To be wary of supply agency people?

[Teach3212]

Hi all I’ve recently started supply work. I was register with an agency for several months and they found me no work at all! I mentioned I was interested in a particular school and agency person said “yes we work with that school it’s one of ours”. I saw a job advertised on TES JOBS for that school and was successful and have a one year contract!

Even though I found this job myself, will the agency make a fuss with the school that they will need a finders fee even tho I technically found the job myself? Sorry for asking which may seem like a dumb question! It’s just that this agency is asking my plans for September and I told them I’ve got something and the agency person keeps emailing me to find out which school it is. Do I need to be wary of agency or are they just being friendly? It just seems off that they keep asking what school it is.

You don't need to tell the agency anything. The school is the one with a contract with the agency

If you found the job through TES Jobs (and it was advertised by the school, not through an agency), then no, you don't owe the agency anything. I've approached agencies at a couple of points in my career but have luckily avoided having to work through them - they can be very pushy and promise you the world, then cream all sorts off your salary using umbrella companies and the like. Well done you for avoiding!

Thank you @rillette and @topcat2014. I’m just really anxious about work at the moment. I think I keep finding ways something will go wrong!

I told the agency guy the name of the school and he just called me and left a voicemail saying he actually put me forward for that job!! I had a feeling this would happen. He has never mentioned this before. Any advice please before I call him back

Why did you tell him? They don't own you. Cut all communication and focus on your new job that you put YOURSELF forward for, and that these morons won't be getting commission for.

If he didn’t tell you he had put you forward for the job until after you’d already got it then he is obviously lying.

Yeah I know he’s lying but the cheek of it! He said I told him that I wanted a job in that school so he put me forward for the job! He might have sent my cv off but then why not tell me about it. I know it’s a small thing but the whole conversation has been playing in my mind all day. I should just trust my bad feelings I was having and not told him the babe. I’m not a very good liar so it’s really tough as a “normal” person would have just given a false name of school. I hate my inability to lie!

name not babe*

He didn’t put you forward for the job. You applied yourself.
Next time he calls, tell him that and then sever all contact. These agencies are awful.

"How odd that they were able to come to me direct given you woulent have given them my details?"

I wouldn't have told him.

My cv does have my telephone number on it and email that’s what I was thinking maybe he did send my cv over but then he would surely have told me that he did this. I’m very sure the tes advert I applied to led them to invite me for an interview.

Or maybe he didn’t put me forward and put another candidate but I obviously got the job over this potential other person so he might be kicking himself thinking why didn’t he put me forward for the job instead, gosh I’m way over thinking this!!

Yanbu op. I've done supply work and had some awful experiences with various agencies. So glad those days are behind me now.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I’m suffering severe anxiety at the moment about everything. I think being out of a routine makes me worse. I know I sound like an idiot but a part of me feels bad for the agency guy (writing this is making me think wtf!). I was a little off when I called him earlier. I don’t know if he genuinely believes he put me forward for the role or is lying (more inclined for lying)

He'll be lying.

All the PPs are correct - you need to block the agency from now on, don't engage with them at all.

A few years ago, I got a 1 year maternity contract directly with a school, whilst on the books of 2 agencies. It didn't even enter my head that the agencies were entitled to any kind of finder's fee or whatever! They don't own me and as soon as I got the job, I just stopped having anything to do with them.

That was about 5 years ago and I have a permanent job now, that I'm happy in and I STILL get the occasional email asking me if I'm available for work - they just get instantly deleted.

Agencies are essentially very, very pushy salespeople - ignore them, just like you would a cold caller!!