What's the longest you have kept a client waiting following a gig offer?

[SussexSeagull]

Broadly speaking recruitment agents have two modes: ignoring you and being your best friend who can't talk to you enough. The second is very much the case when you are a client's first choice.

[IsayIsayIsay]

Wow. Pulled that one out of the bag. They are like rocking horse droppings they are.

Well I'm still awaiting clearance and the amount of information I've had to provide is pretty enormous, so I'm not counting my chickens yet (but checking my emails every hour)!!

[northernladuk]

I've got one. It's going through the process now.... let's get some positivity in this place!

Wow. Pulled that one out of the bag. They are like rocking horse droppings they are.

[IsayIsayIsay]

Nothing wrong with that. You'll be waiting a very long time for a role that will clear you for SC though but that's a separate issue.

I've got one. It's going through the process now.... let's get some positivity in this place!

[northernladuk]

It's an inside gig

So you are just trying to find out what the lay of the land is which is fair enough. As I said, you've got time. There is no need to accept straight away, particularly if you are waiting on them from a response to your questions. They want you so they will be willing to wait a bit of time. No need for acceptance tomorrow. It's business so do your negotiating and you'll get a feel how much time you have as you go through it.

In every post we've had about how long can a contractor delay before making acceptance for whatever reason I've never seen anyone come back and say I got dropped because I didn't accept quickly enough.

[northernladuk]

I'm thinking I'll keep this contract going (and earning money) until I'm SC cleared on a new contract that I've verbally accepted and is going through the process. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nothing wrong with that. You'll be waiting a very long time for a role that will clear you for SC though but that's a separate issue.

[IsayIsayIsay]

What you need to keep pointing out in your posts is your IR35 status as it is absolutely key to your advice. What you describe cannot happen in an outside IR35 gig. The OP doesn't state which it is either. If it's outside then he's doing exactly the right thing getting clarification, if it's inside then he's doing it just not to jump in to a clusterf**k which is also fair.
What you are doing is right but you'll also find over time that you'll think you are looking for more opportunities but they rarely appear. You are a contractor there to do a specific role. You should be so skilled in what you do that there aren't other opportunities in your skill base. What you are doing is more akin to a permie advancing their career. Not to say don't do it and it might be possible but if you are a PM then you are working in the area where the opportunities are if you get me.
Looking for business is a contractors job yes so nothing wrong with that but given your history it just feels you're just slightly on the wrong side of permie thinking again. Not saying you are are wrong, just a slight tweak is needed.
Keep doing it I guess but make sure it's for the right reasons and your expectations are set. It will be very important when you hit an outside role.

In an outside role the goal is to complete the work and get terminated. Moving around roles/jobs in a contract is not good in an outside gig. It can either fall in to Direction and Control or MoO.

I'm thinking I'll keep this contract going (and earning money) until I'm SC cleared on a new contract that I've verbally accepted and is going through the process. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Tractor Trace]

What you need to keep pointing out in your posts is your IR35 status as it is absolutely key to your advice. What you describe cannot happen in an outside IR35 gig. The OP doesn't state which it is either. If it's outside then he's doing exactly the right thing getting clarification, if it's inside then he's doing it just not to jump in to a clusterf**k.

It's an inside gig

[northernladuk]

We've had plenty of threads in the past where people need more time to think so the standard approach is to accept subject to contract review. If it's outside you'll need a contract check which can take up to five days. Not maybe so important now the client determines but you can still get a contract checked for commercial terms.

Remember you are the clients first choice. You hold the power. Time and effort has been put in to getting you so they won't be picking the 2nd place guy over a few days delay. How much time varies on the situation.

From personal experience the vast majority of my roles I interviewed Wednesday and started Monday but I generally come in to a project that's far too late and hasn't had any transition and is getting close to live so time is very short. I've had one large transformation piece of work that started from nothing and it took nearly three weeks to get everyone on board. On guy needed three weeks to join and the client didn't bat an eye lid.
One other situation I had two interviews out and i wanted the second role so had to pull the contract check line and delayed acceptance by five days. The second one disappeared in to the ether so accepted the first and got in, again, with no one batting an eyelid.

Nothing wrong with not accepting for a few days, particularly if the onus is on the client to provide more information. You hold the power because they want you so you've got time.

[northernladuk]

I agree. The contract I am doing at the moment has morphed from original scope to more of a programme role (albeit it's been a quiet and dull transition). This has suited me as it keeps me in a decent day rate, and gives me more exposure to the business I'm working with for future opportunities. If you keep yourself too rigid, you run the risk of being terminated prior to contract end date (I completed my first assignment in 2mths, and I am on a 6mth contract).

What you need to keep pointing out in your posts is your IR35 status as it is absolutely key to your advice. What you describe cannot happen in an outside IR35 gig. The OP doesn't state which it is either. If it's outside then he's doing exactly the right thing getting clarification, if it's inside then he's doing it just not to jump in to a clusterf**k which is also fair.
What you are doing is right but you'll also find over time that you'll think you are looking for more opportunities but they rarely appear. You are a contractor there to do a specific role. You should be so skilled in what you do that there aren't other opportunities in your skill base. What you are doing is more akin to a permie advancing their career. Not to say don't do it and it might be possible but if you are a PM then you are working in the area where the opportunities are if you get me.
Looking for business is a contractors job yes so nothing wrong with that but given your history it just feels you're just slightly on the wrong side of permie thinking again. Not saying you are are wrong, just a slight tweak is needed.
Keep doing it I guess but make sure it's for the right reasons and your expectations are set. It will be very important when you hit an outside role.

In an outside role the goal is to complete the work and get terminated. Moving around roles/jobs in a contract is not good in an outside gig. It can either fall in to Direction and Control or MoO.

[IsayIsayIsay]

Anything you get told before the gig has a 50/50 chance of being true anyway - learn to embrace the chaos and see what you think once you've been there a couple of weeks.

I agree. The contract I am doing at the moment has morphed from original scope to more of a programme role (albeit it's been a quiet and dull transition). This has suited me as it keeps me in a decent day rate, and gives me more exposure to the business I'm working with for future opportunities. If you keep yourself too rigid, you run the risk of being terminated prior to contract end date (I completed my first assignment in 2mths, and I am on a 6mth contract).

[PerfectStorm]

Anything you get told before the gig has a 50/50 chance of being true anyway - learn to embrace the chaos and see what you think once you've been there a couple of weeks.

[Tractor Trace]

Just curious. I have always accepted pretty much straight away but following an interview (morning after) I still have some questions re structure of team, who I "report" to, more explanation of the scope of work which were not made clear to me at the time or that there was not sufficient time to ask.

I want to be clear as the scope the work to be undertaken seems vast and the recruitment agent was of the opinion that there would be more bodies working alongside me. In the current market I am more averse to risk and leaving my current contract. I relayed my questions back via agent this morning. Do you think they would see this delay in a bad light and am I giving the wrong impression to client? Anyone else taken more than a day to accept an offer?