Now that SKA is successful enough to employ IT people other than myself and potential for further expansion very soon, and given that today I don't work (I usually do Sundays but not today), I've decided to post a few thoughts regarding future IT contractor use in SKA project. 
Our options for core IT work:
1) Hire local contractor
2) Hire permanent local employee
3) Outsource work
4) Get foreign permanent employee
I'll start from the end:
4) Don't want to take chances right now, in any case it would have to be exceptional person
3) We don't outsource core IT work, maybe website design competition but nothing that requires full-time attention
2) Got very good one (worked before), very lucky - might get another one if we are lucky, then we'd have to look for more risky options
1) IT contractors
Some work might require a specialist who'd put in some days to do the job - say networking setup, firewall etc - that's fine, rates can be high but I understand economic principle behind it: occasional work would have to cost a lot because the person who does it won't have it full-time, ie like a taxi driver or maybe a plumber. So contractors are a way to go in this.
Now let's talk full-time core work.
First of all I don't like the idea of someone without commitment - I don't want a guy who'd work with us some month and then bogs off elsewhere, that would be waste of our time as we'd have to teach that person our custom stuff, and also I don't like the idea of people learning all that and them moving elsewhere.
Secondly there is cost - if that person works full time, then they are essentially a permie, yet the price charged is based on a model that implies occasional use. Even taxies have got lower price if you go more than X miles, perhaps that should be reflected in contracts?
What I think we have here is that some good people realised that they are actually pretty good and their chances of being out of work are low, so they went contracting because it allowed to charge "taxi prices", but without drawbacks of taxi - waiting for work (recession is exception). Essentially this resulted in a depletion of a "permie" pool and acted as a force to make employers get contractors instead.
Should one be suprised that businesses did not like this economic model? I am for one not.
Will SKA Inc ever hire IT contractors? Yes, but only for occasional work just like I occasionally use taxis, but I would not be using taxi every day - it's cheaper to buy a car.
Our options for core IT work:
1) Hire local contractor
2) Hire permanent local employee
3) Outsource work
4) Get foreign permanent employee
I'll start from the end:
4) Don't want to take chances right now, in any case it would have to be exceptional person
3) We don't outsource core IT work, maybe website design competition but nothing that requires full-time attention
2) Got very good one (worked before), very lucky - might get another one if we are lucky, then we'd have to look for more risky options
1) IT contractors
Some work might require a specialist who'd put in some days to do the job - say networking setup, firewall etc - that's fine, rates can be high but I understand economic principle behind it: occasional work would have to cost a lot because the person who does it won't have it full-time, ie like a taxi driver or maybe a plumber. So contractors are a way to go in this.
Now let's talk full-time core work.
First of all I don't like the idea of someone without commitment - I don't want a guy who'd work with us some month and then bogs off elsewhere, that would be waste of our time as we'd have to teach that person our custom stuff, and also I don't like the idea of people learning all that and them moving elsewhere.
Secondly there is cost - if that person works full time, then they are essentially a permie, yet the price charged is based on a model that implies occasional use. Even taxies have got lower price if you go more than X miles, perhaps that should be reflected in contracts?
What I think we have here is that some good people realised that they are actually pretty good and their chances of being out of work are low, so they went contracting because it allowed to charge "taxi prices", but without drawbacks of taxi - waiting for work (recession is exception). Essentially this resulted in a depletion of a "permie" pool and acted as a force to make employers get contractors instead.
Should one be suprised that businesses did not like this economic model? I am for one not.
Will SKA Inc ever hire IT contractors? Yes, but only for occasional work just like I occasionally use taxis, but I would not be using taxi every day - it's cheaper to buy a car.
taxis, not taxies
Comment