How do you guys view external contractors(the one with email address start with v-xxx)
I was contractor for MS for a while and it was not a very positive experience. i was kind of being forgotten and only be mentioned when convenient. I went by months without any actual real work done.
Vendors are treated as vendors usually are. They are given the work that nobody wants (work that provides no career growth and usually is uninteresting), they get the least amount of attention and mentoring, they are expected onboard quickly with little help from the team, etc.
I have noticed that I'm more empathetic to vendors than people who have never been the offshore/contractor person.
(This was a long time ago, during the Ballmer era. Just my personal 2 cents.)