How to choose the right umbrella company?

An Experienced Team in the IT Ecosystem

In practice, business development is mostly your responsibility. But you must be able to count on a team committed to defending your interests, beyond just providing tools (CRM, proposal templates, standard contracts, etc.). When talking with the sales team, probe these three key points:

• Knowledge of roles and technologies: Are they able to understand your technical stack? To challenge your skills? To highlight your expertise to a client company if necessary?
• Mastery of the IT ecosystem: Do they know key accounts, ESNs, specialist recruitment firms? Do they have a substantial address book in the sector?
• Understanding your objectives: Are they interested in your upskilling, training, or certification projects? Do they challenge your mission and career choices?

Processes Adapted to the Pace of IT Projects

Once on assignment, you need efficient administrative support. An IT project almost always evolves along the way: shifting scope, technical changes, budget revisions, etc. Your umbrella company must have agile processes to adapt to these changes:

• Reduced turnaround time to establish contracts and amendments
• Robust information system to manage billing changes
• Dedicated contacts to coordinate all aspects of the project
• Emergency procedures to resolve complex situations
• Tools provided: consultant portal, electronic signatures, etc.

Don't hesitate to contact consultants currently working with the umbrella company. They are always the best placed to judge the true efficiency of this support on a daily basis.

Contracts Suited to IT Projects

Each IT project has its specifics: one focuses on intellectual property, another on liability, confidentiality, penalties for delays, etc. When you talk to them, make sure your umbrella company is familiar with the market norms:

• Clauses assigning copyright, in accordance with intellectual property laws
• Definition of deliverables and acceptance criteria
• Guarantees in case of going live
• Non-disclosure agreements suitable for the project’s sensitivity
• Limiting penalties for delays or non-performance

This last point is a recurring sticking point in IT. We've seen umbrella companies impose a penalty clause of 10% of the assignment amount per day late, without a cap. Totally disproportionate and dangerous for the consultant!

A Complete and Ergonomic Consultant Portal

For your day-to-day management, ideally your umbrella company should have, like Weepo, a complete and intuitive consultant portal that lets you manage your activity from A to Z:

• Entry and validation of timesheets
• Follow-up of each employment contract and billing
• Management of leave and absences
• Access to administrative documents (contracts, payslips, certificates, etc.)
• Communications with the umbrella company’s teams

Multilingual Support If Possible

The first necessity: being able to deal with contacts who master the languages and cultures of your target countries. Concretely, you need:

• Contracts and documents drafted in English (or ideally in the country’s language)
• Salespeople able to communicate with your international customers
• Administrative support provided in the project’s language
• HR experts who understand local specificities

Be sure to get confirmation of these language capabilities beforehand. The bare minimum is being able to hold business discussions in English.

Mastery of Regulations and Billing Rules

Beyond language, working internationally means juggling different legislations, procedures, and organizations. When speaking with your umbrella company, gauge how well it knows the best practices for invoicing IT services abroad:

• Compliance with the European Directive on Electronic Services
• Application of intra-community VAT or customs duties on service prices
• Respect for the consumer laws of the country of service
• Jurisdiction clauses in case of disputes

Study Authentic Feedback from IT Experts

To judge the seriousness and IT expertise of an umbrella company, nothing beats the feedback from consultants who work with it:

• Look through consultant testimonials on the website and social channels. Are they positive, detailed, authentic?

• Check the client references that are put forward: are they recognized in IT? Do they correspond to your targets?

• If possible, look for reviews from people similar to you (developers, project managers, data scientists): they’ll be the most relevant for you.

• Contact some consultants directly to get unfiltered feedback.

• Attend an event organized by the company to form your own opinion.

Verify Financial Health and Track Record

Beyond image, the solidity of your umbrella company matters. Imagine if it went out of business overnight! To avoid this risk:

• Check its available key figures: turnover, net result, equity... Are they growing? Do they reflect strong financial health?
• Check its longevity: a company that's been in the market for several years is more stable.
• Find out about the shareholders and governance: who are the decision-makers? What are the development plans? Is there a risk of a sale or a change in direction?
• Review its statutes and the minutes from the latest general meetings to understand its policies.

A solid umbrella company is always willing to be transparent on these topics. Be wary of those who dodge or are reluctant to provide the requested information.