Ingeus

[RealName]

what a lot of agencies do now is advertise non existent jobs to fill the books with jobseekers

Are you referring to them placing ads on sites such as direct.gov for jobs that don't exist in the hope that any jobseekers will then sign up with them when they attend the 'interview'?

 

I attended one of these a few days ago after being offered an 'interview' for a 'job' I applied for. The first person they saw was a girl who arrived before me, they asked her to show them her passport to prove that she could work in the UK. Then they photocopied it straight away without telling her that they were going to do so. When it came to my turn I told them that I was happy to show them my passport but I wouldn't allow them to photocopy it unless I was offered the job. At this point they told me that there was no job and gave me a form to fill out so that I could sign up with them. It asked for my contact information and bank details and at the bottom there was a data protection waiver asking for my signature saying that I consented for them to pass the information within on to any third parties. Needless to say I didn't sign it and left their office feeling incredibly annoyed about how they had wasted my time. I felt really sorry for the man who was after me. He'd came all the way from Wales to Reading only to find out that the job didn't exist to begin with. He really let them have it.

 

I don't see the point in telling JCP/DWP about this. From what I've read they already know that it happens and I can see someone kicking up a fuss about me not taking the opportunity to sign up with the agency...

[Nystagmite]

Why would they need your bank details if there was no job?

[LongHairedLily]

I am with roughly five Recruitment Agencies. Some of them are exclusively industry related and I've known them personally for years. The only way to find bonifide agencies is to look on industry specific job sites through industry magazines (mine is Retail Jeweller). No legal agency would ask for bank details.

 

If anyone is wanting pointing in the right direction for agencies give me a shout.

[debt4get]

I am with roughly five Recruitment Agencies. Some of them are exclusively industry related and I've known them personally for years. The only way to find bonifide agencies is to look on industry specific job sites through industry magazines (mine is Retail Jeweller). No legal agency would ask for bank details.

 

If anyone is wanting pointing in the right direction for agencies give me a shout.

i totally agree no legal agency would even want your bank details, unless there is an actual job, and that job is paid employment then i would never consider giving them my bank details...doesnt make sense....they get my bank to details to pay into my account if and only if i am formally offered a position

[Nystagmite]

When I went for an assessment with MDEC a few years ago, (assessment is to check whether I could type a reasonable speed) we were asked to bring evidence of bank details.

[matty39]

I am with roughly five Recruitment Agencies. Some of them are exclusively industry related and I've known them personally for years. The only way to find bonifide agencies is to look on industry specific job sites through industry magazines (mine is Retail Jeweller). No legal agency would ask for bank details.

 

If anyone is wanting pointing in the right direction for agencies give me a shout.

 

Know any agencies for warehouse jobs. I`ve no work experience other than caring for my gran and most look for people with some experience.

[debt4get]

argos are taking on warehouse jobs for xmas only believe it is a 4 month contract, but at least it will give you some experience...

https://www.argoscareers.com/jobs_argos/careers/christmas.aspx

[signmaker]

as an aside just got a phone call...got the rotten job....start next week...have to await written confirmation before that though...not looking forward to getting back to rat race, but needs must with this bloody govt

 

Well done d4g hope you will still input on here now and then and not desert us. Enjoy the job.

signmaker.

[debt4get]

no still gonna contribute....thanks for the good wishes...

[matty39]

My advisor told me to send out spec letters to companys enquiring about vacancies but instead of sending letters i thought i`d do it via email since all companies have them. Just had a reply which said Thank you for your letter. We are not recruiting at the moment but have kept your details on file. Should something arise in the near future I will be in touch. I know its pretty standard response but at least they saw it. No doubt my advisor won`t be happy but can`t please everyone.

[OnlyFools_UK]

Recently I've seen this put on every desk in the Work Programme provider I am forced to go to . I complained and was basically told I have no proof of where it had come from - even though I told them. A week later the advert was amended to remove all the illegal parts.

 

the bit I've removed from the bottom is the company name and the advisers name.

