Temp Agencies

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Today I decided to go to one of the temp agencies in my hometown just to try to get anything short term to just make some cash while I look for something long term on my own.</p>

<p>Anyway, this is my first time going to a temp agency and the place just appeared a bit delapidated and just unprofessional. The whole office was two rooms and about 3 workers and dressed quite poorly (I’m talking sweatpants style). </p>

<p>I’m going back tomorrow for the testing portion. </p>

<p>Nowadays I’m always weary of my personal information and this place of course requires me to give out quite a bit of personal info (application, SSN, etc.)</p>

<p>My question is: is this what temp agencies are usually like? (The man in charge started talking to me about his other business where you refer people and get cash back by buying stuff online, which I could care less about) What I’m ultimately worried about is not that they’ll missuse my information, but that after a year of two they’ll still have all this very sensitive info of mine and who knows who’s going to be going through those 3 file cabinets of theirs that they had. Am I worried for nothing and I should just go back and maybe I’ll end up with a small temp job?</p>

<p>Sorry for the grammar my comp is acting up.</p>

2

<p>Are there any national employment agencies in your area (e.g. Aerotek, Accountemps, Kelly Services?) The outfit you visited sounds entirely unprofessional and suspect.</p>

3

<p>I am not experienced with employment agencies over here (went to a couple in the UK) but I agree with worrywart. They sound very unprofessional. I would be especially put off by the owner’s ‘other business’.</p>

<p>If there are other options in your town I would pursue them.</p>

4

<p>If there are any other Temp agencies to try, you might just go over tomorrow and ask for your file back, instead of wasting your time taking their test. Invest your time with a different agency.</p>

<p>A son of mine got pulled into Temp Agencies without knowing they were Temp Agencies. He’d reply to a job ad off of Craigslist, “pass” their phone interview, then go over for the in-person, only to find out it was a Temp Agency all along. </p>

<p>Suddenly the ad he’d originally chased was not available to him/already filled/terms changed…but they would have “other things that come up.” So they’d schedule him the next day for “skill tests” which he took. They never placed him – and to be fair, he didn’t bug them often, which is standard advice. </p>

<p>He wondered if they just wanted to claim to employers “we have X numbers of people available to you…” so were padding their files with the likes of him.</p>

<p>After that, he continued to respond to Craigslist job ads, but began by asking on phone or email if they were The Employer or a Temp Agency. If they answered the latter, he’d break off communications right then. </p>

<p>Re: clothing. The only thing is if there’s a different standard, say for temps in the moving, trucking or restaurant industries. But if it’s a temp agency for an office job, they sound scuzzy in their sweatpants. JMO.</p>

<p>A more reputable agency, such as some other posters name here, sounds like better use of your job-hunting time. </p>

<p>By the way, my son finally solved it by getting day jobs with a family-run independent moving company that only did local moves. He contacted them directly without any agent. He’s not big or muscled, but small, wiry and hardworking.</p>

5

<p>thanks a lot. i think i will go and ask for my file back. i mean at one point he pulled out a picture of his family and also showed me a picture of his grandson on his phone too, which i find weird after talking with a stranger for 5 minutes.</p>

<p>paying3tuitions:
i like the direct method you mentioned. best stuff i’ve gotten in the past has been that way.</p>

6

<p>I don’t know where you live, but this place doesn’t sound right. I would look into other agencies in your town. The one temp agency I used for a temp to perm job was very professional (nice office,well dressed employees, etc). A more professional agency would likely have contact with better employers.</p>

<p>Do you know anyone in your town who works in HR or is an office manager? You might find out which agencies they use.</p>

7

<p>I agree that this company sounds suspect and would hesitate to deal with any place that wasn’t part of a group, if not national. DS filed with a local temp agency with several branches after senior of high school, took the tests, and was placed in a data entry part time job for that summer - $10/hour working 10-3 in a small office. So it can be a good idea at a professional agency.</p>