How to hire an information technology contractor

How to hire an information technology contractor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step information technology contractor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an information technology contractor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new information technology contractor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your information technology contractor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an information technology contractor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect information technology contractor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents information technology contractor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Information Technology Contractor	Description	Hourly rate
   Information Technology Contractor	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$20-58
   Information Engineer	An information engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of computer systems and network infrastructure, performing configuration to boost the optimal performance of the technology systems. Information engineers assist end-users in resolving network issues, identifying the source of inconsistencies, and create resolution reports for reference to avoid reoccurrence... Show more	$37-66
   Information Technology Supervisor, Information Technology	An information technology supervisor of information technology is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's IT operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to spearhead projects, set goals and objectives, coordinate staff, manage budgets and timelines, perform installations and upgrades, and develop strategies to optimize operations... Show more	$39-70

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Desk Support
   • Customer Service
   • PC
   • Network Printers
   • Troubleshoot
   • POS
   • SQL Server
   • OS
   • Windows XP
   • Computer System
   • Linux
   • VPN
   • Windows Server
   • VoIP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Act as liaison with on-site networking company, deploying and managing wireless access points and LAN.
   • Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
   • Advance knowledge of Microsoft networking and TCP/IP.
   • Set up VMware ESXi hosts for high-availability environments and reduce downtime.
   • Perform upgrades from Unix to Linux on business servers running ERP software.
   • Provide daily end-user support and troubleshooting of Citrix client and publish apps.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your information technology contractor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An information technology contractor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, information technology contractors' average salary in alaska is 47% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level information technology contractors 66% less than senior-level information technology contractors.
   • Certifications. An information technology contractor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an information technology contractor's salary.

   Average information technology contractor salary

   $72,515yearly

   $34.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level information technology contractor salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

4. Writing an information technology contractor job description

   A job description for an information technology contractor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an information technology contractor job description:

   Information technology contractor job description example

   Preference for candidates within a 4 hour commute of Indianapolis, Indiana

   
   

   SHIFT:

   Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm

   
   

   DESCRIPTION:

   Responsibilities:

   Produce system documentation (user requirements, design documentation, test cases/scripts, standard operating procedures) from the content provided by subject-matter experts (SMEs).

   
   

   Assist SMEs in building quality documentation by providing mentorship on format.

   
   

   Supports and/or contributes to the design, development, and delivery of end user training and/or procedures.

   
   

   Revise documents to support the resolution of incidents (Trouble Tickets) within committed service levels.

   
   

   Revise documents in support of the execution of change requests in compliance with local change control procedures.

   
   

   Operate with a quality mindset (capable, in control, compliant, and continuously improving).

   
   

   
   

   Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity,

   gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

   
   

   Being on a temporary contractor assignment at Lilly means working in an innovative culture where you have the opportunity to support the work of

   thousands of others around the globe dedicated to improving the lives of others.

   
   

   Lilly discovers and brings life-changing medicines to those who need them, improves the understanding and management of disease, and gives back

   to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. Eli Lilly passionately promotes food security and fosters the human-animal bond to enrich the lives of its

   customers and the customers they serve as well. Our values: integrity, excellence, respect for people. Greater than 90% of workers rate their Lilly assignment as above average or excellent.

   
   

   
   

   COVID VACCINATION:

   Vaccination against COVID-19 is a requirement of the position

   
   

   
   

   EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

   
   

   Basic Qualifications

   Bachelors Degree or Equivalent Work Experience

   HP Application Lifecycle Management

   Veeva Quality Document Management Solution

   Must have knowledge of computer system validation principles

   Be self motivated and a self starter

   Comfortable taking the initiative and driving tasks/deliverable to completion

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find information technology contractors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your information technology contractor job on Zippia to find and recruit information technology contractor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit information technology contractors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview information technology contractor candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new information technology contractor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the information technology contractor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new information technology contractor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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