklist people. I f I have been it is unfair. How can I find out and sue them?

Answer 1

No they can't do this. Some agencies are 'friends' and might share information about unsuitable candidates but they are not aloud to stop you from seeking employment elsewhere.

You should complain to the REC (trade association for Recruitment agencies) via their website http://www.rec.uk.com/rec/about-the-rec/complaint-form.aspx

You can only complain against the agency if they are members of the REC which you can find out by clicking on http://www.rec.uk.com/rec/details-of-members/jobseekers-info.aspx. If they agency in question isn't a member contact the DTI (department for trade and industry) on 0845 955 5105.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I was recruited on contract by a recruitment agency at a construction site. The site manager was an awful fellow and blasted people with foul language if he was simply in a bad mood. When he did it to me one morning for no reason at all I walked out. The recruitment agency phoned and said they'd blacklisted me. Registered with another agency unconnected with the old one and applied for a job and they said sorry but you're blacklisted. So, there you go, they do blacklist and they do share their blacklist, fact! It's always done verbally though so non-provable.

Answer 3

Hi Ed - I dont think they do it 'officially', but they do remember people who stand ut, whether for positive or negative reasons! Im registered with (no word of a lie) about 10 agencies and never get ANY help from them because in the past theyve all talked to me about really junior positions and Ive pointed out the jobs are cr*ap and Im not interested. Since then, theyve all been unhelpful!

Funny story, a few months ago (July time I think) I applied to a job via Monster and I had a call straight back from an agency guy. We chatted for a bit, he sent me a job description and interview date at the same time (as sending the job desc). Well, this was the night before the interview, so to be there (at interview) ID have had to pull a sickie to get out of work, plus having read the JD it wasnt something I was comfortable doing, so I emailed the guy to say 'thanks for considering me but I wont be attending the interview because (a) no notice was given and (b) I cant do the job'. The next morning, I get a ratty phone call from said agency asking why hadnt I shown up, I said well you left the office and I couldnt call, so I emailed you with why I cant attend. This guy went MENTAL at me (he was only agency, not the actual company) and said all sorts of horrible things (none of them true or based on fact) so I called him a w*anker and slammed the phone down. Its still making me laugh now that this guy was so unprofessional!!! xx

Answer 4

No. Agencies do not black list people. They can strike a person off their books if said person was involved in something that would normally constitute gross misconduct. If said person is working in social services or working with vunerable people, an agency could possibly be bound by REC (governing body of recruitment and employment agencies) regulations to inform other agencies dealing in the same sector about the incident.

However - if you just left a job because you have had enough, then your consultant probably has the hump with you and not taking your calls.

Call another agency!

Answer 5

There is no "formal" blacklist but of course they do decide who to represent, and no, its not unfair.

They are a private company and choose which product ( in this case people ) they want to sell, obviously not you anymore.

You have proved you cannot get on with one of thier staff so its only natural they are suspicious of representing you again.

Common sense to me.

Sue them for what exactly ? protecting thier clients by not putting you forward. You've got no chance, time to move on.

If you sue an agency for refusing to represent you just how many other agencies are going to take you onto thier books after reading that in the papers ?

You're relationship with an agent needs to be treated as a long term interview, would you argue with an interviewer ?

You are in competition with other people on thier books, so naturally they are going to choose the people who will give them the best chance of repeat work from thier customers.

Answer 6

you can't get a job with any agency or just that particular one? i work for an agency and i know that candidates do not get blacklisted that have had a disagreement with another agency (at least i know that we don't!) there are lots of legislations that agencies have to follow these day (age discrimination etc) so we have to be very careful. from this point of view i would think that scenario is unlikely as they would be putting themselves at great risk! good luck in your job search and try not to get disheartened there will be a job there for you somewhere! put your CV on the jobsites and then lots of people can view your CV and not just the particular agency you are using.

Answer 7

Did you contact the agency to tell them you were having problems? If not you may have been in breach of contract. In any case it would have been diplomatic. They may simply have struck you off their books.
A blacklist would be if you are also unable to work for other agencies; thats a different matter altogether.
The problem would be proving it.

Answer 8

If it is a private company...100% yes. They have the right to make agreements with other private non state agencies to contact each other and communicate the "clients you don't want to work with" to each other. You can always ask them why they have a change in attitude with your case but it is likely they don't find you a good candiddate or your references are no good..or one or more of the references actually had something negative to say. Did they do a background check? Did it show anything negative?

Answer 9

What are all the review sites for agencies? I've seen Linkedin do reviews of them. I would like a proper review site where you rate on things like timesheets (ease of use), assignment details (sometimes they supply a multi-map of where you are going), communication (how regularly they keep in touch with temps...i.e. do they email each week to see if you are available for work, even when they don't have any work for you? Or do they pay holiday pay when you are in between assignments without having to ask? (One agency I works for does, and the other temps I work with were keen to know and join up).

Answer 10

I love watching TV, I really like the animal shows, the medical shows and the Judges and courtroom shows