An interesting article on ERE.net discusses the qualities that help workers successfully work from home on "virtual teams." While the article is addressed mainly to employers, recruiters placing candidates who will be allowed or required to work on projects from home, possibly on a contract basis, can gain some helpful…

Many recruiters shy away from contracting because they think it is too complicated. But as we pointed out in our last blog post, when a recruiter uses a contracting back-office, the process is actually very similar to a direct-hire placement. In fact, in many ways, contract…

You already know that  you should do contracting. You know it can help you keep income flowing when direct-hire job orders are sparse. And you  know that more and more of  your clients want contractors and are probably going to your competitors to get them.

So why aren't you doing it?  Well, there's a misconception out there that contracting is hard.  Let's face it, it sounds hard. Who is the legal employer of the contractors? What…

Financial firms are ready to hire but are frustrated by the available candidates, and the feeling seems to be mutual, according to a recent Workforce Management article.

The firms that are looking to hire say they may increase their staffs by up to 30 percent, according to the article.  But…

As a new crop of college graduates attempts to enter the workforce, a recent Human Resources Executive Online article reminds companies to be careful when bringing on interns, particularly unpaid interns.

As we reported last year, the Department of Labor (DOL) and state agencies have been cracking down on illegal unpaid internships. In…

Contracting is a great way to bring in an additional stream of steady, more predictable income. But many recruiters shy away from contracting because they don't want to take on the financial, legal, and administrative burdens that come with employing their contractors.

Luckily there is a way to sidestep those burdens and still reap the rewards of offering contract staffing to your clients - by utilizing a contracting back-office. So that just leaves…

Earlier this week, we reported that the Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law that, among other things, would make E-Verify a requirement. Some experts predicted that other states would pass similar, but not identical immigration laws, making legal compliance even more difficult for multi-state employers.

It looks…

Negotiating a contractor's pay rate can be one of the most difficult parts of placing a contract candidate.  Where do you start, especially if you have had little experience placing the particular position in question?

Luckily, there are a couple of tools on the Internet that can give you a starting place for negotiations:…

There has been a lot of talk in the media about workplace flexibility, but it usually refers to workers' need for flexibility in their schedules to balance their work and personal lives. But employers need flexibility, too.  They need the ability to adjust their workforces to the ebbs and flows of their business.  In fact, according to a special report by Workforce Management,  “Flexibility has become one of the most important initiatives and priorities as…

Companies that do business in multiple states already know how hard it is to keep up and comply with the seemingly endless, and often contradictory, list of state and federal laws.  A recent Supreme Court decision on a hotly debated Arizona immigration law could make doing business across state lines even trickier,…

Working mothers are helping create a new niche for recruiters - placing professionals in flexible work arrangements, according to The Washington Post.

The traditional workplace model has left many mothers passed up for promotions and relegated to less time-sensitive, mundane work. For some, it has…

We already know that healthcare and information technology are two of the biggest industries for jobs, particularly contract positions. So what do you get when you combine those two industries together? A hot new recruiting niche that is boosting job orders for recruiters working both perm and contract placements.

A study by the University of San Diego Extension showed that…

Contrary to popular belief, many older workers feel that, if anything, their age is an asset in the workplace, not a liability, according to a recent USA Today article. 

Citing an AP-LifeGoesStrong.com poll, the article states that 61 percent of Baby Boomers feel that age is not an issue at all, while 25 percent said it was an…

"Temps" are no longer low paid, entry level workers. This is not news to us here at Top Echelon Contracting, as we have been reporting on the executive temping trend for the past couple of years. But a recent article on FINS Technology, a career site from The Wall Street Journal,…

Anything you ever wanted to know about Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is now available in one convenient Web site at www.uscis.gov/I-9central

An I-9 must be completed for each employee hired by American employers by their fourth day at work to show they are authorized to work in the United States. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration…

For those at the beginning of their careers, internships may provide more than a resume boost.  An internship could prove to be an audition for a full-time position with the company providing the internship. A recent CNNMoney article cited results from a National Association of Colleges and Employers that found…

The Department of Labor (DOL) is enlisting employees in its war against Wage and Hour violations and arming them with high-tech tools to help them identify when they have been a victim of one of these violations.

The DOL has been steadily increasing its efforts to inform employees about their rights.  Last year, the agency released the "We Can Help" Web…

A recent practice we have reported on where employers specifically state in job postings that they will not accept unemployed candidates has ignited a bit of a firestorm and has some crying "discrimination." Some lawmakers are even moving to make banning unemployed job candidates…

There are now four generally recognized generations in the workforce, each with its own attitudes and approaches to work. But they all have one thing in common - contracting is an attractive option for all of them, even if it may be for different reasons.

By knowing what’s important to candidates of every generation—AND why they like contracting—you increase your chances of connecting with those candidates, giving them what they want, and most importantly, placing…

As the government's crackdown on illegal immigrants continues, E-Verify could prove to be an employer's best friend.

E-Verify is the federal database that allows employers to check information from employees' I-9s against data stored by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. While currently only required by a handful of states and localities and of federal contractors, some employers are using it in addition to the…