Truly Partnering With Your IT Clients


Many IT Consulting/IT Recruiting firms seem to lack an understanding on what it means to partner with their clients’ in a long-term relationship. It seems that some firms are just concerned with billable hours and one-off placement fees than actually serving their clients true needs. A case in point was a situation I encountered at one such firm in which I was employed. I was an account manager of a financial client where we had placed a programmer. This programmer was not working out well and the client was thinking of replacing him, however, the president of the IT consulting firm I was with was determined to keep this programmer there for the 90 day guarantee period just so they could earn their fee. I actually called the programmer and asked if he knew that the client was thinking of letting him go and told him that he really needed to “step up” his learning process and come up to speed or we would have to replace him. The candidate did better for a short period of time. At around 95 days after he was hired, the client IT Development Manager called to say that the candidate was not working out and could we find a replacement. I spoke with the president of our firm and he said “no way, they have to pay us”. I was very uncomfortable with this approach, but really had no say in the final decision. Although I had asked if we could not be flexible on the 90 day guarantee period, he proceeded, in no uncertain terms, to tell me what he wanted me to tell the manager - to pay us immediately. The client paid us all right, and then put us on their “blacklist”.

As a technical account manager/recruiter, do you truly partner with your clients? As a 13 year veteran of IT Operations and Technical Consulting/Recruiting, I really do desire to partner with my clients in a long-term relationship that adds value. That is why I considered it a “blessing in disguise” when that particular company I was with decided to to close the Dallas office I operated. I launched my own company, ProVisionTech, and now am able to operate my own company with as much integrity as I can.

Mike Hanes
ProVisionTech
972-200-7171