In an ever changing employment landscape, it can be hard to navigate the advantages and disadvantages of different employment types. Contract employment is an increasingly popular choice, both for employers and employees, but is it the right choice for you? At CareerWise, we are experts in helping you find exactly the right role or talent for your needs. Here is our guide to the advantages of contract employment.
If you are an employer, there are many reasons to consider hiring contractors rather than taking on permanent staff.
Although contractors often incur a higher daily rate, as an employer you will not be liable for pensions, sick pay, holiday pay, or health insurance. You will also save on the costs of the hiring and training process.
The flexibility that hiring contractors brings is a major source of appeal. They can be hired swiftly, put to work exactly where they are needed, and then they move on. Employers can enjoy having the resources they need for specific projects, keeping within their budget requirements and maintaining an efficient and streamlined operation. Contractors give employers the option to have exactly what they need, when they need it, without lengthy delays and extra costs.
Employers may find they have niche requirements for a short term project that do not warrant taking on a long term colleague, but that urgently need specialist expertise. Here hiring contractors can provide the perfect solution – much more cost effective and time efficient than up-skilling your existing workforce.
Contractors expect to work autonomously. They rely on their own efficiency to mean they can take on as many contracts as possible; and they rely on their reputation to continue to find work. This combines to mean a contractor is likely to be a highly productive addition to your workforce.
Hiring someone on a contractor basis is a great way to get to know them before considering full time or permanent contracts. You will be able to assess whether they fit with your company culture, get a measure of their strengths and weaknesses, and generally be able to see if they would be right for a permanent role, before committing.
By hiring contractors for set projects, your long term planning can become streamlined. You know you have a fixed budget and a set time frame to work with; this can really help prevent plans from bloating and keep you on target.
Although it is important to be aware that as a contractor you won’t be eligible for employee benefits such as sick pay, the advantage is that you are likely to command a much better daily rate.
Working as a contractor gives you a much greater level of independence. An established contractor can, in a sense, feel greater job security, as they have many options and are not reliant on a single employer. Work-life balance should also improve.
By working for a range of companies, you are likely to create many more contacts in your chosen field. Having a strong network is important in order to be able to grow your contracting business and continue to gain work.
Contract work can be a great way to test out new skills and see if there is a market for what you are offering. It can also allow you to learn on the job, improving your skill set and trying out new areas of interest without committing to a full time contract.
Often employers will remember a great contractor when they are searching for someone to fill a similar, but permanent, position. If you are looking for a permanent role, but there are currently no relevant jobs available, turning to contracting might just be the best way to get your foot in the door, and get yourself lined up by an employer before they even start the official recruitment process.
CareerWise is Ireland’s leading specialist recruitment firm, based in Cork, Shannon, Galway, Mayo and Dublin and we can help you to find your ideal new job in Ireland. We specialise in the Engineering, Supply Chain, Science/Pharma, IT and Accounting industries in Ireland, and we look forward to working with you. Contact us online now or call us on +353 (0) 21 206 1900 to arrange a consultation.
Mike Morrissey has extensive knowledge of production, quality and engineering, having worked for Dell, Creative Labs and Tyco Safety Products /Sensormatic.
His expansive operational experience is grounded with training as a Six Sigma Black Belt.
As a lead auditor, he is very familiar with compliance and quality standards and has project managed the implementation of the environmental standard ISO14001. He has successfully utilised his project management and team leading skills in implementing numerous cost-saving and process improvement projects.
Since joining CareerWise Recruitment, Mike has graduated with a Diploma in Personnel Management from UCC and is a Chartered member of the CIPD.
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Phone: +353 (0) 21 206 1900
Email: info@careerwise.ie
