In today’s IT job market, there is no shortage of opportunity for consultants. It’s likely that you’re hearing from IT recruiters pretty frequently, pitching their open positions to you. As flattering as it is to be pursued for job openings, it can also be overwhelming.
Working with multiple recruiters across various companies can confuse an IT candidate. “Was that ABC Recruiting or DEF Recruiting that told me about that job?” And signing a contract with an IT staffing firm you don’t know a lot about could be harmful to your career. While all IT staffing firms may seem the same on the surface, there are many things you should be on the look out for that can show you the good ones, from the not so good ones. All IT staffing firms are NOT created equal! See what you should look for in your next partnership:
Benefits
Some IT staffing firms offer benefits to their consultants. Medical, Dental, Disability, Flex Spending Accounts and 401Ks are not offered at every IT staffing firm you’ll look at working with. In fact, many companies don’t offer these benefits to their contractors. You might be put into a situation where you’d have to find these benefits on your own. However, if you do find a company that offers you benefits such as these, you’ve probably found a good partner to work with.
ESOP
“What the heck is an ESOP?” you’re probably wondering? An Employee Stock Ownership Program gives employees (and consultants) the ability to earn shares of the company stock. Upon leaving the company, the company will buy these shares back from you. Again, this is not a benefit that all IT staffing firms offer. We said that many companies don’t offer benefits – even less offer an ESOP to
their consultants.
Being Treated Like Part of the Team
One of the pitfalls of being an IT contractor is not getting the benefits permanent employees get from working directly for a company. In going from contract to contract, it’s hard to develop roots and have a company feel like home. However, a good IT staffing firm will have initiatives set in place to make you feel part of the team. Whether it’s frequent check-in’s from your recruiter or social events with all of
the consultants at your firm, you’ll feel like more of a team member.
Base of Clients
The more established an IT staffing firm is, the more clients they have. This obviously bodes well for any IT consultants looking to work with the firm. Once you’re done with your contract, your IT staffing partner will be likely to have other open positions for you with their other clients. Another benefit of your IT staffing partner being established is that their client base will be more established. If you have a
dream company you’d love to work for, there’s a good chance an established IT staffing company has a relationship with them.
Relationship with the Recruiter: As we said before, good IT staffing companies will have programs to keep their consultants feeling like part of the family. However, a direct line to making you feel the love is from your recruiter. It’s no surprise that the best IT recruiters work for the best IT staffing firms. Finding a great IT recruiter is like winning the lottery. Not only will they find you a contract but they’ll put your best interests at heart. If you’re able to build a good relationship with one of these recruiters, they’ll likely remember you for their upcoming job openings and be able to place you again and again.
Finding an IT job today might not be extremely difficult. As unemployment in the industry remains low, there is no shortage of jobs. However finding a GREAT IT staffing company to partner with might be your challenge. There are many firms out there that are only so-so and do not go above and beyond for their consultants. It’s best for your career if you stay clear of these and look for a long-term partner to advance your career with.
Looking for a firm that has all the qualities we just mentioned? Look no further than IDR!
Check out our open IT jobs here and learn about all the great benefits we offer our consultants!