Hiring a contractor can be a scary thought for many companies. But should it be? Here we look at the advantages that hiring a contractor can bring to your business.
The key fact for perspective hirers to remember is that contractors are just that – contractors. When a business hires a contractor, they are engaging the services of a supplier on a temporary basis and are not starting a contract of employment with an employee. There is no permanent commitment made, you simply engage the contractor for the period of time required and agree a release date when the work is complete.
By nature a contractor is being hired to perform a specific task or deliver a certain project. They turn up ready-made and you should expect them to hit the ground running from day one, with no teething problems.
Numbers show that a greater number of seasoned professionals decide to take the freelance route every year, so it’s likely that some of the best talent you’re looking to hire may not be interested in working permanently at all. Recruiting contractors can be a very quick solution to finding specific skill sets that are needed for key projects or business initiatives.
Recruiting talent in hard recruit locations can be an issue. This is not the case for contractors as the mast majority go where the work is i.e. they come to you.
But aren’t they too expensive?
Although you usually pay more per job or per hour, you will most likely save money overall since you aren’t required to pay them any benefits and do not need to commit to a salary. They are not paid for hours / days that they don’t work (including sickness, annual leave and bank holidays) and Employers National Insurance becomes the responsibility of the contractor and not you the client.
It’s true that there are certain jobs that are best done by permanent staff; however there is an increasing amount of work that could be delegated to freelance professionals who can help companies stay on budget, improve business practices and bring in new ideas to any business.
Indeed in the future it’s likely that more firms will turn to a mixed workforce management model, utilising a core of permanent employees supplemented by specialist freelance contractors.
You never know, that final piece of the Jigsaw could be available right now on a contract basis. To find out more please contact the Core Talent contract team on 0161 832 1378.
