Reed Job Agencies - www.reedglobal.com

Never use Reed. Although your wages come through an umbrella company they use, in practice you are their employee. But in terms of pay or complaints the two people I dealt with (one being in the customer experience team) they constantly shift the blame to the organisation you are placed with. They have more excuses than a politician of why they can’t do something, or why they didn’t get back to you, or why it’s not their fault. They forget they take their regular cut, but do diddly squat to help their slaves, because metaphorically at least, that’s what you are. Whilst they do nothing, and get paid, you also get nothing from them.

Went for an interview organised by their Glasgow office. Typical agency style full of enthusiasm and constant communication and effort up until the interview. If your not successful you get instant cold treatment. It's extremely difficult to get any real honest and constructive feedback. If you have been successful they avoid your calls. They ignore and hope you'll go away whilst they focus their efforts on the successful candidate. It's very poor! Ok people apply for jobs for their own benefit but if your shortlisted and attend for interview you are a potential fee earner for them that is until you don't get the job and suddenly your a nuisance for asking for an update. They do t update you after interview and you have to follow up with them.

Their feedback is non existent comes down to a few words ... Your were just pipped to the post.

Seriously bad customer service

I was called by a member of Reed, impressed with my CV online and invited me into the office. I have an enormous amount of experience in my line of work and my CV is impressive. Went along, filled out huge amount of documents, copied my ID, competency questions - all taking two hours.

Wanted references for every place I had worked at in the last ten years. I have worked a lot of agencies, as a lot of places are just temporary slots for one placement. This amounted to eleven references.

I had only just got out of the door when I was phoned to say my application had not been successful and that they had received negative feedback. I asked to speak to the manager and pressed her as to who would give the negative feedback and she said she was not at liberty to say. She was angry that there was eleven references to go after, said it looked really bad and asked if I had not thought of stopping with one agency. I said I had to because one agency could not produce enough work.

She had not had negative feedback as she did not have time to phone around these people, so she had just made that up to make me feel worthless.

Avoid this agency at all costs!!!!!!

We have been dealing with a number of recruitment firms in different sectors. We were approached by Reed to appoint new staff. We are a growing company who understand the commercial value a good recruitment agency can bring. However we will never work with Reed again. Phenomenally short sighted in their approach and do not value the customer relationship. Trip you up over contractual obligations and threaten you with legal action and £20 000 fines should you not comply. We have severed our relationship with Reed. They get involved on sectors they know nothing about and missmanage candidates. Still to office temps - honestly that is all you are good for and leave other sectors to dedicated firms who are aligned with the needs of the business.

Recently attended an interview for Christmas casual position-interviewed by Reed Global. Instantly felt out of place, there was one other interviewee besides me, yet he was called out warmly and for some reason, I was barked at.

Both I and the other interviewee were taken to another room to fill out forms/provide documents as proof of right to work- I'm not complaining that no one helped me fill out the forms, more the fact that he was offered help like Kindergarten whilst I was told to 'do it myself, again in a threatening tone.

Shortly after, another interviewee arrived and started filling forms-yet again she acted very inviting, offering to help if needed.

The only conclusion I can come to is she must really like guys, other than that maybe...her insecurity acted up. The interviewer was over her prime-she was extremely ecstatic whenever she was talking to either one of the guys.

Overall found the experience quite overbearing, it just felt like I shouldn't be there- whether it was because I don't look English enough, not being male, I don't know. By the way the other two candidates were said to be not British, yet I am?

All I can say the interview would have been a better experience if the interviewer was more open minded, and not be stuck back in the ages- yes it is an interview, not an interrogation.

I have been with Reed for nearly a full year now and have found their service has been more than excellet! I have being dealing with the Reed team in Leeds and they have helped come such a long way in Term's of my career. The person I dealt with found me a job with fantastic salary and that give me so many new skills for my furture job, and also another person has found me a permerment job at Manheim which i am currently working at now and love every minute of it!

I would advise anyone to go through Reed in terms of a career path!

I had a phone call (10 am) yesterday morning from some one at reed about a job working in a joinery work shop as I am a qualified carpenter and joiner. I asked how long the work is for and were told that this company are very busy and likely to be a good run of work. The agent told me to bring 'hand tools' which in my books does not include chord less power tools, which I later found out should have been apart of my hand tools. The agent should have told me to bring chord less power tools and hand tools. Any way, I worked until 8pm that night. Went into work today at 7am and came home at 8pm. All is well as I think the work is good and I'm getting on well there. I get home to check e-mails and have received an E-mail at 16.40 from agent saying I am no longer required. Why on earth did he email me while I'm flippin working after he had corresponded with me via text yesterday!? Now all my tools and safety boots are still at this company so now I have to go there tomorrow to pick up my tools and go back home! Had he had text me I could have taken my tools home tonight. I am fuming about this! Some thing very fishy is going on as the company said they were going to set me up to clock in and out of there system. Now the company nor the agent have a record of my hours. If I do not get paid every single penny that I have earned. Never use Reed!!

Went to Reed to find a job locally to me. I told her I wanted a receptionist/admin post. She gave me a withering look and told me most of these posts are given internally and companies won't pay Reed to find people to fill these types of posts. After telling her I don't have a CV, she then asked me to send my CV in to her. She never took my name or asked for any details about me. She obviously couldn't be bothered to help a 58 yr old lady with years of experience including working in a recruitment agency, as she probably thought I was a lost cause. I was in the room about 3 mins and came out utterly deflated. Never go to to a recruitment agency unless you are about 20 yrs old with a degree and with no working experience. An utter disgrace to the recruitment world. Ageism abound in this place.

You need to run after them constantly to do anything and they are rude, rude and rude! They have this attitude like you must be so priveleged to work for them and they are dishonest and incompetant. They do not pay you on time and never call you back if you have a problem. avoid this agency.

I have been applying for a number of "Reed" jobs in the past 3 months, always for jobs in which my profile fits perfectly.

I am a Spanish national, with a University degree in Marketing, with extended experience in Accounts and Customer Services and have a Proficiency Certificate in English language by the British Council. My software skills are: Windows suite, Office, Word, Excel, Access, VM, Lotus Notes, SAP, Master ASP, PCF and SAGE.

I have a UK NI number, drivers license, own transport and loads of referees. I am currently in Exeter, but I am ready to relocate immediately when offered the right job and I always state the relocation ability in my Cover Letters.

Today I got one of those "unfortunately in this occasion" emails from a guy, a Permanents Consultant at the Bath office regarding the position Account Coordinator (Spanish / English) and I called him to get some feedback. I wanted to know the reason why he didn´t forward my CV to the employer.

His answer was that I live in Exeter and the position is based in Bath!!!! And then I asked him if he read my Cover Letter and the relocation bit. He answered that there were over 20 applicants who live in Bath, all of them speaking native Spanish and with a sound career as Account Coordinator (Spanish / English)!!!!!! What a cheek!!!!

I am very upset by the behaviour of this feller. Why should he discriminate my CV if I want to relocate? Why is a lier with no scruples playing God instead of admitting he failed to read my Cover Letter?

Why we job seekers have to swallow all their rubbish? Why cannot we expose all those useless pretenders? They live from us, don´t they? After all, if we would not apply for jobs and provide them with our details to play or trade with, they´ll be jobless, will they not?

I do generalise about "Consultants" because the majority seem to be clones of one another.