 

 

I've witnessed them calling somebody up to offer them 'a fantastic opportunity to work for a company, 37 hours a week, you can easily make NMW and then some'.... cold calling offering to reclaim PPI for people on a commission only basis.

[debt4get]

these jobs, are becoming much more prevelant in my area as well, you can make NMW if and providing you can sign up some sucker to reclaim their ppi...something that people can easily do themselves, getting ripped off once is bad enough, getting ripped off twice, is an absolute scandal...(i often wonder how many 'bankers' are also directors of these ppi reclaim companies?)

[matty39]

Did everyone get the letter about important jobseeker`s allowance sanctions from monday 22nd oct. They do like remind us about it don`t they.

[signmaker]

Did everyone get the letter about important jobseeker`s allowance sanctions from monday 22nd oct. They do like remind us about it don`t they.

 

certainly did, and thats why I'm attending my interview with a fresh adviser this morning and doing as I'm told,,,,,,,,,

[Sillywizard]

I'm an employer and made the mistake of taking on someone provided by Ingeus once; I'd never ever do it again and Ingeus CVs (they're instantly identifiable) are automatically declined. The employee was disinterested after the third day (it was, in fairness, very dull work) but she encountered a lot of pressure from her adviser to remain in a job which she obviously hated and it all became very acrimonious.

 

Also, and perhaps more controversially, I utterly despise companies who accept offers of free labour in the guise of 'work trials' and think it's shameful for any organisation to exploit the reduced circumstances of an individual in order to achieve material benefit.

 

I don't know whether this is good advice or not but the last two people I took on came from Craigslist Resumes section - my rationale is that someone who has gone to the trouble of uploading to CL or Gumtree is generally going to be worth more than a second look.

[debt4get]

thanks for that sillywizard, it is interesting to know the employers side of things...forcing someone into a job that is unsuitable as you found out, is a stupid way to bring down the unemployment figures, but unfortunately it is govt. policy, a utopia where everyone has a job whether they are suitable for that job or not....the threat of sanctions, now up to 3 years leave people with very little options..it is nice to see an employer who will have no truck with the work trials..it is a pity big business does not agree with your stance

[Arantine Ehlael]

I'm an employer and made the mistake of taking on someone provided by Ingeus once; I'd never ever do it again and Ingeus CVs (they're instantly identifiable) are automatically declined.

I politically incorrectly dub the CV Ingeus made for me the "retard one". I try to use my own CV as much as possible, and I’m somewhat wary of letting them apply for stuff for me, although I’ll indulge them for their "own" sourced vacancies. Can’t say I have all that much faith in an outfit who think it’s acceptable to pepper their official client correspondence with misspellings of basic words, typos and poor grammar.

 

The employee was disinterested after the third day (it was, in fairness, very dull work) but she encountered a lot of pressure from her adviser to remain in a job which she obviously hated and it all became very acrimonious.

As it indeed it inevitably would. The type of work isn’t to blame: you just had the wrong person doing it and under the wrong circumstances from their point of view. If Ingeus and their ilk were dating agencies they’d mostly set up gay guys and women with straight women, and straight guys with everyone; and then be stumped, stressed and angry with their clients over why so few of these matches successfully worked out.

 

Also, and perhaps more controversially, I utterly despise companies who accept offers of free labour in the guise of 'worktrials' and think it's shameful for any organisation to exploit the reduced circumstances of an individual in order to achieve material benefit.

Indeed. A scant 15 years ago my first employer took me on and paid me a training wage at first. It wasn’t much, but it acknowledged that I was worth something. I worked hard, tried to become as good as I could at the job, and worked hours and days I wouldn’t have done otherwise. He then gave me a raise that he felt matched my work ethic, willingness, reliability and improved skill level – and remains the only employer I’ve had since then to give me a raise that wasn’t just a result of inflation.

 

The job itself wasn’t anywhere near a career choice for me but I would love to work again for an employer who genuinely knows their business and values their workers.

