After the last few unstable years, “contract work” has become a term employer’s have moved away from to avoid missing out on potential workers in this current market. I believe that during this shift toward assuming everyone wants job stability, employers and employees have forgotten the many benefits of contract work.
Below, I discuss the many reasons why I think hiring contract workers and being a contract worker is healthy and a needed sector of our market.
EMPLOYER BENEFITS
Hire for current needs
If you have a project that requires your workforce to increase but you are unsure of the longevity of this upturn in your business, hiring contractors is your safest bet. It enables you to boost your numbers and takes the pressure off the planning in your staff numbers. It also enables you to try out employees to see if they will add value to your business in the long run.
Experts in their fields
Career contractors are often seen as some of the hardest, most knowledgeable workers in their fields. They are experienced in working in many different workplaces under different management styles and around different teams. They require very little training, and you will notice immediate productivity in the way they can jump in and get their tasks underway.
Less time-consuming for management
Contractors require less management than permanent employees, as they are employed to complete certain tasks and work on specific projects. Fewer check-ins mean management can keep the focus on permanent staffing needs and skill gaps.
Less liability to the company
Hiring contractors through a third party (like Fetch Recruitment) means you are not having to worry about or pay annual leave, sick leave, superannuation, insurance, or work cover. Third-party employers take all the worry out of the hiring process and can provide you with a worker and a fee to ensure you can complete projects without the hassle of hiring and paying staff.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Higher rate of pay
As you are not working in traditional employment, employers often maximize the hourly rate you receive to ensure benefit packages such as annual leave allowances are covered in your hourly wage. Permanent staff are not paid for any extra hours of work they put in whereas contract workers are paid for every hour they work.
Work-life balance
After the past few years, work-life balance is at the forefront of everyone’s desires to ensure we are no longer “missing out”. Working as a contractor means you can set the days, hours, and months you work. This means you can plan extended holidays or take guaranteed breaks over public religious holidays to enable you to enjoy life and not be tied to a workforce where you have to request time off.
New skills and experience
Working in different environments under different systems and management styles means you are gaining valuable skills you can use when moving from company to company. You will be seen as someone who can bring immediate productivity to a role as you require less training.
Minimal pressure to be successful
Employers hiring you to work alongside them to complete projects will not put the same pressure on you as they do on their permanent staff, enabling you to work to the best of your ability. You have been hired as a trusted worker who is already capable of excelling in completing the tasks at hand and not having to prove your worth.
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