More activity - yet lower rates..

**Iron Condor** · 22 February 2010, 21:34

Originally posted by MrMark View Post

Surprisingly I got some agent calls on a Monday. One of them staggered me - was I interested in a database administrator role paying £10 a hour? To be fair I got the distinct impression he was just fishing, and when I made it clear I wasn't biting he tried to sell an Excel data input role.... Better news is I now have an interview lined up this week. Could it be better news ahead?

Better times ahead.

Instead of paying 1 contractor £30 per hour.

Pay 3 contractors £10 per hour each.

or even better hire 5 contractors at £6 per hour each.

**OwlHoot** · 22 February 2010, 21:43

There were a flurry of contract ads suitable for me last week (perl & python), and the agents sounded optimistic, but not a squeek for several days now from any of my three or four applications which have been put forward.

Is that par for the course these days? Are clients dragging their heels? I suppose it's impossible to generalize. I'm sure sure someone here said they had a decision in a day or two.

**lightng** · 22 February 2010, 22:30

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

Are clients dragging their heels?

That was my experience a year ago. I had numerous irons in the fire but I didn't manage to pull any of them out. Eventually I decide to take a permie role, one that I'm still in today. Three months into my permie role, I was offered a contract. I'd sat an interview and test for that one five months before! What I thought was cheeky was the fact that after five months of absolutely no communication, they expected me to start immediately.

**gingerjedi** · 22 February 2010, 22:40

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

There were a flurry of contract ads suitable for me last week (perl & python), and the agents sounded optimistic, but not a squeek for several days now from any of my three or four applications which have been put forward.

Is that par for the course these days? Are clients dragging their heels? I suppose it's impossible to generalize. I'm sure sure someone here said they had a decision in a day or two.

I think so, I've had two interviews confirmed this week from applications I feared were long dead in the water. I guess there's no urgency to secure the 'right' person as there are still so many 'right' people to choose from.

Curiously I'm getting interviews for gigs that would be stretching my capabilities rather than roles I could do with my eyes shut, is this a sign that the over-qualified contractors in tulip roles are starting to move on to better things? Are clients wising up to the 'good fit' rather trying to get the very best on the cheap?

More activity - yet lower rates..