But if they are willing to work for that rate, they might only be worth it. At a minimum, I'd give them a few test assignments and be prepared to back them up

But if they are willing to work for that rate, they might only be worth it. At a minimum, I'd give them a few test assignments and be prepared to back them up before sending them to anyone else under your name. Alternately, give a known quality associate a discount rate in order to get a firmer opinion of their work ethic. At least while starting out, I'd emphasize quality over quantity. Alternately, go in as a team, and see how much slack needs to be picked up.