Greater recognition of contracting. Contracting as a lifelong career is gaining greater recognition in the job marketplace, according to Toby Malara, director of government and public relations for the National Technical Services Association (NTSA). Computer and engineering students are choosing to become IT contractors right out of college. As a result, more companies are developing career counseling services and studying the long-term contracting market so they can supply the resources contractors need to make the best decisions for their work. Whether it's what skills you need to add in order to take your career to the next level or sound business advice, long-range professional support is one of the big movements in the IT services industry right now.

Productivity measurement. Clients are demanding more measurement of IT work, says Caress Kennedy, vice president of marketing for Comsys. "Companies want to know their investment in IT pays off." In response, Comsys is developing a metric tool that will launch in the fall. Don McLaurin of the NACCB also predicts more measurement is coming. Technology makes measurement easier, he says, and companies will measure everybody. "The consultant shouldn't feel picked on. There will be more productivity measurement. There will be more skills tests," he says, with more weight given to certifications. This can be a benefit to the contractor. "If you're good, you can prove it, and command a higher rate."

Virtual recruiting. Kennedy says Comsys research shows more companies are looking for electronic placement and want to identify, test, interview, reference check, and accept candidates electronically. As a client of Brainbench, Comsys will be able to assess skills and offer certifications online, and it is developing other virtual staffing tools.

More perks. Rita Hazell of Hall Kinion says staffing firms will have to come up with more and more creative ways to work with consultants and compensate them to ensure they complete current assignments and extend their terms. "More people are leaving assignments early than used to," she says.

More services. Says McLaurin, "Most analysts will say a flexible workforce is critical to the economy. Because finding talent is going to get easier, the marketplace is going to favor service firms that are really 'bang-up' firms bringing a lot to the table." He doesn't expect the human touch to go away and looks at the Internet as just another way to find resumes. "I don't think technology is sophisticated enough to match personalities. Flip-flops vs. a necktie, profanity, and personal hygiene all come into play" in hiring, he says.

Tighter contracts. Dick Bramel, of kforce, says the handshake will give way to a tightening up of the process, including firmer contracts (with the trend being toward online contracts), which will be combined with other retention tools. He says this will be positive for clients and contractors alike. One of the biggest problems now is people leaving before projects are over, he says.

New models. IT workers will establish relationships with true IT career agents who offer career planning and advising, ensuring longer-term marketability, according to Steve Garten, senior vice president at Massachusetts-based Darwin Partners, a research and consulting organization that assesses IT needs, plans a workforce solution, and helps the company put the plan into action. "As the Web continues to disintermediate, you will see agencies that are solely focused on being tactical providers of people and job opportunities replaced with those that are strategic providers of knowledge around workforce and career planning," says Garten.

High-level approach to IT decision-making. With IT suddenly at the forefront of a business's success in the e-commerce field, IT departments will find the decisions being made on a higher level, with the involvement of the CEO, says Sheila Maguire of The Computer Merchant. She says a lot of IT projects are no longer being driven out of the IT department. Instead, more influence is often coming from marketing departments as a result of e-commerce initiatives. "Companies are now looking for people with interactive media skills," she says.

Core contract base. More organizations are going to a "core contract base," according to Brian Newkirk, Comsys vice president of sales and operations for Houston and Austin. Core contract employees are budgeted the same as permanent employees, versus "flexible" contract employees, who are budgeted for a set period of time and geared more toward projects.

Glossary
The words we heard, and what they mean.

Michael Nadeau, Andrea Haynes, and Lynn Geiger are CP editors.
Contract Professional/CPUniverse, Dec. 21, 2000.