The country has done a great job of pulling together through this virus. However, there are a small element of unscrupulous people who have decided to take advantage of those who have lost their jobs by subjecting them to jobs scams. Preying on people is disgusting at the best of times. But preying on people who have lost their incomes at a time like this is reprehensible behaviour.
How can you avoid scams?
If you are looking for work, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself. But the first thing you should do is to arm yourself with knowledge. So, let’s first outline what a recruitment agency cannot do.
Recruitment agencies cannot:
Charge candidates for finding work
Demand that a job seeker must pay for a course
Tell a job seeker they must pay to complete an online test
Tell a job seeker they must pay for a uniform
In short, a genuine recruitment agency will never ask a candidate to pay for work finding services. It is actually illegal to do so. This is because recruitment agencies work on behalf of clients (businesses). This means that we charge recruitment fees to the client and not the candidates.
Which details should you provide to an agency?
It is important to note that most agencies will ask you for your bank details. However, this will be if you are looking to temp through the agency. It is also important to know which bank details they will ask for. The details will never, ever be details which would allow the agency to take payment from you. They will be the details which allow the agency to pay you for any work you have completed.
A genuine agency is also required, by law, to check your right to work. This means we ask for proof of ID such as a passport or driving licence. It is usual to ask you for these details when you have been shortlisted for the role. Effectively, a recruiter cannot put you forward for a role until they know you have the right to work in the UK.
What work finding services are safe to use?
Recruitment agencies are safe to use. But you should be clear that they work for specific clients. They do not work in the same way as literary or acting agencies. If you apply via a recruitment agency, check their online and social media presence. The social media presence should be well established with connections and posts. However, if they ask you to pay for anything, politely decline and move on.
The government has also provided additional funding to job centres and employability schemes. For further information on which schemes are available, please contact our associate consultant Mark Edwards by emailing mark.edwards@admas.co.uk or give him a call on 02034882020/07939909201