Twenty-three per cent of organisations now employ temporary and contract staff on a regular ongoing basis, up from 16 percent in 2009.
Estimations vary but the consensus is that around 30 to 40 per cent of the workforce is now a temporary, contractor or freelancer.
While non-permanent employees are nothing new, the recent rapid rise in this form of working is. Permanent headcount freezes in recent years, a rise in projects and the attractiveness of a flexible workforce that can be released at short notice without financial penalty are some factors behind the new popularity of this long-standing method of employment.
The on-demand and asneeded nature of temporaries, contractors and freelancers also makes them far more costeffective than keeping skills unessential to the day-to-day operation of an organisation inhouse. As a temporary employee is only paid for the hours worked, employers keep a tight control on their staffing costs and productivity at optimum levels.
Such workers are also used to cover annual leave. After all, every organisation has staff they cannot do without. When one of these employees takes annual leave – such as during the Christmas period – a temporary employee can fill their void.
A short-term temporary or contract worker will successfully complete the duties required in order to keep your workplace operational. In fact, professional interim candidates with high levels of skills and experience are available to fill even the most specialist roles.
And it’s not too late to hire a temporary candidate to fill a staff member’s absence this Christmas. The very nature of temps means they are available to fill your short-term needs at any time. Let us know the skills and experience you need, and we can line up a suitable candidate.
A temp can also help alleviate any pre-Christmas workload pressure. Many organisations gear up for one last push of activity before the festive season takes over. If your team has projects to complete and deadlines to meet before Christmas, an extra resource can help ensure work is finished on time.
Finally, if you are considering your career options for 2017, it’s worth considering temporary and contract assignments. A temporary assignment can give you experience in new areas and allows you to make new contacts. You work with new groups of people, in new organisational cultures and sometimes in new industries. This will give you a confidence boost, add additional experience to your CV and help you determine your next move.
At Hays we’ve been supplying temporaries and contractors for 25 years.
Jim Roy, Regional Director
A Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra
D 02 6112 7663 | E [email protected]
