Hiring FAQs
Engagement models, timelines, screening, commercials and ways of working — the questions clients ask before hiring technology talent through AX3.
Talk to usHow AX3 can be engaged, and which model fits which situation.
What hiring models does AX3 offer?
Contract staffing, contract-to-hire, full-time permanent hiring, dedicated remote teams, GCC talent strategy and augmentation of an existing GCC. Most clients start with one model and mix others in as the programme changes — for example contract capacity during a build phase, converting to permanent for the roles that become long-term.
What is the difference between contract and contract-to-hire?
Contract is time-and-materials capacity for a defined period, with AX3 as the employer. Contract-to-hire is the same arrangement with an agreed path and conversion fee to bring the person onto your payroll, so you can assess fit in the work before committing to a permanent hire.
When should we use a dedicated remote pod instead of individual hires?
When the work is ongoing rather than a one-off, and when coordination overhead matters. A pod comes with its own technical lead, engineering standards and delivery metrics, so you set priorities rather than managing individuals day to day.
Can AX3 hire people in India if we have no legal entity there?
Yes, through the Remote Teams model. AX3 employs the person compliantly in India and provides workspace, equipment, payroll, statutory contributions and local compliance, while you direct the work. This is also the usual first step before setting up your own entity.
How long hiring takes and what happens at each stage.
How quickly can AX3 provide candidates?
Bench-ready contract profiles are typically shared within 48–72 hours. Calibrated shortlists for permanent roles take one to two weeks, and two to four weeks to offer. Highly specialised profiles — silicon verification, embedded automotive, validated life-sciences environments — are recruited rather than benched and take four to six weeks.
How are candidates screened?
Screening is run by the relevant AX3 delivery practice, not by recruiters alone. Candidates are assessed on the work they will actually do — a Salesforce developer on release process and governor limits, an SAP consultant on module and process depth, a data scientist on problem framing — before any profile is shared.
How many profiles will we receive per role?
Typically three to five calibrated profiles rather than a volume submission. If the first shortlist misses, we recalibrate on your feedback before sending more, which is faster than screening a long list.
What information do you need from us to start?
The role, the systems and stack involved, the engagement model, the timeline and the seniority band. A short conversation with the hiring manager or tech lead is worth more than a long job description, because it tells us what the role really has to solve.
Pricing structures, conversions and replacement terms.
How is pricing structured?
Contract and contract-to-hire are billed at a monthly or hourly rate per person. Permanent placement carries a one-time fee. Dedicated remote teams are a fixed monthly cost per team member, fully loaded, based on role mix and seniority. Rates depend on skill, seniority and location, and are confirmed in writing before any engagement starts.
Is there a replacement guarantee on permanent placements?
Yes. Permanent placements carry a replacement guarantee period, during which AX3 re-runs the search at no additional placement fee if the hire does not work out. The exact period is set in the engagement terms.
Are there conversion fees when a contractor becomes permanent?
Yes, and they are agreed at the start rather than negotiated later. Conversion fees typically reduce the longer the person has been engaged on contract.
Can we scale a team up or down?
Contract and pod engagements include agreed notice terms for changing team size. Most clients ramp in stages — one or two people first, then a pod once the backlog justifies it — which keeps the commitment proportional to the work.
Ways of working, time zones, compliance and quality.
How do you handle time-zone overlap with India-based teams?
Teams work a shifted day that gives three to five hours of overlap with your core hours, run stand-ups inside that window, and default to written decisions so progress does not depend on live meetings.
Do AX3 people work inside our tools and processes?
Yes. They work in your repositories, ticketing, environments and release process. Where those are immature, the relevant AX3 practice can help stand up source control, CI/CD or environment discipline alongside the placement.
Who owns the intellectual property?
You do. Work produced under an AX3 engagement is assigned to your organisation under the engagement contract, with confidentiality and data-handling terms agreed before work begins.
How does AX3 handle background checks and compliance?
Background verification, statutory compliance and documentation are handled before onboarding, with checks scoped to your industry — additional controls apply for financial services, healthcare and defence-adjacent programmes.
What happens if a placed person is not the right fit?
Tell us early. For contract engagements we replace the person within the agreed notice terms; for permanent placements the replacement guarantee applies. Fit issues are usually visible in the first two weeks, and we ask for a checkpoint then rather than at the end of the quarter.
Ready to hire? Start with the role you need.
Still have a question about hiring?
Tell us the role, the timeline and the constraints. We will tell you honestly what is realistic.