It Happens Every Quarter

I wasn't surprised when the calls started coming in from contract recruiting agencies. It had been about 3 months since the last influx had happened, so it was time for the next batch.

As I had thought, the messages from the recruiters were all the same. There is a fantastic contract job in a small city near me, working on a state goverment project. It was hybrid, and depending on the description you read, the candidate would only have to go into the office a few times a month or a few times per week. A few mentioned the need for the contractor to travel across the state for education sessions with clients. The requirements for the contractor would be mid-level career experience, though they were asking for everything plus the kitchen sink.

And, as I had thought, the hourly rate had not changed from the last deluge of messages three months ago. In the words of a former co-worker, it was 'pitiful, just pitiful'.

I knew it shouldn't, but that one fact continued to surprise me. A contractor, by definition, usually has to pay for their own medical, make their own unmatched retirement contributions, does not get paid for any vacation time, etc. That usually means to me that they need to be paid more than an average employee rate as they are not getting all the benefits an employee would get. I knew that wasn't true from my experience recently in seeking a position, but sometimes reality and logic don't always agree.

It also explained to me why I was getting all these calls and emails every three months. The job was a perch, not a home for the contractors, who probably kept looking until something better came along. That something better might be a permanent position, but at times it was simply another contract job that paid a higher hourly rate.

Like it would be for an employee, regular or contract, that means a ramp up time, mandatory compliance training, understanding the project, learning the unique software, and the myriad other things necessary when a new position is started. Doesn't it make more sense to raise the rate, keep more people, and not waste thousands of dollars in ramping-up costs? This cycle of calls has been happening for at least two years, making me wonder if the project could have been wrapped up already with a more sensible attitude towards contractor churn.

As I have done in the past, I politely thanked each contract recuriter for alerting me to this opportunity, informed them that I had a position I really liked, was not looking for a contract opportunity, and wished the recruiter well in finding the right candidate. One wrote back asking if I could recommend anyone. As gently as I could, I let the contract recruiter not at that hourly rate. I didn't receive a reply from them.

It is a simple equation. Make people feel valued and valuable. You don't keep everyone, but you will keep many more than making them a commodity, only looking at price as the sole factor for their employment.

I'll prepare my mailbox for the April onslaught.