[SOLVED] How does this work?

[need2sleep]

Anybody ever do this kind of work? I think it's called break/fix work. It's in a computer hardware arena, usually simple stuff, or you're given access to an upper level technician to either direct you or advise you on how to do a task.

Three players: the recruiter, an end user company that says, "Hey, we suddenly have a need for temporary workers," and a service provider, (I think) that promises to find workers for the company needing a little work done.

What kind of pay does the recruiter get? Am I sacrificing a lot of income to work with them?

Why can't I go directly to the service provider? Would they work with me?

Thanks!

 

[13thmonkey]

I'm a contractor (in the UK this seems similar), I work for a client to do something specific and then I go and work for someone else. The recruiters in my world do all of the leg work of finding clients, that's what I pay them for, by taking a hit on my day rate. I might pay them 5%, in which case what I have to ask myself is could I find my 200 days of work in 10 days of effort, and I know i can't. I also know that i'd have loads of loose ends where i've clients that are interested but not ready at that time, i'd have to let them down (hurts my reputation), the recruiter just offers them a different resource. So recruiters save you boat loads of time and effort and are worth every penny when they are at the 5-10% level.

The other question is that some clients will deal with you directly if referred from the inside, but if you approach directly you'll struggle to have them accept you, you won't be on preferred supplier lists etc.

 

[need2sleep]

Thanks for your reply. Makes sense and I learned a lot!