Temp Agencies- Dud or Satanspawn?

(But I have applied to a record store which had a sign up so we'll see, also I may get fired cos my till was 200 euro out last night, DAMN!)

Manpower are ok, they even give you paid holidays.

I think they are poor, but it is my experience that they are getting better. I think that they were much better at matching me to a job when I used them the second time (2000) than the first (1995) although this may be because I had more nous and indeed work experience (& hence a better CV) the sceond time around. Brook Street simply told me "We handle secretarial work. if you want something else go elsewhere" which was quick to the point and saved any faffing around. I much prefer this approach to "Yes, of course we'll put you on our books" to all and sundry, being eager to please when really they have nothing to suit an individual's skills and experience. I made the mistake of not complaining when I got put into a job I didn't like when I used them the first time, thus enduring hellish admin. jobs when I could've been placed somewhere more appropriate.

Personal experience is all anyway in these things; I mean there's one agency in Oxford who got me the temp job which allowed me to gain the permanent position which I have held for the past 2 years, so obv I have respect for them, they may have messed around thousands of other ppl and I was just the lucky one!

All I remember about Office Angels is that they made me do a typing test in a darkened room in their basement! The only light was from the pc!

I mean, yesterday at 4pm I was ready to take a couple of shotguns and go all Klebold and Harris on the offices of Alliance (that's Alliance). Calmed down somewhat now...

Hmmm, where to start? Yesterday, I found out I was lied to by Alliance (spelt A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E) about why I left my last job. They said I was let go, and yesterday told me that I was fired. They lied to me about the other staff, the reason for my leaving, and so forth. Anyway, as such, my CV now gives all other agencies the name of said company, so they can phone them up and find out I was sacked, when my CV says the work ran out, making me look like a liar liar. Funny how Alliance only saw fit to tell me this when they found another job for me, huh? I told them where they could ram their bloody job.

So many more things... where I'm working at the moment. 6-2. Warehouse work. Fair enough, I don't mind a bit of graft. What I do mind, though... Seven workers. Me, four English lads (temp veterans), and two immigrants. Now, we're allegedly "randomly" assigned to two seperate groups. Funny how this random system puts the three guys with the foreign names (notice my name doesn't exactly make me seem too full of the spirit of John Bull, does it) together, and the four Anglos together, no?

So much more... agencies that charge you £2 a day for transportation, despite the place being less than a mile away. Agencies that tell you that you're doing one thing, get to the place and discover you're doing something completely different. I have 14,000 kdph. Roughly twice the speed of a professional typist. And yet I'm forced to wake up at 4am and move pallettes and pump trucks all day.

Ah... screw them all. I was published in Careless Talk Costs Lives, I don't deserve this.

By that logic, my column there means I should just go home and go to bed. ;-)

I would really like to know where they find these people. Underneath rocks, perhaps? I write this having received a letter from one of these bozos rejecting me for a job I never even applied for.

Also temp agencies are satanspawn because they charge the employer £20 an hour for clerks, etc, paying the clerks themselves less than a third of that.

Can't go that far -- couple of the people here at UCI are actually fine and friendly folks. Sounds like they should have been working where you were dealing with!

free pizza = good temp agency.

Temp agencies though = generally bollocks, although I did have an interview with a specialist one for the sector I've worked in before and they were very good indeed.