US IT Staffing Terms Every Recruiter Should Know

Every industry has its own language, and US IT staffing has more than most. Bench, RTR, C2C, prime vendor, fall-off, hotlist — in your first week it can sound like code.

This is the dictionary. Every term you’ll actually hear on the floor, grouped so you can find it fast. Keep it open during your first month and the language becomes second nature quicker than you’d expect. Where a topic has its own full guide in this series, there’s a link to go deeper.

The People & Players

Term	What it means
End Client	The company that actually needs the consultant and where the work happens.
Prime Vendor	A company with a direct contract with the end client. Also called an implementation partner or Tier-1.
Sub-Vendor	A smaller staffing company (Tier-2, Tier-3) that gets requirements from a prime and passes them down.
Consultant	The IT professional you source and place — your candidate.
Bench	Consultants who are available and not currently on a project, often a vendor’s own employees awaiting placement.
Account Manager	The person who owns the client or vendor relationship and the requirements that flow from it.
Vendor	Any staffing company in the chain between you and the end client.

The Daily Work

Term	What it means
Requirement (Req)	An open position you are trying to fill — your daily unit of work.
Hot Req	A fresh, high-priority requirement where speed matters most.
Submission	Sending a consultant’s profile for a specific requirement.
Pipeline	The set of consultants and submissions you have moving at any time.
Hotlist	A shared list of available consultants that vendors circulate to each other.
RTR	Right to Represent — the consultant’s written permission for you to submit them.
Rate Confirmation	The consultant’s agreed rate, locked in writing before you submit.

The Money Words

Term	What it means
Bill Rate	What the client pays per hour for the consultant.
Pay Rate	What the consultant actually earns per hour.
Margin	The difference between bill rate and pay rate — the spread your company keeps.
Markup	The margin expressed as a percentage on top of the pay rate.
All-in Rate	The total bill rate including every cost layered in.

Employment Models

How a placed consultant is engaged. The full breakdown is in W2 vs C2C vs 1099 Explained.

Term	What it means
W2	The consultant is an employee of your company; you handle their taxes.
C2C	Corp-to-Corp — a contract between two companies, not an employment relationship.
1099	The consultant is an independent contractor handling their own taxes.
Employer of Record	A company that legally employs the consultant on your behalf and runs payroll.

Work Authorization

Whether and how a consultant can legally work. The full guide is US Visa & Work Authorization Explained.

Term	What it means
USC / GC	US Citizen or Green Card holder — the most flexible, no sponsorship needed.
EAD	Employment Authorization Document — lets the holder work for any employer while valid.
OPT / CPT	Work authorisation tied to the F-1 student visa — time-limited and field-related.
H1B	A work visa tied to the sponsoring employer; a new placement usually needs a transfer.

Documents & Compliance

Term	What it means
MSA	Master Service Agreement — the contract between two companies on C2C.
W9	A tax-information form provided by the consultant’s company on C2C.
COI	Certificate of Insurance — proof of required business insurance.
I-9	The US form verifying an employee’s identity and work eligibility (W2).
NDA	Non-Disclosure Agreement — protects confidential information.
PO	Purchase Order — the client’s authorisation to bill for the work.
BGV / Drug Test	Background verification and screening many clients require before a start.

Systems & Job Boards

Term	What it means
ATS	Applicant Tracking System — software for managing candidates and submissions.
VMS	Vendor Management System — a portal where clients post and manage requirements.
MSP	Managed Service Provider — a partner that manages a client’s contingent workforce and vendors.
Dice / Monster / CareerBuilder	Major US job boards where recruiters source IT consultants.

Process & Status Words

Term	What it means
Contract	A fixed-term engagement — the most common arrangement in US IT staffing.
C2H	Contract-to-Hire — a contract that can convert to a permanent role.
Full-time / Perm	A permanent, salaried role rather than a contract.
Fall-off	A placement that backs out before or shortly after starting.
Backout	A consultant who accepts and then withdraws before starting.
No-show	A consultant who fails to appear for an interview or start date.
Ghosting	A consultant who stops responding mid-process with no explanation.