CORCORAN PARKER - Richmond Surrey - Size May or May Not Matter (Other Recruitment Consultancies)

Member Name: mattygroves10

Product:	Other Recruitment Consultancies
Date:	16/11/05 (1812 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small agency, personal service, nice staff

Disadvantages: Inappropriate jobs offered. London wide, so travel may be required. Don't always listen

Once upon a time, (a long, long time ago - 1988), there was a little girl (well...21 years old) who needed a job. She could type, and was pretty good with computers. She'd only just received her work permit, and so needed money quickly, so that she wouldn't be totally dependent on new husband.

This little girl popped along to her local recruitment consultant - aka temp agency - aka Reed Employment. She spent a profitable few years working contracts for them, on and off and gained valuable experience.

Since then, she has had 'real' jobs, and temp jobs, and worked for big agencies (and companies) and little ones. She's even done motherhood - but that's another tale.

Then, this girl was no longer a little girl, but rather a (getting-larger-by-the-day) grown woman. She worked, for the most part, in permanent jobs.

Then, the armpit of London became too much for her, and she left her job in that forsaken locale, and decided, for lack of any better ideas, to temp again.

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OK, enough of the gimmicks! The Truth.
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As you may have gathered, I am that person. And yet again, I find myself temping - this time for a small agency in Richmond-upon-Thames. I have until recently, been working for them (on and off, for that is the nature of the business) for quite a few months.

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Registering
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After I returned from my annual summer holiday, I realised it really was time to get a job. I looked at job ads, applied for a few 'standalone' (i.e. not through an agency), and then spotted an ad for an open day at a local recruitment agency. The ad told me that Corcoran Parker were just opposite 'Supperdrug' (yes, that's what it said), and that we could just pop along.

I put on my glad rags...then put something on that actually fit, and went along with my CV and my fingers crossed. The agency is down Golden Court, so a bit tucked away (no picture windows a la Reed Employment), though not difficult to find. I climbed a couple of flights of stairs, and found myself in an airy reception, where a young and pleasant receptionist took my details, asked me a couple of basic questions (to ensure that they could help me and, indeed vice versa. One woman came in whilst I was waiting wanting teaching jobs - Corcoran Parker are largely administration, with a smattering of Sales and Marketing), and gave me the usual forms to fill in.

Since I was looking for both temporary and permanent work, I filled in the Temp form (as well as giving my CV in), and was (after a bit of a wait - one of the computers was down) tested on typing and on Word (they called me a Word geek when I'd finished...but in a nice way).

I was then interviewed by the temporaries consultant. She was (and, I would expect, still is) very young, bubbly, friendly and actually good fun to chat to. She warned me that she knew little about the permanent side, but that someone else would talk to me shortly regarding that.

Soon after, the permanent consultant did much the same. She interviewed me fairly comprehensively - what could I do, what was I looking for, what would I take. She seemed very confident that she would soon have me in permanent full time employment.

I was then asked to email my CV as soon as I could, as they often send their CVs electronically, and evidently don't have a scanner.

After a process taking I would guess a couple of hours, I went home and waited.

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The Downs and Ups
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Within a day or two, I had my first permanent interview, and my first temporary job.

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The Downs
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Having said I didn't want to go back into Sales in a big hurry, the first interview I had was to become an IT recruitment consultant! Having said I would not take a temp job below a certain salary...I was working below that salary (though I have to say, I agreed to it because it was local and casual dress).

The interview seemed to go well...and then I heard nothing. Nada...not a thing. Other interviews seemed to have a similar result. Communication would start well...and then go silent.

For many temp jobs, the same held true. In this climate, many companies are interviewing even for temp employees, particularly long term ones. I had a couple of interviews - in one, I 'got' the job, but it later transpired that the department within the local council for which I was supposed to be working had not received permission to use a non-approved supplier.

Another difficulty I had was that they seemed (and indeed, still seem to) think that I am an accountant, or that I desperately want to be. This baffles me, as nowhere on my CV have I mentioned a love of accounting.

For temping, they also seemed to struggle a bit with the word local. They kept trying to (and, in a couple of cases, succeeding) send me further afield than I wished to go. They did not always 'do their homework' - I was once sent to the entirely wrong branch - it was even in the wrong town!

They are a small agency. This can mean that there is not the selection of either temporary or permanent vacancies, and they may have less flexibility regarding pay and conditions than a larger, more powerful agency may have. They have a variety of staff, both older and more experienced (though all under 40, I'd guess), and very young and somewhat less experienced (though very keen).

However, there is an upside.

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The Ups
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The staff, without exception, are friendly and caring. When I have been ill (most recently with some interesting dental issues, but that's another story), they have been genuinely concerned, and have informed the client immediately.

The offices are welcoming, and the staff always seem pleased to see me. I feel comfortable talking to them, and can (and have) expressed any concerns I may have had. I feel like a real person, not just a source of income!

They do pay holiday pay (though I believe they have to now by law), and they are flexible when it comes to timesheets (you don't lose pay if your timesheet is a bit late). They also often work outside of office hours, so they are contactable before a normal working day begins and after it ends.

Being a one-off, small company, means they do not have to run to head office every time you have a query about pay or any other issues. They can make many decisions on the spot.

Like many small firms, they also seem to inspire loyalty from their clients. I am currently working on a long term temp assignment, and I am told that the person responsible for staff here has followed the MD from one agency to the next.

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The Conclusion
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They are nice people, however they as a business are flawed. I no longer use them exclusively (and, to be fair, they fully support candidates who register with other agencies and seem to understand the advantages to the individual of doing so).

I would recommend them with reservations, but would suggest to a potential candidate that they communicate very clearly what they are looking for, and understand the advantages and limitations a small agency gives.

Summary: Small friendly agency. However, limited supply of jobs available, so will place you almost anywhere