The joy of hiring contractors

Recruiters experience difficult enough jobs as it is. Trying to source the correct person and ensuring their candidate enjoys a successful transition period as a new starter, as well as all the copious admin duties they have to content with day in, day out, their jobs aren’t the easiest.

There’s continual positive news in the employment industry about the rise of the gig economy, how more people are taking it upon themselves to be self-employed as freelancers, and contractors are enjoying a golden age, with demand in sectors such as I.T being particularly high, even during the traditionally quiet summer months.

Recruiters will no doubt be celebrating this news as there is room to argue that recruiting for contractors can be a fullflling experience which can be far less stressful and much more simplistic than recruiting for full-time employees. Here’s why.

Contractors are flexible

Contractors enjoy a great deal of flexibility in their work. They’re only needed for short spaces of time usually so their availability isn’t as complex as a full time employee’s can potentially be. This makes it easier to hire a contractor for a role that might require a more immediate start. Contractors can be parachuted in to a work place with immediate effect thanks to their flexibility.

It’s a seamless process

This flexibility can help make the hiring process of a contractor a frictionless one, in the knowledge that contractors can be called upon with almost immediate effect. Also, a contractor is free of much of the bureacuracy that can be carried with a full time employee, whether they start or leave a position. Certain elements of the hiring process such as training, company pensions, national insurance contributions do not have to be taken care of, making it a more seamless process.

There’s a lot of them!

Contractors are multiplying in amount each day as more people are seeing the benefits in working for themselves. By 2020, 50% of the UK’s working population will be self-employed. The one thing recruiters struggle with is a shortage of talent. With this growing number of contractors, there’ll be a great supply that recruiters can tap into for their hiring needs.

And a lot of demand for them!

It was reported that this summer, there was exceptionally high demand for I.T contractors, and more so than usual. We are beginning to see what some might call a golden age for contractors, with Brexit and GDPR creating a lot of long-term uncertainty, but short to mid term need. More companies are in need of support to make their organisations Brexit and GDPR proof, and this is coming in the shape of contractors. This means it’s a busy time for recruiters hiring contractors.

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Find out what’s so great about working with contractors, register as a recruiter with iContract for free at www.icontract.co.uk