Frequently Asked Questions
Sometime it’s easier to see the answer clearly stated than having to ask the question! Instead of searching our website for the answers you need, we’ve compiled some Frequently Asked Questions we get asked all the time. Did we miss one? If you don’t see your question answered, contact us! We’ll happily answer any questions you have.
How does Contract Hiring work?
Any hire made through FootBridge is an employee of our firm. We assume all liability for the employee, including payroll, employee benefits administration, liability insurance, worker’s compensation, future unemployment benefits, and more. Our goal is to make hiring contract talent as easy as possible.
Will hiring a contract employee be more expensive than hiring direct?
Direct hiring costs a company 1.25 to 1.4 times a person’s salary. For someone making a yearly salary of 100k, you are effectively paying them up to $140,000 a year. A staffing firm markup, which is the fee paid on top of a base salary, covers all costs and liabilities. Additionally, with contract hires, your company is not committed to paying an annual salary or benefits. Instead, the staffing firm pays the contractor an hourly rate while assuming responsibility for benefits and insurances.
Is contract hiring faster than hiring a permanent employee?
You can receive hundreds of responses from a single ad for a position. A direct-hire can take upwards of a month to complete due to numerous rounds of interviews, approvals, and onboarding processes. Instead of allocating your resources to the hiring process, a staffing firm will identify candidates and expedite the interviewing process on your behalf. We can have several viable candidate profiles ready for your review within a few hours of your request. And, most companies we speak to hire people after a short phone interview process.
Is hiring a contractor easier than a Direct Hire?
Our team can help onboard someone within a few hours, rather than days or weeks. Most companies hire people after a short phone interview process. If something doesn’t work out, we let them go and resume the recruitment search.
What are the differences between Contract and Permanent Staff?
Contract work differs from temporary positions in that it includes employee benefits paid by the staffing company as long as they work as a W-2 employee. When you don’t know how long a project may run, hiring a contractor means you don’t have to commit to paying a yearly salary or employee benefits. Plus, if someone doesn’t work out as expected, we can also find a replacement right away. Additionally, time worked may be extended and can also be transferred to a permanent position if needed.
Does FootBridge help companies with Permanent Placement?
While the FootBridge Companies focus is mostly on placing contract employees, some of our clients prefer to hire direct. Instead of the individual working for FootBridge on assignment, they directly work for the client. FootBridge is then paid a one-time fee based on a percentage of annual salary for the first year, usually 25 percent.
What’s the difference between a Freelancer and a Contractor?
Freelancers work independently of a staffing firm or your company. As such, your business must make sure they are compliant with state and federal laws. For instance:
- Are they incorporated, or do they work as a 1099 employee?
- Do they carry worker’s compensation insurance in the state they will be working for you?
- Do they carry enough general and professional liability insurance for the work they will be performing for you?
- Do they have multiple clients, set their schedule and direction, or take guidance from your team?
Contractors on the other hand are employed by the staffing company and they take on the responsibility of state and federal laws.
What happens when a temporary contract ends?
Many clients are surprised to learn their business doesn’t have to assume layoffs. When a contract is complete, the contractor moves onto your next project or one that we have for them. Additionally, time worked may be extended. Many times, the employee can also be transferred to a permanent position if so desired.
How soon can contractors be on site?
Our recruiters can send you several qualified candidate profiles already in that location or one who is ready to go there. We not only find someone but perform the interview, screen, and bring them in for the project promptly. Rather than worrying about transferring someone across the country and paying living expenses, contract hire means you don’t end up with layoffs.
How can I mitigate the risks of hiring?
When you work with a contractor, you ultimately save on training, salary, benefits, insurance, not to mention a contractor will be skilled in the area of expertise you need. Keep in mind that you also don’t pay taxes, social security, or benefits with a contractor. So the reality is the client is saving money even though the hourly rate may be higher.
How do recruiters qualify candidates?
There’s a lot more than database searches that go into finding the right candidate for a potential job. Recruiters spend the bulk of their time sourcing, pre-screening, interviewing candidates, and investing in the client relationship. We want to find you the right person.