QUESTION:
When placing high-level IT workers, is there a preferred term? Sometimes they are referred to as contractors, other times as consultants.
Answer:
Staffing Industry Analysts recently did research into what contingent workers would like to be called. And the preferred term varied depending on hourly wage. Among workers earning more than $45 per hour, the top choice was “consultant,” preferred by 53% of these high-earning respondents, and jumping to 68% for those earning more than $60 per hour. For those earning between $16 and $45 per hour, the top choice was “contractor,” preferred by 53% of respondents in this pay range. The terms “temp” and “temporary” are well-accepted only among those in the lower wage categories.
