All staffing agencies and most employers now require you to fill out the above mentioned forms before an interview or an offer. If you were looking to get a permanent postion and speak one on one with someone, perhaps you should have avoided the temporary staffing job market. Most companies are using them nowadays to fill postions to weed out employees who state they have skills and only find out they know nothing after they are hired. The reason temp agencies have you fill out the forms while you are there is because that is probably the only time you will come into their office. Once you finish the interview and paperwork process, they match you with positions they feel you are qualified to do, call you on the phone to see if you are interested, then give you the details of where to report for work. With your tax forms and I-9 completed, they can pay you via direct deposit.
I was a staffing manager in the 90's, and that is how it was done then...and still is..and if you have been in the workforce for more than 30 years as you state you should have known this. I dont think it is fair to rate them so low when you are the one who was uneducated about the job market practices. Temp agencies can not give you information about their client till they are sure you are a good fit - otherwise people like you would contact their client and spew falsehoods just like you did on this website.
Good luck in your job search - I am sure you are still looking.
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