Reply to: State of the Market

[pjt]

When did 8.30 to 5.30 become the working hours?

Agency just rang me about a role and said these are the hours ...am used to 9 to 5...seems a lot when you factor in at least an hour's commute too...

I've never really taken much notice of working hours. I tend to work what hours I need to get the job done. It normally means I work more hours but sometimes I get away with less. I've never once been asked to justify my hours and if required to put in a timesheet I just put what I've done and invoice. Maybe due to doing more than less more often the times I get away with less never really get mentioned.

[Manic]

Another decent opportunity via a LinkedIn approach.

Trouble is, I'm awaiting sign-off on another one for a client that is known to me. Sod's law eh? Buses coming along two at once!

On the back of last week's flurry of activity on the same platform, it does give me some renewed hope for the market, and for all those on here that are looking.

When did 8.30 to 5.30 become the working hours?

Agency just rang me about a role and said these are the hours ...am used to 9 to 5...seems a lot when you factor in at least an hour's commute too...

That's a 40 hour week. Thankfully i work for an org which has a more sensible 35 hour week.

I work 45 though at least

[SchumiStars]

https://www.contractoruk.com/news/00..._november.html

[Cookielove]

is this now the standard....even more so when the day rates are slashed working more for less

[Cookielove]

When did 8.30 to 5.30 become the working hours?

Agency just rang me about a role and said these are the hours ...am used to 9 to 5...seems a lot when you factor in at least an hour's commute too...

[dsc]

The wider impact of this is that the recruitment agencies would be closing. [...]

I'm surprised any are still open tbh.

[pjt]

The wider impact of this is that the recruitment agencies would be closing. Less tax being paid tomthe government etc.

Recruitment agents are usually the grads who didn't get any sort of grad job of uni. The Desmond's and 3rd classes. Not sure what kind of job they could find ATM, with seemingly no uptake from companies.

I can't imagine this situation changing in the next 12mths tbh. Not sure how people are finding contracts or getting renewed in this market.

My LinkedIn feed is littered with recruitment staff out of work they seem to be having a rough time at the moment. Based off what I see on LinkedIn they are probably being hit worse than IT.

[SchumiStars]

The wider impact of this is that the recruitment agencies would be closing. Less tax being paid tomthe government etc.

Recruitment agents are usually the grads who didn't get any sort of grad job of uni. The Desmond's and 3rd classes. Not sure what kind of job they could find ATM, with seemingly no uptake from companies.

I can't imagine this situation changing in the next 12mths tbh. Not sure how people are finding contracts or getting renewed in this market.

[dsc]

So never expected this, client co can't find anyone at the low rates they want in the UK so have struck a partnership with one of the Indian offshore agencies. Turns out they can't even get CVs from the agencyat such awful rates and their wish list of requirements! This must truly be the bottom!!

Wow, any ideas how ridiculously their rates are? or how ridiculous the wish list of reqs is?

[BlueSharp]

So never expected this, client co can't find anyone at the low rates they want in the UK so have struck a partnership with one of the Indian offshore agencies. Turns out they can't even get CVs from the agencyat such awful rates and their wish list of requirements! This must truly be the bottom!!

[SchumiStars]

Just had a call with an agent who thought he had something for us and we were in the running for. Turns out client hired from another agency and he was disappointed.

5 days onsite, surrey, inside, £500pd, SC cleared. Previously that would have been a 750 role.

[Bluenose]

Employment component of the PMI dropped to 45.8 today from 48.9 in November, the largest drop since the pandemic or since 2009 if the pandemic is excluded (anything below 50 is contraction), so the general employment situation, post-Budget, is pretty dire.

https://www.adzuna.co.uk/job-market-report/#section-8

[Cookielove]

It is beyond grim...thought I may have a few weeks work that didn't even happen...

Just nothing doing even if you are prepared to look at 50% rate drop....

[SussexSeagull]

I honestly don't think it's coming back.

IT is an affordable luxury for most companies, to help improve efficiency. When companies are efficient there is no need to invest, when the returns are 5/10yrs down the line.

Software development is no longer seen as difficult, as it is not. It's seen as another trade such as and similar to brick layering, it can be outsourced quite easily to a consultancy, off-shore or to a freshy.

Unless we get another .dot com boom, we are dead.

Software Development done well should be easy but it rarely goes that way because everyone thinks it is easy. It should be a systematic process with the correct resources allocated but that doesn’t seem to happen much anymore.

i left my last couple of contracts before the work was finished. The second to last one has been going for years before I turned up and is still rumbling on now. My last one ran out of money to pay me before the work finished.

To me the problem is project governance - not management, it goes higher than that - and too much churn of people and changing of mind.

[jamesbrown]

No-one seems to have a clear view on what the problem is.

Probably because there isn't one problem. There are a bunch of global factors, including some long-term ones that are devaluing IT contracting, as well as some UK-centric problems with IR35 reform and the recent budget. It's a slow(-ish) puncture.