O'neil & Brennan- Birmingham - O'Neill & Brennan

I worked for this agency over two years ago as a CPCS Plant Operator for about a week.

They impressed me then because the local consultant actually visited me at home to interview me and check my qualifications. I realize now he did this because they didn't have an office in Bristol-and still don't.

Just recently I got a phone from them asking if I was available for work. The office based consultant speaking from Birmingham didn't have my details in front of him or couldn't be bothered to screen them up on a PC and needed to confirm I had my CPCS cards and a driving licence.

A professional construction industry consultant would know that CPCS and driving licenses are not optional in the construction trade today.

As a professional operator with eight years good standing in the South West I found these questions insulting. But then I realized, if you're working at the lowest levels in the recruiting industry you have to ask these kind of questions. If you're dealing with foreign immigrants and ex prisoners as O'Neill & Brennan must be, basic questions need to be asked.

This morning I got another text message from O'Neill & Brennan in Birmingham claiming they needed a CPCS plant operator in Gloucester.

When I phoned them about it and asked them to confirm there was a genuine vacancy Tina wouldn't confirm and kept on asking if I was available for work. I asked for the name of the client and Tina refused to tell me.

So we have a Birmingham based agency claiming to want a plant operator in Gloucester but didn't want to tell the CPCS operator who they were recruiting for!!

Of course what was going on here was a "Fishing Trip".

This is what some low level recruiting agencies do when they want to collect names and mobile numbers. There is no vacancy. They just want to know who's about and available. It's a cheap exercise for them to do.

Needless to say I'm terminating all association with O'Neill & Brennan forthwith.