aquent site redesign-spec work
Out of context: Reply #49
- Started
- Last post
- 173 Responses
- GammaRay0
I agree 100% with everything here (as far as Aquent being in the wrong on this) but we're coming at it from a flawed angle...
Aquent never was and never will be "about the designers"...it's all about making money...that's all they've ever been and all they ever will be. We're treating it as if they used to be some giant advocate for our cause and now they've gone against everything they were ever about. They only sponsor AIGA to appear to be on our side...to look good. It's like big oil sponsoring Earth Day so people forget that they're part of what's polluting our environment..."Oh, well, they sponsor Earth Day so they can't be that bad...maybe I had oil wrong all along." Same logic.
Aquent has employees who's sole job is to scour the design job boards and nab up anything and everything they can before individual designers (or other staffing firms) get a chance. If you're an individual designer looking on your own for work you don't realize it but you're viewing far fewer jobs then you would be if Aquent wasn't beating you to the punch...also, they staff creative departments exclusively for some pretty big corporations. I know at one time you couldn't get a job in Gillette's creative department unless you went through Aquent because they staffed the entire thing.
If you land a job through them and get paid $30 an hour they will actually be charging the client $45 an hour...$15 dollars an hour, every hour you work for that client, when, essentially, their job began and ended once you started for that client. Sure they have payroll costs, etc and the recruiters have to get paid too but, seriously, $15/hr on top of what I'm getting when I'm now the one doing all of the work? Also, let's not even get in to what they charge if the client wants to hire you away from Aquent...that is a VERY large sum.