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Re:Ask HN: Why do you hire engineering contractors for mid-t... by DarrenDev on Thursday March 11, 2021 @10:42AM (#26425171)
Contractors are often hired for budgetary reasons. It can be easier to get sign off to hire a resource for 6 months at $x per month than to hire a full time employee whose salary is seen as an ongoing cost, year on year.

6 month cost can be an easy sell. Lifetime employee can be more difficult.

I work as a contractor myself in Ireland, and it's usually large companies, consultancy companies or government agencies who hire contractors. It's rare (but not unheard of) for startups here to hire contractors.

Those 6 month contracts usually roll on, so effectively you're working as if you were a permanent employee, but on paper you're always only ever a 6 month expense.

Re:Ask HN: Why do you hire engineering contractors for mid-t... by burntoutfire on Saturday March 13, 2021 @04:21PM (#26450109)
Another huge reason is HR salary restrictions. In large companies, a senior individual contributor cannot make more than X, while the going market rate for people in hot specialities of the day is often higher than that. Contracts are a way to circumvent the HR restrictions. Many contractors are staying for a couple years within the same company and are essentially an employee in everything but a name.
Re:Ask HN: Why do you hire engineering contractors for mid-t... by JohanCutych on Thursday March 11, 2021 @01:23PM (#26427222)
Thanks for the super valuable insight. Would you be actually up for connecting on LinkedIn? Got some additional question I would love to ask you!
Re:Ask HN: Why do you hire engineering contractors for mid-t... by DarrenDev on Friday March 12, 2021 @04:01AM (#26433611)
I think we're already connected. You're name seemed familiar. https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrendevitt/
Re:Ask HN: Why do you hire engineering contractors for mid-t... by JohanCutych on Friday March 12, 2021 @10:19AM (#26436714)
Wow! What a coincidence! I will be in touch with you.