Contract IT salaries - skipping the agencies

bosscat

Hi all , is there anyone out there contracting directly to a company i.e. leaving out the middleman agencies?
How much more on average can you get paid?
Lets say for Test manager / project manager, agencies saying from 400/day to 500/day, what will a company pay direct?
ta for any tips.

board om

bosscat wrote: »

Hi all , is there anyone out there contracting directly to a company i.e. leaving out the middleman agencies?
How much more on average can you get paid?
Lets say for Test manager / project manager, agencies saying from 400/day to 500/day, what will a company pay direct?
ta for any tips.

if you are doing IT contracting you will still get pretty much the same amount whether you use an agency or not. they dont deduct the fee for the agency out of you money. well they do, but not like that. in other words if the going rate for your line of work is €400 per day and a company hire you through an agency under contract to that work, they are still going to pay you the going rate of €400. the agency just charge the company a bit extra and they take their cut out of that. its the same for admin staff or any contract staff really. a person doing admin might get €12 per hour if working directly for a company. if the company decide to get a few admin staff in through an agency, the agency will charge the company about €14 an hour per staff member. the staff still get €12 and the agency take the rest. then the agency will usually pay the staff weekly and inovice the company.

so i wouldnt worry about thinking you are going to be paid less. you will get the going rate whether you go directly or use an agency. if you go to a good agency who have plenty of IT contracts it means you could get a nice bit of work going and it saves you having to go looking for clients yourself.

mountainyman

You can cut the agency out when renewing and so on but on first contract you will rarely get more money by going solo.

Basically companies will pay agencies more than they'll pay contractors directly.

If you can sell yourself as a 'consultant' that's a different story and the skies the limit.

BTW when renewing offer to 'split the difference' with the hiring manger when you cut out the agency.

bob127

What ever your choice just don't go with Computer People avoid at all cost those guys are MAFIA, if they make you an offer check their contract first and you will see what I am talking about.

bosscat

thanks for answers , I am dealing with agencies now as it happens and being told that rates and salaries are down from a year ago , and getting the old fear factor 'with the way things are these days...' implying I should take whatever they offer me.
Anyone else noticing the same?

calex71

bosscat wrote: »

thanks for answers , I am dealing with agencies now as it happens and being told that rates and salaries are down from a year ago , and getting the old fear factor 'with the way things are these days...' implying I should take whatever they offer me.
Anyone else noticing the same?

yup! and im finding most stuff i apply for is responded to with "possition filled"
or calls from agencies who havent really read my cv and just done a key word search on moster etc. . When they call its either to offer something that is totally unsuitable to me ( ie im not qualified for, not simply that i wouldnt like job as i cant afford to turn down work) or the other call is to, as they put it "touchbase" (god i hate that phrase) and see what im doing and what im looking for.

Almost tempted to put on my monster profile, "no calls from agencies unless you have a specific role to discuss" but i think that calls would probably dry up totally then and id miss my daily / almost hourly chats which the recruiters of Dublin

chipclub

Interesting thread and here's wee story on the topic.

A company department decides to hire a contractor and the final choice is someone who was initially interviewed through a staff referral. Everything is agreed and it is sent to HR for final approval. HR have a wobbly. Company policy is only to hire contractors through a particular recruitment agency so this staff referral is not possible! The chosen contractor is informed, he signs up with required recruitment agency and is promptly hired.

End result is the company pays the original rate agreed with the contractor plus the agency fees on top. Now I am not mentioning any names but the company in question is currently looking at moving jobs to sunnier climes to save money.