With the rate of the contingent workforce currently at 25% and due to rise to 40% by 2020, it’s important to understand the benefits of having contract employees.
Having been a temporary and contract recruiter for 4 years, I have built a career around this particular workforce and have found it to be an evolving market.
One of the major benefits I have found for both my clients and candidates is the flexibility around contingent employment. There are no strings attached when it comes to contingent employment, you can commit to a duration of time that suits you and then move on to your next assignment.
For my clients it’s always a been a good way to manage fluctuating workloads – the ability to bring in an extra pair of hands for a short period of time and not be tied to a 4 week notice period is extremely convenient.
Utilising a contingent workforce allows you to forecast and control your costs. This solution gives you the ability to add staff to your workforce without increasing your permanent headcount and associated overheads.
Many of my clients take on temporary workers initially with the view to hiring them on a permanent basis. This is a fantastic opportunity for both clients and candidates to ‘try before you buy’. It’s a great way to work out whether the role, company and candidate are right for each other and whether it will work out long term. Attempting to get the right fit for the long term can be difficult when assessments are being made in the (potentially short) interview process. Allowing both parties the time during the initial contract to make an informed decision typically improves retention rates, which over the long term saves a lot of time and money.
One of the forms of contingent employment I have seen increasing; is the use of temporary staff to cover workload whilst you are recruiting permanently. Everybody knows how long it can take to recruit on a permanent basis; you have to source the candidate, potentially go through a three-stage interview process and then wait for notice periods and quite often it doesn’t go as smoothly as that. Having access to a skilled individual on a temporary basis, to take the handover and cover the workload definitely provides both a safety net and aids a smooth transition for the permanent hire.
When I take a brief from my clients and ask when do they need someone to start, the answer is inevitably “yesterday”! Having access to a pre-qualified, highly skilled and often immediately available talent pool is the answer to this type of crisis. Quite often these candidates can commit to a certain duration of time, without issues, such as holidays, to contend with. This is very appealing to the time poor managers trying to solve a problem as quickly as possible.
When we look at hiring contractors many clients are often looking to solve a particular problem, with a specific skillset. However the benefit of hiring a career contractor is you have access to a candidate who has experienced a variety of organisations, industries, processes, systems and team environment. What a diverse source of knowledge for your business.
Here at Charterhouse we also payroll all of our candidates in-house, which takes a lot of stress away from our clients. Along with managing our WHS requirements, we aim to provide a seamless hiring experience for clients and candidates alike.
A scalable, skilled, flexible, cost effective, time sensitive workforce – what’s not to like?
If you are interested in hearing about a contract solution for your next business requirement, please contact Charterhouse head office on (02) 9641 2400
