Hiring local college kids for in-house web work...
 

Thinking about hiring a college kid in IT for some basic web work and other webmaster related tasks. Have no idea how to go about this really. Fair pay for example, it would be done on a sub-contractor type basis. I figure 20 hours a week, maybe they would work 4 days for 5 hours or 5 days for 4 hours, not real particular about that.

I know some of you have done this before. Any suggestions or things I should look out for? I've hired people before for non-web related work numerous times so I'm not completely out of the loop, but for something a little more technical like this... I could use all the comments and suggestions I can get.

Do it Sly , We are going to be doing the same thing as "internships"

How exactly does that work? Anything special I need to know about? There has to be a way to get these guys fairly cheap.

Sly... do yourself a favor. Have them write a basic "test" have someone here do it up for you and give it to them to complete. Have an answer key with you. Grade him.

Trust me. I started doing this a long time ago and its amazing how many people who SEEMED amazing could do LESS than I can.

Are there any local universities by you? Call up the job center there and such. And try to go in and meet with a person and tell em you run a internet company blabla and need interns and such. You can get em for cheap also cause then they can use you as a reference when they graduate.

Oh I'll definitely be giving a basic HTML test. I don't expect them to be as good as me, that isn't the point. I need some shit work done on a regular, quick basis and I want to be supervising it. I also want to be training this person so things are done exactly the way I want them.

What's a fair pay for something like this? Again, it will be on a sub-contractor basis so that has to be taken into consideration.

i remember a porno that started like this :Graucho

Sounds like a good idea. :)

I think there was an article in the last issue of the the XBiz print magazine about the legal issues involved in sub contracting work to people actually who worked in house - that might be worth a read because, from memory, it raised some interesting points.

Get an outsourced guy it will be cheaper and less hassle in the long run

I've done this quite a few times with video editors and the like. Pay should be around McDonald's rates (seriously would you rather be flipping burgers or looking at porn for $6-$8/hour) starting. If they're good you can give them raises. Tell them up front it's week to week trial and you can terminate at any time. The smart ones you can turn into money machines for you until they figure out they can make more on their own :).

As far as the work-in-house rules, that's really only applicable to full time long-term contractors who are doing the same job as a salaried employee might be doing. Then you got IRS and SS to worry about.

Another rule is the $600, if you pay them more then $600 in 1 year then you're suppose to report it to social security. Check with your lawyer/CPA for all the local labor laws as well.

there's a fine line between a sub contractor and an employee, especially when they're working in a company office using company computers and get paid by the hour