[Eclecticist]

It’s my first time getting hired through a staffing agency and I’m not sure what to expect. I’m kind of nervous about the whole process. A recruiter from a staffing agency found my resume on indeed.com and called me saying there was an opportunity in my area for a tech position at a mail-order pharmacy if I was interested. It’s a contract-to-hire deal. I would be getting about $5 more per hour than what I currently get at the retail pharmacy I work at. For me, that’s a substantial pay raise. So, of course I said yes.

The staffing agency gave my resume to the mail-order pharmacy. The mail-order pharmacy said my resume looked great. I was offered the position without an interview since I'm technically still a trainee. When they tried to verify my certification I still show up as a trainee on the State Board of Pharmacy's website. I thought the lack of interview was weird, but I accepted the offer. I completed the paperwork and drug screening that was asked of me. Now I guess I’m just waiting for all the paperwork to go through. I was told I should give my current employer my 2 weeks’ notice on the 23rd. Which is this coming Monday. Start date is Nov. 6.

I thought a couple of other things were weird about the hiring process besides not having been formally interviewed. I got a call about the offer and we talked about it a bit, but I never got an email with the details about the position like I would normally get from recruiters who find my resume. I emailed the recruiter about it later, but he never responded.

There was a conference call with a bunch of other new-hires and another recruiter addressing us one by one setting up an appointment time to go into the staffing agency’s office and give 2 forms of ID for the I-9 form. I went at the scheduled time. No one seemed to be expecting me, not even the recruiter who was my point of contact. Even though I had an appointment, I had to explain why I was there. My recruiter apologized about the confusion. Sometimes things are “lost in translation” between their clients and themselves, and that they don’t always get the info they need to do their job.

Whatever. I let it slide. Stuff happens, right?

That also would’ve been the time I would complete my orientation, but all they did was give me an “orientation packet” I should read through detailing benefits, payroll, clocking in, etc.

I was also told that I needed to send either a picture or a copy of my diploma. Not my transcript. My diploma. Which is really weird to me. Is that normal? How do they verify the authenticity of my diploma? And if they do educational/background checks, why bother having me send a copy of it at all?

Honestly, if it wasn’t for the drug screening I had to do at the clinic, I would’ve thought the whole thing was a very impressive, elaborate scam to steal my personal info.

Maybe I’m just paranoid. I guess I just don’t know what’s normal for the onboarding process through a staffing agency. And it’s making me nervous. Does anyone have much experience with staffing agencies and how the hiring process works?

You know, my alarm bell goes off loudly with this scenario. Who hires without an interview? I have worked with and have been hired through staffing agencies, and their process has been: 1) to first interview me in person at the staffing agency, and 2) to then interview on site at the hiring company. Even with a contract position through a staffing agency, I have been required to go through the on-site interview. The only time I have never been interviewed through a staffing agency is when the position is a temporary placement. Another alarm bell is no official offer letter or specific details about the position in writing. The recruiter should have responded to you in writing with these details. It should also be in writing in what time frame is the position open to consideration for direct hire.

Also, normally, you determine your own start date, not the other way around. Normally, it is asked when can you start? And do you need to give notice and how much notice? The notice you give is up to YOU. It could be a month that you need to give, not two weeks, sometimes. Two weeks is simply the norm.

I've never heard of an agency asking for a copy of your diploma. Normally, they will call to verify education and work background.

Do you know the name of the mail-order pharmacy, their physical address, website, and your direct supervisor's name? These are all details you should have.

If it were me, I would want an official confirmation about the position in writing, with all important details, before giving my two weeks notice at my current job. I would also request that you have the opportunity to meet with the hiring manager or your direct supervisor at the company to meet them in person first, or at the very least, by phone.

I don't like the sounds of this.... but then again, I am extra cautious these days as I have been scammed several times in other ways.

[Eclecticist]

Originally Posted by golden_eve

You know, my alarm bell goes off loudly with this scenario. Who hires without an interview? I have worked with and have been hired through staffing agencies, and their process has been: 1) to first interview me in person at the staffing agency, and 2) to then interview on site at the hiring company. Even with a contract position through a staffing agency, I have been required to go through the on-site interview. The only time I have never been interviewed through a staffing agency is when the position is a temporary placement. Another alarm bell is no official offer letter or specific details about the position in writing. The recruiter should have responded to you in writing with these details. It should also be in writing in what time frame is the position open to consideration for direct hire.

Also, normally, you determine your own start date, not the other way around. Normally, it is asked when can you start? And do you need to give notice and how much notice? The notice you give is up to YOU. It could be a month that you need to give, not two weeks, sometimes. Two weeks is simply the norm.

I've never heard of an agency asking for a copy of your diploma. Normally, they will call to verify education and work background.

Do you know the name of the mail-order pharmacy, their physical address, website, and your direct supervisor's name? These are all details you should have.

If it were me, I would want an official confirmation about the position in writing, with all important details, before giving my two weeks notice at my current job. I would also request that you have the opportunity to meet with the hiring manager or your direct supervisor at the company to meet them in person first, or at the very least, by phone.

I don't like the sounds of this.... but then again, I am extra cautious these days as I have been scammed several times in other ways.

It's by contract for 3 months. Then I'll be considered for direct hire later.

For huge pharmacy companies I don't think it's unusual to "hire in bulk", and "train in bulk" hence the pre-set start date.

I know the name of pharmacy. I just didn't want to specify here. And I briefly met my future supervisor at the "orientation".

I would agree that everything else is fishy though.

Oh OK. Then it sounds like you really have nothing to worry about.