Most of them understand the nature of the business. There's no 'bench' anymore, where you're paid between work. Because of that, they really shouldn't try to hold you.

Robert Half, in particular, has practices that attempt to do that, and thus annoy me.

Don't burn them, and they won't burn you. The job descriptions should let you know if you're dealing with a contract you're already in negotiations on. Tell THEM what the company is so you don't double submit, and always get the name once you agree to submit.

In most cases, I have a few guys who 'jump the gun' on contracts, but their rates are low. I'll tell them I'll think about it and decide, while I wait for others to get around to me.

But, no, most reps shouldn't care.

On the flipside, don't let them turn you into a 'spy', either. My usual response is this: "You know how this works. You want the scoop on your stuff, they want it on theirs. I won't release your stuff to them, and I won't release their stuff to you. C'mon now..."