Agency help - gazumping or the Nanny equivalent

[r3dh3d]

Hi all;

For reasons I won't go into (because it would identify the agency in question which might make things diff for Mumsnet Towers) we are pretty much stuck with one agency; we won't even get much luck with advertising ourselves so we are entirely reliant on this one company.

We're looking for a new Mothers' Help (ours has decided to go travelling and then to Uni, bless her) but of course the agency gets more fees from a Nanny placement. So have had a very lacklustre response from them - sent us 2 CVs in 6 weeks' searching.

Our first actual attempt at an interview was supposed to be Saturday. But the agency called up and said that they had managed to persuade another employer to change their job spec so the candidate was now qualified for that job too, and she was going to the other job interview on Saturday and we would have to wait to see her on Sunday.

The candidate calls us on Saturday night to say that she was offered the job on the spot on Saturday and so won't bother coming to interview with us after all. Which is a bit silly - unless, of course, she was really really lucky to get that job offer and knew she had to accept before they changed their minds.

It seems fairly obvious to me that the agency have persuaded a desperate employer to offer a Nanny job (and salary) to someone with Mothers' Help qualifications in order to get a bigger commission. I won't pass comment on the morals behind that sort of behaviour, because that's how you expect Soul Pimps to behave. But ... has anyone else been in the position of being screwed around by an agency who has them by the short hairs? Is there anything we can do? Other than be nice as pie and just hope they get theirs in another life?

Sorry - but why are you stuck with one agency? There are lots of different agencies.

Otherwise, you could always advertise and find someone that way?

And as for why someone would make the decision that they have, well don't you think that's their business?

There are more nannies then mother's helps around- I suspect that is one of the reasons why you are having problems recruiting.

Anyone is open to use whatever agency they like- have you considered placing your own advert on Nannyjob or Gumtree perhaps?

bit puzzled why you can only use one agency?

why do they have you by the short and curlies?

have you tried advertising yourself on nutmums/gumtree and NJ?

Another one who doesn't understand why you are stuck with one agency but if that is true, surely it doesn't preclude you advertising yourself - here, on Nannyjob, Gumtree, The Lady etc.

I'm also not sure why you assume that the other family have been pressurised into accepting someone underqualified and overpaid for their position. It could be that they originally completely over-specced the job description for their position and have been presuaded by the agency that they do not need someone that experienced? Also, how do you know that the family are paying a nanny salary - they may right now be thanking their lucky stars at having gotten off cheaply because they are going down the mother's help route!

I'm guessing she's stuck because she has paid them commission and wont get any back/will have to apy another agency all over again if she uses another. One possibility anyway.
Have you asked agency why no luck/what you could do to make job more attractive?

i thought u didnt pay any fees until a person has been found though

i also see no reason at all why you can be stuck with 1 agency... even 'local' smaller agencies around ehre seem to get the odd random job that is to work very far away, miles and miles away fron where the agency officially cover

you dont sem to like agencies very much (nor do i btw)

Why not sabe your cash, advertise independantly (i think it costs £10 on nannyjob), and then check refs and certifictaes yourself which IMO is all agencies do anyway.

and as for 'letting a mothershelp get a nannyjob'.... there really isnt much difference except with pay, we all started somewhere as our first nanny job (as your potential candidate is doing) and if she has been offered a nanny job with nanny pay she as an individiual (NOT to do with agency) would be mad to work for you for less pay.

most of the agencies in my are charge a reg fee of about £30 for the client, and then it gets knocked off the fee if they find you a nanny

guess if you reg with 5 agencies then thats £150 down the drain - most nannies I know are with all the same agencies, but sometimes there is a job that is only with one agency, as the family dont want to pay lots of fees

This is all interesting. I never had to pay any registration fees with any agencies, and I can't say I would have used them if I'd had to fork out before they'd done anything for me and before I knew whether they were rubbish!

The agency I eventually found my nanny through will be paid now that she has been appointed, the agencies that didn't find me any won't get any money. I did think that was standard, as it is in recruitment generally, but my experience of nanny recruitment is limited!

My only suggestion is that once you are out of your ghastly mess, you name them here, so no-one else gets stuck with them, and they become penniless in this life as well.

I am on my third nanny hunt and I've never paid a registration fee.

I'm thinking she had a nanny who left and now as I think I have seen in some she has x amount of time to accept another or they will keep the commission.