IT contractor screening questions: rate, terms, availability and verification
On this page
- W2, 1099 or C2C: the first question
- Rate questions, and the math to do before you answer
- Availability, end dates and extensions
- Overlapping contracts and outside work
- Right to represent and double submissions
- Remote setup and identity verification
- Technical verification for contract roles
- Knockout checklist and scorecard
- Questions people ask
IT contractor screening questions cover what a permanent screen skips: how the contractor will be paid (W2, 1099 or corp-to-corp), the rate they need on that basis, when they can start and when their current contract ends, whether they would extend, whether anything overlaps, and written permission to represent them for this one role. Ask those first. Then verify that the person and the skills are what the resume says, because a contract client expects productive work in week one.
For probing technical depth, use the software engineer phone screen questions; for the general call structure, see phone screen questions for recruiters. This page covers the contract-specific part.
W2, 1099 or C2C: the first question
Get the tax basis before you talk rate, because a rate means nothing without it. A contractor who says "85 an hour" might mean W2 with no benefits, or corp-to-corp through their own company, and those are different costs to your agency.
| Basis | What it means | Questions to ask | Red flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| W2 | Your agency or its payroll provider employs the contractor for the assignment and withholds taxes. | "Are you open to W2 through us? Do you need benefits, or are you covered elsewhere?" | Says W2 is fine, then asks for the C2C rate on W2 at offer. |
| 1099 | Paid as an independent contractor. | "Do you invoice as a sole proprietor? Has an agency paid you on 1099 before?" | Insists on 1099 for a role where the client directs hours, tools and methods. Classification follows the facts, not the preference (see below). |
| C2C, own company | Your agency pays the contractor's own corporation or LLC. | "What is the company name, are you the owner, and does it carry the insurance the client requires?" | No entity yet, or cannot name the company that would invoice. |
| C2C, through an employer | Your agency pays a company that employs the contractor and markets them to agencies. | "Who is your employer? Who would I contract with, and are you speaking for yourself or through their sales team?" | The recruiter at that company answers every question. The client may not accept sub-vendors at all; check first. |
On 1099: the IRS decides worker status on the whole relationship, grouped as behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship. Its independent contractor or employee page explains the factors, and Form SS-8 is how a business or worker asks for a determination. State tests can be stricter. This is why many agencies do not offer 1099 for staff augmentation roles; confirm your own agency's policy and get advice before you promise it.
Rate questions, and the math to do before you answer
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| What hourly rate do you need for this contract, on W2 and on C2C? | Two numbers, or a clear reason for one: "90 C2C. I don't do W2 without benefits." | "What's the budget?" repeated with no number. Or a number that changes when you name the basis. |
| What is your walk-away rate? | A floor they will hold to, stated calmly. | No floor, then a counter after the client has approved the submitted rate. |
| Are you paid for all hours worked, including overtime or on-call, at the same rate? | Knows how they expect overtime to be handled for this client. | Surprised that hours over 40 need client approval. |
| Do you expect expenses or travel to be billed separately? | A clear answer, especially for roles with on-site weeks. | Assumes travel to a "remote" client's office is billable when the client has said it is not. |
Ask for the rate they need, not the rate on their last contract; some states restrict pay history questions for applicants, and the basis of an old rate rarely matches yours. See salary expectation questions for wording.
An invented example of the spread, so you can check it before you confirm a rate on the call:
Client bill rate: $120.00 / hr
Contractor rate, C2C: $95.00 / hr
Spread on C2C: $25.00 / hr
Contractor rate, W2: $85.00 / hr
Your employer costs (payroll taxes,
insurance), at your agency's rate: $85.00 x [your burden %]
Spread on W2: $120.00 - $85.00 - burdenIf you do not know your agency's burden percentage, ask finance before quoting W2 and C2C rates side by side. Quoting a W2 rate as if it cost the same as C2C is an easy way to give away the margin on the whole contract.
Availability, end dates and extensions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Are you on a contract right now? When does it end, and what notice does it require? | "It ends March 31. I can give two weeks and leave earlier, but I'd rather finish." | "I can start Monday" while on an active contract with notice terms they have not mentioned. |
| Has your current client talked about extending you? | An honest answer, including "yes, and I'm waiting on it." | Unaware of what their current client is planning, a week before the end date. |
| This is six months with likely extension. If they offered another six, would you take it? | Yes, no or "depends on the rate", with a reason. | Wants a short gig to cover a gap before a permanent job starts, and does not say so. |
| Would you consider converting to full-time if the client asked? | A clear position and what they would need. | Says yes to keep options open, with no intention. This matters on contract-to-hire orders. |
| Any time off planned in the first three months? | Dates, now. | A three-week trip revealed after the start date. |
Overlapping contracts and outside work
Remote contracting made it easy to hold two full-time engagements at once. Many clients treat that as a breach when they find it, and the agency that submitted the contractor hears about it first. Ask about it directly, the same way for every contractor, and write down the answer.
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Would this be your only engagement during the client's core hours? | "Yes." Or a disclosed small side client outside those hours. | Hesitation, or "as long as I deliver, does it matter?" |
| Does your current contract overlap with this start date at all? | A clear no, or an overlap they propose to handle openly. | Plans to start before the old contract ends without telling either client. |
| Are you in process for other contracts right now? With other agencies? | Names the stages, not the clients if they prefer. | "No" from someone with an active profile everywhere, then a better offer on day three. |
| Your LinkedIn and resume show two roles at the same time last year. Can you walk me through that? | A consistent explanation: a contract that wound down while another started. | Two full-time roles for months, explained differently each time. |
Right to represent and double submissions
Get written permission before you send the resume, for this role at this client, at this rate. When two agencies submit the same contractor, clients typically ask who has a dated right to represent and who submitted first. Ask on the call: "Has anyone else, another agency or the client directly, already submitted you for this role?" Then send the RTR while the call is fresh. Check your client agreements for any required wording; this is a starting point, not legal language.
