The Trials of a Hiring Agency.

And they can certainly be a trial to work with if you find the wrong one.

I have worked through two in the past. The second one was a delight that landed me a full time job. The first was something else.

The closest office had bitter women working there. I had not known this when I started, people that I met on jobs even told me their own stories of that office. They had even gone so far as to flat out lied to me twice about a job.

A friend at a potential job told me that there were openings and that they only hired through this one company. This is how I originally started there. I signed up and then they told me after that the position had been filled. I was ok with that and they set me up with something else.

They would call me with little 2-3 day jobs or once a job that I didn't feel safe accepting. But they had something almost every time I spoke with them.

Skip to almost two years later and my friend again says that they are looking for people. At the time a temp job had just finished so I stopped by the office and asked. They said no flat out. I left but it felt fishy so I went back in. This time my mom followed me in (big no no!) and she insisted they call and check. this time I also said that my friend that works for the company just told me about it.

Their story? It's being filled from a different office. I asked which one and finally got them to call the office and it was set up. This royally pissed off the two women at my local office.

So, one year of bliss later that contract was up and I let my local office know. I call in every few days and they say they have nothing for me. Eventually they tell me that they will call me if something is available. A big change from what I was used to.

Almost eight months later I get a call from the local office. It was a new woman introducing herself. She helped me get a new position right away. Later that day I was telling a friend about it and asking him if he thought they had black listed me and his eyes lit up.

He had a story for me.

It seems that a week before as he was delivering the mail to their office, he came in to find all new people there. He schmoozed a little and found out that the main woman there had been upsetting everyone and had gotten fired. Apparently she made some kind of small scene as she left. Then he was told that the other woman that she worked with just got up and walked out on her job either that day or the following day.

Ouch.

I honestly feel bad for the two women. Now that is, back then I was thrilled that they got what they had coming to them. I was very bitter about my treatment then. Now I realize that there is potential for that to happen no matter were I go or who I talk to.

I know that recommendations are now one of the better ways to go when dealing with a temp or hiring agency. My dad recommended a woman to me a few months ago. I need to sit down and call her to see if she can help me. Hopefully it's not too late.