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Engagement Model

Contingent Workforce.

Specialists you bring on for a defined need, on the structure that fits the work: W-2 contract, contract-to-hire, or 1099 where the profile warrants it. Built for time-bounded programs, capacity flex, and surge demand.

W-2 ContractContract-to-Hire1099Capacity Flex

When contingent is the right call.

Contingent is the most over-used and most-mis-applied engagement model in the industry. Used right, it's a capacity multiplier. Used wrong, it's expensive headcount with weak retention levers.

— Pick contingent when

The work has a defined end.

  • The program has a known timeline of 6–18 months
  • You need to flex capacity up for a delivery push, then back down
  • The role is a specialist who doesn't want a permanent commitment (consulting partners, fractional executives)
  • You want to evaluate the candidate before converting to permanent (contract-to-hire)
  • Headcount approvals are slower than you can wait for
— Pick something else when

The role needs to compound.

  • The role is genuinely 24+ months of work and the cost-per-month is what matters
  • You need retention leverage like equity, benefits, or career path
  • The role is critical-path and a single contractor would be a single point of failure
  • You're using contingent as a workaround for headcount approvals on permanent work; the workaround compounds in cost over 18 months

How we run it.

Five operational disciplines that distinguish a Tier 1 contingent program from the supplier panel average. Each one is testable in due diligence, and worth testing.

Structured intake before sourcing.

A 30–60 minute intake call with the hiring manager before any sourcing: must-haves, nice-to-haves, cultural fit, compensation range, and decision criteria all aligned. The single biggest determinant of time-to-fill is agreeing on what the role actually is.

Domain-led screening on AI-surfaced shortlists.

AI does what it's good at: surfacing candidates from large pools, ranking on hard-skill match, finding passive talent. Every candidate reaching your inbox is screened by a senior recruiter in the domain, not a generalist. AI compresses the cycle; the judgment stays human.

Compliance and onboarding done right.

I-9 verification, background checks, drug screens (where applicable), client-specific paperwork, all completed before day one, not during onboarding week. We treat compliance as a Tier 1 readiness signal, not a back-office cost center.

Consultant care from week one.

Our consultant care team runs structured 30/60/90 check-ins with each placement. We catch retention risks early and resolve them before they become attrition. The client never sees the friction.

Bench and Stay-in-Touch program.

When an engagement ends, our SIT program keeps the consultant connected, ready for redeployment to your next program or to another client where the fit is right. The result: candidate communities that compound in quality, year over year.

— Commercial Models

Three engagement structures.

The right structure depends on the worker classification, the regulatory context, and the specific compliance posture your program requires.

W-2 Contract

The default for most enterprise contingent engagements. Consultant is our W-2 employee, on our benefits, with our payroll, on assignment to your program. Cleanest compliance posture for IRS, regulator, and audit purposes.

Contract-to-Hire

W-2 contract structured with conversion options at defined milestones. Lets you evaluate the consultant in your environment before committing to permanent, and lets the consultant evaluate you. High conversion rates when the fit is right.

1099 / Independent

For genuinely independent specialists where the IRS classification supports 1099: typically senior consultants, fractional executives, or specialists who run their own practice. We provide the contracting infrastructure; the worker provides their own everything else.

— Conversion Approach

Want to hire them permanently?

If a contingent consultant becomes someone you want on payroll, conversion is built into the engagement, not treated as a penalty. The longer they've been on your team, the more reasonable the path to permanent.

Standard firms charge punitive conversion fees for years, treating consultants like assets to lock down. We treat long-tenured consultants as having earned their own transferability. Exact terms are calibrated to the engagement and agreed at MSA signature.

— Case Study

Twenty specialists. Five disciplines. One major new business.

A US wealth management leader committed to a major new business initiative needed a full technology and operations team built from scratch: program management, architecture, business analysis, data, and client operations. We built it. The team stayed: 90% quality-of-hire, zero SLA misses.

Read the case study →
20
Specialists across
five disciplines
— Engagement Models Brief

Weighing your options?

Compare Contingent, SOW, Managed Services, Direct Hire, and RPO side by side: what each is, when to use it, and how to choose. One page to forward to your team.

Download the brief (PDF)

Need contingent specialists?

Tell us the role, the timeline, and the compliance context. We'll have a qualified shortlist in your inbox within 72 hours.