What Does Your Firm Represent?

Nov 13, 2014 12:00:00 AM · by David Kushan

As an independent contractor whose current project is coming to an end, you're going to be talking with staffing firms about projects they have coming up for which you may be a good fit. If a particular project sounds like a good fit, the firm with which you’re talking will present you to the client. At that point, whether you’re their W-2 employee or a Corp-to-Corp, you’re being represented by that company. As far as the client is concerned, you’re part of the organization that’s representing you.

So, since this company is now going to be representing you, and the client is going to view you as an extension of the company that presented you, wouldn’t it make sense to take some time to find out what this company stands for? Or, put another way, How does this organization represent themselves in the marketplace?

Do they sell their ability to provide exceptional customer services? Do they make claims that their consultants put in extra hours without billing the client? Do they make claims that their billable pricing is the lowest in the industry (thus, possibly affecting what you’ll be paid)?

Most contractors I know don’t ask these types of questions. I know this for a fact, because when contractors talk with our internal staff for the first time, most don’t ask them these basic questions. Most of their questions revolve around the project, client location, and compensation.

Most healthcare organizations do not use just one “staffing” or “consulting” firm exclusively when they’re building a team for a long-term project. Therefore, if multiple organizations have the ability to present you to the same organization for the same project, it just makes sense to ask additional questions to make sure that you’re aligning yourself with a firm that shares the same overall values that you do.

You may also like: Don't Just Evaluate The Contract Evaluate The Firm

General, Consulting, Career Planning, David Kushan

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