 

I don't know whether this is good advice or not but the last two people I took on came from Craigslist Resumes section - my rationale is that someone who has gone to the trouble of uploading to CL or Gumtree is generally going to be worth more than a second look.

Whilst you’re not every employer you are one, so thank you. A large lack of confidence in the jobhunting arena has prevented me from doing something like this thus far (continual rejection kinda does that to a fella), but your advice does echo what I’ve heard elsewhere.

[matty39]

I'm an employer and made the mistake of taking on someone provided by Ingeus once; I'd never ever do it again and Ingeus CVs (they're instantly identifiable) are automatically declined. The employee was disinterested after the third day (it was, in fairness, very dull work) but she encountered a lot of pressure from her adviser to remain in a job which she obviously hated and it all became very acrimonious.

 

Also, and perhaps more controversially, I utterly despise companies who accept offers of free labour in the guise of 'work trials' and think it's shameful for any organisation to exploit the reduced circumstances of an individual in order to achieve material benefit.

 

I don't know whether this is good advice or not but the last two people I took on came from Craigslist Resumes section - my rationale is that someone who has gone to the trouble of uploading to CL or Gumtree is generally going to be worth more than a second look.

 

 

With you being a employer. You would be good person to answer this question. Im 39 and i have no work record other than caring for my nan. If my cv was on your desk. Would it even be considered. My advisor gives me the same BS saying there are jobs out there for me. warehouse work is what im looking at.

[Chester6]

I'm an employer and made the mistake of taking on someone provided by Ingeus once; I'd never ever do it again and Ingeus CVs (they're instantly identifiable) are automatically declined. The employee was disinterested after the third day (it was, in fairness, very dull work) but she encountered a lot of pressure from her adviser to remain in a job which she obviously hated and it all became very acrimonious.

 

Also, and perhaps more controversially, I utterly despise companies who accept offers of free labour in the guise of 'work trials' and think it's shameful for any organisation to exploit the reduced circumstances of an individual in order to achieve material benefit.

 

I don't know whether this is good advice or not but the last two people I took on came from Craigslist Resumes section - my rationale is that someone who has gone to the trouble of uploading to CL or Gumtree is generally going to be worth more than a second look.

How can you tell it is an Ingeus CV?

[debt4get]

i would think they all look the same, with the same spelling errors, etc. that said if employers are binning cv's from w2w providers because they are now understanding that having someone who is forced to apply for a job that they have no interest in, is a waste of time both to themselves and the potential employee...this is where you have to be proactive yourself, make your own cv try to make it different to everyone elses, both in look and content....allowing these idiots to dictate what or what not should be on your own cv is totally bonkers...a cv is personal to you!! not a black box approach that these idiots think it should be...

[Nystagmite]

With you being a employer. You would be good person to answer this question. Im 39 and i have no work record other than caring for my nan. If my cv was on your desk. Would it even be considered. My advisor gives me the same BS saying there are jobs out there for me. warehouse work is what im looking at.

 

As someone who was a carer, you have transferable skills.

[Sillywizard]

With you being a employer. You would be good person to answer this question. Im 39 and i have no work record other than caring for my nan. If my cv was on your desk. Would it even be considered. My advisor gives me the same BS saying there are jobs out there for me. warehouse work is what im looking at.

 

I didn't hire my current admin junior because of her experience (which was almost non existent) or qualifications (nil) - I hired her because she'd put an ad on Craigslist and sent me a CV with NO spelling or grammar errors which put her immediately into the top 5% of applicants. Ours is a facility management company (cleaning, reactive and planned maintenance, building managers, caretakers, drivers etc) so I have different expectations according to the sought position but I can say that if I received an application for a cleaner which was free of errors, I'd be pushing that person towards fast track promotion if their work was as good as their application. I mention that only to say this; I have a lot of friends in the legal profession and when I brought up the issue of CV spelling mistakes they all (except the City firms) said that they have exactly the same problem with people applying for trainee solicitor positions so I'm minded to think that this is a benchmark which would apply for all professions.

