They say winter is the best time to book a builder for a job in the summer. It’s because, good builders are almost always unavailable at short notice. They have confirmed orders well beyond their current job. Now, pick any IT contractor you admire as being one of the best in his / her league. Chances are he / she wouldn’t know what’s next after the end of assignment.
There are two kinds of reasons for this: industry specific and contractor specific.
Industry specific factors
- Client type: IT contractors are typically hired by businesses. These businesses are very likely to have an ongoing IT need beyond the specific brief the contractor was hired for. Once a contractor proves himself, the business can be very hesitant to lose that talent. And the case for re-engagement arises. This is obviously unlike a homeowner who wishes to have a builder for a one-off building project, to not see him again for a very long time.
- Decision making cycle: Businesses that hire IT contractors tend to do so when they need them. Usually after exhausting the possibilities of getting a skill in-house or through other cheaper means. Budget approvals have to be in place before hiring can be commenced. This often means that they can’t really provisionally appoint contractors for the future.
- Who does the agent work for: In industries that are proliferated by agents, power usually resides with who the agent works for. Think about it. Its widely believe that there is a shortage of talent. However, when you are interviewing for a role with a hot skill requirement, how often have you been the only contender for the job? On the contrary, very few candidates have multiple offers to choose from! In our view, this is because the recruiting game is designed to suit employers.
Contractor specific factors
- What is your marketing spend? Beyond taking your client out for an occasional coffee, what else do you do to market yourself? Do you have a website? Any email list? Any social media presence? Are you speaking at technical conferences? If not, what opportunities are you creating to be noticed by other clients? Other than, through your CV sent in response to their job advertisement.
- Job extension is a sign of success: IT contractors who do well tend to get extended on contracts. An extension is a sign of success for the contractor. Compare that to a builder who is always measured by how soon he finishes his job and moves on to the next. An IT contractor therefore is, at least to a certain extent, right to focus on the current job so that he / she maximises his chance of securing an extension.
- Satisfaction with status quo: Many contractors are happy to live by the day. They are content with the risk of having to search for a role at the end of their assignment. Swimming with the tide set by employers is the path of least resistance. There is also a belief that clients wouldn’t really hire you in advance of their hiring need crystallising. So why bother?
Is there a way to create an order book?
Well. Lets face it. It’s likely cost time and money and a focus on marketing. If you don’t have the will or capacity to do that yourself, be sure you are working with an intermediary who will. At Mindful, we believe intermediaries / agents can add a lot of value to marketing the talent on their books, but usually don’t. A great intermediary will go beyond just placing you and milking a commission off your day rate. They will not only remain connected with you through the assignment, but also actively seek to re-market you for your next one. An intermediary has an added advantage of representing you and your fellow contractors collectively. Thereby, they can make a compelling case for a potential client to set a schedule for their programme not so much based on their business needs, but on your availability!