OperationIT FAQS

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Do you specialize in providing IT consultants or recruiting for staff positions?
Because many of the IT professionals we work with are open to either consulting assignments or staff positions, we specialize in both areas. We also offer and recommend consult-to-hire arrangements. This lets both you the client and the applicant “test the water” to make sure there is a good fit.

What is the process for utilizing OperationIT consultants?
Tell us what you need. Whether it’s a Graphic Designer, Video Editor, Art Director, Pre-press specialist, or any other expert in an area of Creative Services, we can provide a qualified candidate quickly.

Are your consultants employees of OperationIT?
Yes. However, OperationIT consultants are free to work for other services. Our database contains literally thousands of registered applicants that may or may not be available for a job at any given point in time. Our job is to locate those that qualify technically for a position and find out their availability. Out of the thousands of applicants in our database, we usually find several available candidates for any given position.

How do you locate a qualified consultant?
Our consultants come from our database of registered applicants, or through the OperationIT.com web site, referrals, specialized advertising, and other sources.

How am I billed for the service?
Since you’re billed for only the hours the consultant works, you only pay for the services received. We invoice weekly based on a time sheet the consultant completes and has signed by you each week.

How is the hourly bill rate determined?
After you provide the job description, we conduct a search for qualified and available candidates. Based on the candidate’s skill level, experience, and overall market demand we determine what the pay rate for the consultant will be. Once we decide that, we derive a bill rate based on the pay rate plus a markup. Other factors that influence bill rates are the length of the assignment, whether or not it could go perm, and the scarcity of the skills we are seeking.

Does the bill rate ever change?
You’re given the hourly rate before the consultant is assigned. Once you agree on the bill rate, it remains in effect until one of two things happens:

  1. The consultant works for one year, after which we conduct an annual review and may give the consultant a raise. In that case, we will negotiate a new bill rate
  2. You decide the consultant should receive a raise before one year is up, or the consultant is given greater or different responsibilities at your company.

How does the consultant get paid?
The pay rate is agreed upon in advance between OperationIT and the consultant. Once a time sheet is submitted, it is processed for payroll and OperationIT pays the consultant the following week.

Do I have to provide any benefits for the consultant?
No. The nature of consulting is that consultants usually make more per hour than their permanent counterparts. This differential in the hourly pay makes up for the lack of company benefits.

How long must I keep a consultant on assignment?
As long or as short as you like. You are not committed to any assignment duration.

Can I hire a consultant permanently?
Absolutely. In fact if you do, you can take advantage of lowered placement fees. Plus there are significant advantages to hiring consultants. Namely, you have eliminated or shortened the learning/training curve; you know how the employee will fit in to your corporate culture; the employee is likely to stay on because he/she is already familiar with, and most likely enjoys the environment in which he/she is working; and you save on the cost of recruiting for a new employee.

What do I do if I want to end the assignment?
Just let us know. Either we can inform the consultant, or if you wish, you can speak with him/her.

How does the consultant track his/her hours?
OperationIT consultants track their hours weekly with time sheets or they can go to (www.staffitinfo.com) to submit their hours on line. At the end of each week, applicants produce a completed and signed time sheet for us to submit to payroll.

What about overtime?
By law, all OperationIT hourly employees are subject to time and a half for any hours worked over 40 in a given work week. In turn, overtime hours are billed at the rate of time and half.

If I am paying a marked up bill rate, isn’t it cheaper just to hire a full-time employee?
Sometimes it is! But often it makes sense to use consultants for a variety of reasons: First, you are saving on the administrative costs of hiring new employees, such as newspaper ads, job fairs, testing, reference checking, background checking, and payroll processing. Also, since OperationIT payrolls the employee, you do not have the costs associated with matching taxes and insurances such as health, life, dental and disability.

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