Subject: Right to represent - [Candidate name] - [Role], [Client]
I, [candidate full name], authorize [Agency name] to represent me and
submit my resume for the following position:
Role: [title], requisition [ID if known]
Client: [client name]
Location: [on-site / hybrid / remote, city]
Rate: $[rate] per hour, [W2 / C2C through (company name) / 1099]
Duration: [length], expected start [date]
I confirm that I have not been submitted for this position by any other
agency or applied to it directly, and that I will not authorize anyone
else to submit me for it while this representation is active.
[Candidate name]
[Date]Ask the candidate to reply "I agree" from their own email address, not from a vendor's shared inbox. For C2C through an employer, get the RTR from the candidate and confirm the employer's agreement too.
Remote setup and identity verification
Remote IT contracts attract fraud that permanent roles see less of: one person interviewing and another working, or identities borrowed to get client network access. The FBI has published warnings about North Korean IT workers using stolen identities, and says they have used AI and face-swapping during video interviews. Its recommendations include identity verification during interviewing and onboarding, and checking for the same resume or contact details across applicants.
| Question or step | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Camera on for the screen, as for every candidate. | Joins on video and stays on it. | Camera "broken" for every call, or video that freezes whenever you ask a follow-up. |
| The client ships a laptop. What address would it go to, and is that where you'll work from? | The address on their application, in the location they gave you. | Wants equipment sent to a different person or address, or changes it after the offer. |
| The client needs you online 9 to 5 Eastern. Where will you be working from, and does that overlap work? | A location consistent with their resume and a clear yes. | Location changes between calls, or the stated location does not match their phone, email or payment details. |
| Ask about their own work from the resume: the team, the system, a problem they solved in a named project. | Specific, consistent with the resume, with detail that is easy to follow up. | Answers that sound read, long pauses before each one, or detail that contradicts the resume. |
| Are you authorized to work in the US, and will you now or in the future need sponsorship? | A direct answer to both. | None from the answer itself. |
Apply these checks to every contractor in the same way. The Department of Justice's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section says employers may generally ask about authorization to work and sponsorship, and warns that work-authorized people are protected from national origin discrimination. The EEOC likewise notes that pre-employment questions pointing at national origin can be used as evidence of discrimination. An accent or a foreign university is not a fraud signal; an inconsistent identity is.
Technical verification for contract roles
Contract clients rarely budget ramp-up time, so the screen should test whether the contractor can be productive on this stack quickly, not just whether they know it.
- "On your last contract, what had you shipped by the end of your first month?" Strong: a named deliverable. Red flag: still onboarding after a month on a short contract.
- "This client uses [specific tools]. Which have you used on a paid engagement in the last year?" Strong: a short, honest list. Red flag: every tool, none recently.
- "Who at the client, not the vendor, could speak to your work?" Strong: a client-side manager. Red flag: only references from staffing company contacts.
- "Why did your last two contracts end?" Strong: project ended, budget cut, converted headcount. Red flag: ended early with vague reasons, twice.
Knockout checklist and scorecard
Knockouts before submitting
- Tax basis agreed (W2, C2C with named company, or 1099 approved by your agency).
- Rate on that basis fits the client's bill rate with your required spread.
- Start date works, with current contract notice terms known.
- This would be their only engagement during client core hours.
- Written right to represent for this role, and no prior submission elsewhere.
- Location and equipment address consistent with their details; video screen completed.
- Work authorization and sponsorship answered the same way you ask everyone.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stack match | Some tools, not recent | Most tools, recent | All must-haves on paid work in the last year |
| Speed to productive | Long ramp on past contracts | Normal ramp | Shipped early on recent contracts, with examples |
| Commitment | Short-term only, unclear | Full term likely | Full term and open to extension |
| Consistency | Details change between calls | Minor gaps explained | Resume, calls and documents all match |
Keep the rate, basis, dates and the "only engagement" answer in your ATS notes word for word; they are the lines that matter in a dispute. Interview Signal keeps those notes on your own computer and turns the call into a submittal in your agency's template in about a minute after you hang up.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between W2, 1099 and C2C for an IT contractor?
On W2 the agency (or its payroll partner) employs the contractor and withholds taxes. On 1099 the contractor is paid as an independent contractor, which depends on the facts of the working relationship, not on preference. On C2C the agency pays a corporation, either the contractor's own or an employer that places them.
Is a right to represent legally required?
Not generally; it is industry practice. Clients use it to settle disputes when two agencies submit the same contractor, and many client vendor agreements require written confirmation before a submittal. Check your client contracts for the exact requirement.
Can I ask a contractor whether they are working another contract?
Yes, as long as you ask everyone the same way and tie it to the job: whether this engagement would be their only work during the client's core hours, and whether any current contract overlaps the start date.
Can I ask what visa a contractor is on?
The safer, standard pair of questions is whether they are authorized to work in the US and whether they will need sponsorship now or in the future. For C2C, ask who their employer of record would be. Avoid questions about citizenship or country of origin.