Strange behavior from my recruiter is making me worried that I’ll lose my contract

[James Tyler]

A little over a week ago, I had an in-person interview (there was no phone screen) for a research associate position. It was a contract-to-hire position and I got the interview through a recruiter. The next day, my recruiter called me and told me they want to hire me. I accepted the offer the next day. Earlier this week, my recruiter called me up to let me know the background check, reference checks and paperwork have cleared, and I’m good to go. The paperwork for the contract says I have a start date of January 2nd. I’ve given my two week notice at my current company and I have my exit interview next week.

The day after he tells me everything is good to go, my recruiter calls me up and leaves a message saying the team liked me so much that they want to bring me on full-time instead of contract-to-hire. I emailed him back and told him I’d be interested in a full-time position. I also asked him if the outcome of the interview affects my contract, and what salary they are offering. After this, my recruiter starts to avoid my questions and everything seems off.

On Friday, my recruiter sends me a tentative interview schedule in the morning and tells me he’ll send me the formal schedule when he puts it together. Everyone on the schedule is someone from a different department than who I interviewed with, and some people are in totally unrelated positions, like QA. He wrote “it sounds like they want to eliminate contract work and just have you on full-time employment”. He also said he’ll get all the details for me soon, but he never did. I called him up in the afternoon and he wasn’t available, and about an hour later, I get a text from him saying he’s at his company Christmas party and he can answer any questions through text and the account manager for the company will give me a call. The account manager left me a message and gave me his cell phone number, and I called him up and left a message, but my call wasn’t returned. I texted my recruiter asking him about whether the outcome of the interview affects the contract and if he knows the salary, but never got a response.

I think the reason the company wants to move to full-time employment is because the contract would be too expensive for them. The rate that my recruiter submitted me at was extremely high for a position like this (45 per hour, when other recruiters submitted me for similar positions at 30 per hour or less). It sounds like they want to bring me on full time at a more reasonable rate, which I’m fine with. However, I’m concerned that in January, I won’t have a job. Maybe the interview won’t go so well and they’ll cancel the contract, or they’re just using this interview to cancel the contract and bring someone else on at a lower rate. The fact that my recruiter and his account manager are avoiding my questions is also very concerning.

I genuinely think that the department I interviewed with needs the help and wants to bring on another person. They recently let go two contractors because their performance was unsatisfactory and their behavior was unprofessional, and at the time of the interview, a new contractor started working there and had been there for only two days. The only red flag I saw was that when I tried to confirm that the position was contract-to-hire, the hiring manager said the legal team said they can’t say contract-to-hire, and they can only say contract, but my recruiter told me that he spoke with the company and they said it was contract-to-hire. The hiring manager also told me that he hopes the person who gets hired will work at the company for a long time.

A little while after I accepted the offer from this company, another recruiter who I’m working with told me that a different company that I interviewed with wants to hire me, but I told him that I’ve already accepted another offer. If my contract is canceled, I’m not sure whether that position is still available.

What do you recommend that I do? Should I contact my recruiter or account manager Monday morning or sooner? What should I ask him? Does it seem like the company even wants to hire me, or are they using this as an excuse to reject me and cancel the contract? Should I tell my recruiter that if the interview doesn’t go well, I’d like the company to know that I’d be willing to change the contract to an hourly rate they’re more comfortable with? Also, should I get in contact with the other recruiter who gave me a job offer?

[Dave Jensen]

Hello James,

If you have a temp contract for a position, they can always hire you later in a full-time role. That's built into every temp agreement, I'm sure.

What about the possibility of just holding them to their commitment to hire you on the basis that you agreed to initially? Does your contact at the company -- not the recruiting firm -- know that you resigned your job because of their offer? Why not just stick with the original deal, and if they want to hire you later full-time, more power to them!!

As to the other recruiter calling you, forget it. You've made a commitment. I think you need to focus on this before you suddenly find yourself out of a job and still "looking." Don't burn the bridge with that other person, but just make sure that they know you have signed on the bottom line for another job.

And by the way, I wouldn't deal with that idiot you are dealing with now -- I'd go to his/her boss, or your contact at the employer and work out the details. Sounds to me like this person is a flake. Messing around with someone who has resigned their job is not a small failure on their part.

Dave Jensen

PS: As an aside, temp services people should not be called recruiters. Firms in the staffing business hire temp services staff with literally no experience, in either science or employment, and give them a commission-only job like selling cars. That doesn't lead to quality recruitment staff. I would call them your "Temp Staffing Rep."

[James Tyler]

I’ll contact the account manager for the company instead of the temp staffing rep on Monday, and if I can’t reach him, I’ll try to contact the hiring manager at the company (I got a business card from him). I’m not sure if anyone at the company knows that I’ve already given my two week notice at my current job.

If I do end up having to reach out to the company, do you think I’d get into any sort of trouble with the temp staffing agency or anyone at the company? In my experience, temp staffing reps usually want to handle things like thank you notes instead of you contacting the hiring manager directly. What should I ask the hiring manager? What should I avoid saying?

[Dave Jensen]

I’ll contact the account manager for the company instead of the temp staffing rep on Monday, and if I can’t reach him, I’ll try to contact the hiring manager at the company (I got a business card from him). I’m not sure if anyone at the company knows that I’ve already given my two week notice at my current job.

If I do end up having to reach out to the company, do you think I’d get into any sort of trouble with the temp staffing agency or anyone at the company? In my experience, temp staffing reps usually want to handle things like thank you notes instead of you contacting the hiring manager directly. What should I ask the hiring manager? What should I avoid saying?

You're not going to make a friend with the temp staffing contact, but what the heck-- sounds like he's messing around with you anyway! There's no "trouble" that you can get into by notifying the company that you've already resigned to take on their job -- if they want to convert it to a full-time role than you'd be fine with that, but you can't take any risks that it falls through at this time, because you are already committed!

Dave

[Ana]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through that James, it is certainly unprofessional and confusing, and I'm sure very stressful given that you have already given your leave notice to your current employer.

I agree with Dave, and I see you see it that way too: talk directly with your contact at the company. You should ask for clarification on the situation, and make sure you tell the hiring manager all the developments because it is likely that they at the company side are in the dark about this mess. It is important that they know that you were extended an offer and that after accepting it you resigned from your current position.

I hope you can get some clarity after that conversation, and that you don't end up having received "a fake offer" (one that the agency shouldn't have extended) and find yourself now without a position. The company needs to know that this is happening.

Ana

[Dave Jensen]

James,

Can you let us know what happened here? It was a unique situation and I'd love to hear how it resolved -- hopefully, in your favor!

Dave

[James Tyler]

Sorry for the late response, Dave; I haven't been on this site in a while. It worked out in the end. I went on the second interview, and a few days later, my recruiter called me up and told me that they made an offer for a full-time role, and I accepted.

[Dave Jensen]

Great! Congratulations to you,

Dave Jensen
Site Founder and Moderator