Clojurians Log v2

Why would companies happily hire freelance contractors but not "hire me" through my company employer? I fail to see the difference between hiring a freelance contractor and paying for a consultant... Can anyone shed some light?

I imagine the answers you get will vary by where you're talking about

Here in the UK most contractors work through a limited company

Consultants are more expensive because the company has to add a profit margin?

Perhaps not the case universally though.

I don't even know what "hire through a company" really means

I guess it has to do with each country's laws, what the binding contract is and what the obligations of the company towards the worker/individual are

The company I am currently working with has a procurement policy that requires corp-to-corp to go through a 3-5 month process. This is probably unusual but, in some cases, it's not feasible companies them to hire individual consultants due to process requirements or time requirements.

It means that I work for a company which does consulting and another company, which we'd call a client, would pay my company to get me (or someone else for that matter) to work for them. Basic consulting I guess, but I may be using the wrong words. In the end it's probably a mix of your three answers I suppose. I've had a few contact, usually through LinkedIn, asking if I were available for Clojure contract work, but I'm not a freelance and it's where the discussion ends.

But, aside from this case, I haven't experienced this issue. Typically I've seen a preference for corp-to-corp instead of 1099 because it's less paperwork for the client.

So more or less related to flexibility ?

Hum, ok. I don't have much experience but it happened 3 or 4 times in the last year that I could get further on an opportunity basically because they didn't want to do "corp-to-corp" and would rather have an individual.

I noticed the same. I thought it was because freelancers might do it cheaper.

I should also note that my experience is almost entirely with US companies and doesn't necessarily apply in other jurisdictions

I don't know where they get their freelancers from, but the ones I know around here aren't cheaper at all. Maybe they should ask for the price before ^^

Mine is for Europe, or the Netherlands in particular.

France here 👋

So, in both cases you'll be a contractor. Correct me if I'm wrong, in most places freelance means sole trader, ie a single person company. I don't see much difference whether the contract will be between the client and the sole trader company, or the client and the consulting company. From a legal perspective it's a contract between two companies. Business-wise, it feels like the consulting company may ask for higher rates.

I guess a consulting company would have more potential to switch consultants if it’s not a good fit or if there is sickness or the like

E.g. you pay not not have some headache

and probably the people will have broader skills

in the UK if you’re a sole trader (as yourself) you have different rights, obligations and tax responsibilities

if you make a company and work through that as the only employee the rules are different

On the top of my head I remember at least one time it was a company based in the UK, another time in France, the others I don't remember. It didn't occur to me that a contract with a consulting company would be more constraining than with a single person. In terms of "rights", etc, I would have thought the contrary. But it varies by country of course.