Permie Offer by client

[rambaugh]

I've been contracting with this one client for almost a year now and was just recently offered a Permie role.

I'm not interested in undertaking the same role in a permanent capacity but am happy to do the role wearing my hat as a consultant/contractor whilst also getting paid at least twice as much for it.

I've built up good rapport with the end client. I want to turn the offer down gently without affecting my business relationship. I would be interested to hear how other contractors handle these situations? What are good excuses I could use?

Cheers
ram

[northernladuk]

A polite decline explaining your prefer the flexibility of contracting would do. That will stop him pestering you with counter offers etc...

Might want to re-think your IR35 status though....

[Scrag Meister]

I've been contracting with this one client for almost a year now and was just recently offered a Permie role.

I'm not interested in undertaking the same role in a permanent capacity but am happy to do the role wearing my hat as a consultant/contractor whilst also getting paid at least twice as much for it.

I've built up good rapport with the end client. I want to turn the offer down gently without affecting my business relationship. I would be interested to hear how other contractors handle these situations? What are good excuses I could use?

Cheers
ram

Looks like I will be put in a similar position over the next month, due to approaching changes re contractor tenure.

I have spoken to my direct sponsor (manager) and explained that I won't be going perm and its basically up to him to negotiate an exception to the rule. He doesn't think that will be possible so am waiting to hear from him about what is actually going to happen/ be offered etc...

In the mean time my CV is doing the rounds, and some intermittent interest is there, although its early in the year.

[d000hg]

I've been contracting with this one client for almost a year now and was just recently offered a Permie role.

I'm not interested in undertaking the same role in a permanent capacity but am happy to do the role wearing my hat as a consultant/contractor whilst also getting paid at least twice as much for it.

I've built up good rapport with the end client. I want to turn the offer down gently without affecting my business relationship. I would be interested to hear how other contractors handle these situations? What are good excuses I could use?

Cheers
ram

If you genuinely have absolutely no interest in going perm, just say you don't want to become an employee.

OTOH if you would consider it for a very generous salary, tell them that but emphasise "very" and know it's 99% not going to happen... letting them turn you down rather than the other way might be slightly nicer.

[jmo21]

I had this a couple of contracts back. The boss was desperate to get a couple of permie staff and pestered a number of the contractors he had on the team including me.

At one point he set up a series of one to one meetings with us all, just to "see how we were getting on" and sounded us all out about where we saw ourselves in the future, how long we planned to contract for etc.

A few months later he IM'd me asking if I'd like to apply for a permie position they had just advertised.

Told him thanks for the offer but I plan to contract for the foreseeable future.

If you don't mind a wee white lie, just say you have a number of other clients who you do ad-hoc work for at the weekend who you have contracts with that you cannot break. I suppose some companies might not like that so be careful with that one.

[quackhandle]

My last but one gig the client asked me to go permie after one week, and would ask at every renewal. My retort everytime was, "ask me again in six months". The client had a policy of hiring brolly contractors and using the initial 3 months as a trial period.

After 15 months, I'd fixed all their problems and by then they'd hired my (permy) replacement. I left on very good terms and found another gig.

Simples.

qh

[MickeyP]

I had this issue last year at my current client. I was honest and said I had a number of overheads that would prevent me from doing so but if they could approach my current take home then I would consider it. They said they would look into it and come back to me. I'm still waiting to hear back but have since had two further extensions!

[curtis]

I've had this in 2 contracts I have had, both were very local (just down the road) and both I said 'thanks but no thanks'.

The 2nd one the people I work with were shocked I think as they knew it was very local to me and I think were of the mindset that people contracted till a good permanent offer was offered and then took it.

It amazed me how good it felt to say no to both!

[psychocandy]

Client I work for is well-known for 'insisting' contractors go perm after a certain amount of time. Its a case of go perm or sod off..... Not negotiable as far as they are concerned.

Of course, being in Wales, and it being a pretty niche skillset, they know you aint likely to say bye bye. It'd certainly be a tough call.

A lot of contractors have bitten the bullet and gone for this. Must admit I aint keen.....

Luckily, client has head freeze at the moment, so the subject aint coming up at the moment. Long may it continue !!!

[jmo21]

I've had this in 2 contracts I have had, both were very local (just down the road) and both I said 'thanks but no thanks'.

The 2nd one the people I work with were shocked I think as they knew it was very local to me and I think were of the mindset that people contracted till a good permanent offer was offered and then took it.

It amazed me how good it felt to say no to both!

I recognise this thought process too.

There are still plenty of people out there who think of us as simply temps who cannot get a permie job, especially non-managers who have no idea of the rates.