 

It saddens me that the most important document that a person will ever produce in their life can possibly be allowed to have any mistakes in it but I'm mindful that people who work in Job Centres are easily capable of being unfit for purpose in terms of CV checking and that not everyone has a network of friends who will review CVs so I modify my expectations.

 

So, the answer to your question is this - if you sent me a CV and the covering letter contained the paragraph above from the 'I'm 39' bit, which reveals something about you the person, then I promise you that we'd at least have a phone conversation and likely a coffee at Starbucks. Maybe not the BS bit, right enough.

 

 

A large lack of confidence in the jobhunting arena has prevented me from doing something like this thus far (continual rejection kinda does that to a fella), but your advice does echo what I’ve heard elsewhere.

 

I can't emphasise strongly enough how much I understand that and I wish I knew how to convince people who are long term unemployed that the sneering, patronising attitude of government bodies and quangos does not represent the views of employers or people generally. From reading the posts on this thread, it seems to be a system which is designed to mask the economic failure of government by blaming the victims and I beg anyone not to allow themselves to be defined by their employment status. I don't offer employment to every applicant but it's usually because their skill set won't match my skill need - it's not intended as a personal rejection and if there's a way in which I can make that plain to applicants that someone can tell me, I promise that I'll use it in future.

 

If Ingeus and their ilk were dating agencies they’d mostly set up gay guys and women with straight women, and straight guys with everyone;

 

Much needed light relief there, for which I thank you - it's a serious topic and your analogy cheered me up. One of my suppliers is gay (he politically incorrectly refers to heterosexuals as 'breeders') and is fond of saying that the difference between a straight guy and a gay guy is four pints of lager.

[matty39]

I didn't hire my current admin junior because of her experience (which was almost non existent) or qualifications (nil) - I hired her because she'd put an ad on Craigslist and sent me a CV with NO spelling or grammar errors which put her immediately into the top 5% of applicants. Ours is a facility management company (cleaning, reactive and planned maintenance, building managers, caretakers, drivers etc) so I have different expectations according to the sought position but I can say that if I received an application for a cleaner which was free of errors, I'd be pushing that person towards fast track promotion if their work was as good as their application. I mention that only to say this; I have a lot of friends in the legal profession and when I brought up the issue of CV spelling mistakes they all (except the City firms) said that they have exactly the same problem with people applying for trainee solicitor positions so I'm minded to think that this is a benchmark which would apply for all professions.

 

It saddens me that the most important document that a person will ever produce in their life can possibly be allowed to have any mistakes in it but I'm mindful that people who work in Job Centres are easily capable of being unfit for purpose in terms of CV checking and that not everyone has a network of friends who will review CVs so I modify my expectations.

 

So, the answer to your question is this - if you sent me a CV and the covering letter contained the paragraph above from the 'I'm 39' bit, which reveals something about you the person, then I promise you that we'd at least have a phone conversation and likely a coffee at Starbucks. Maybe not the BS bit, right enough.

 

 

.

 

Thanks for that.

haven`t put my age on my CV. was told not to as well as not to put honesty, good time keeping and reliable. My advisor told me that they would expect it so why put it.

[Sillywizard]

Sorry, I should redress the balance at this point a little bit - I've just remembered that I worked with a company called Intraining in Leicestershire and they were, in my experience at least, outstanding. They provided me with five employees over the course of two years and I had no indication at any point that they were anything less than respectful and supportive to the people who were using their services. They gave me a cup of tea and a bacon roll and negotiated well in the joint interest of the applicant and the company. I dealt with three different offices and they all seemed to be the same. The people who came for interviews wanted the positions and any one of them would have been suitable. That worked out well at one site - the caretaker left the job and his replacement was immediate from the bank of previous applicants.

[Sillywizard]

.the threat of sanctions, now up to 3 years leave people with very little options...it is a pity big business does not agree with your stance

 

So very, very depressing - the last time I looked at the figures, I think that around 7% of companies controlled about 90% of the economy. Good for offshore tax funds, not so much for individuals. And, from what I've read on here, it appears that anyone in the quango chain can make sanctions happen.