IT contractors - 5 tips to choosing a good agency to work through | Lifestyle

IT contractors - 5 tips to choosing a good agency to work through

by PhilipFanthom

If you are an IT Contractor, then this article is for you. Authored by a leading Managing Director in the IT Recruitment field, it will help you ask the right questions choose which IT Agency / Consultancy to contract through.

Most of these tips enable you to be more thorough in your investigations and equip you to quickly and easily understand the agency, together with uncover their working principles and core values. You can read Philip Fanthoms latest article below and please note that there are further links to these topics at the footer of this article:

Tip 1 - Daily payroll and timesheet service - For those of you who have already contracted, you will know how important it is to find an agency that offers the flexibility of a daily payroll service. It means that you are never left for any pro-longed period of time, waiting for your invoices to be processed. This should be one of the first things to check with an IT agency, as you may find that their payment terms are not flexible enough for your needs.

Tip 2 - Membership of leading associations and accreditations - Does the IT agency hold any recognised awards or memberships? Does the company hold memberships to recognised industry associations and does it hold accreditations or awards that you have heard and appreciate the value of? If the answer is yes, then this not only gives the right impression but also shows the company is proud of its internal service standards and has solid foundations from which it operates its business.

Tip 3 - Is internal staff turnover quite low? I appreciate that this is not something that you can just simply ask them, but there are simple ways to check. First of all, go to their website and see if they have a meet the team section. If they do, try and see when staff have started and youll also see if they have been promoted while they have worked there. You can also ask some subtle questions in relation to when the consultant joined the company, how much experience they have and who they may know in your industry. Remember " you have every right to ask for THEIR resume or CV, after all, they have asked for yours!

Tip 4 - Can you see testimonials on their website? - I would go straight to the agencys website to see their testimonial section. When I get there I would be looking for; the number and variety of them, are they submitted on a regular basis and do they look real. We have all seen websites that have testimonials that dont carry much credibility . . . What a great service Bob J. " IT contractor. When I see those, I think, hmmm, is this really a real guy? So, find agencies that offer case studies that are tangible and thorough and give you a real feel of authenticity.

Tip 5 - When was the agency established? - Have they been in business just a couple of years or is it more like a couple of decades? I appreciate that all businesses have to start from somewhere, but you want to know that you are contracting through and established and stable agency.

Summary - Do not be put off by asking these questions to your contact at the agency. If they are a good agency with a track record of success, then they should be very pleased to answer them (actually, they should be highlighting them to you in the first instance!). We hope you have enjoyed this article and that is has given you a solid starting point when it comes to deciding upon your IT Agency.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Mr. Philip Fanthom is M.D. of Jenrick CPI, one of the most respected IT recruitment consultancies in the UK. The company is ISO 9001:2008 accredited and is a Sunday Times Top 100 Company to Work For. Click on the following links for more IT contracting advice and resources or search for the latest IT Contracting Jobs.