Statistics show that contract staffing continued to grow across all technical, professional, and healthcare industries in 2014. This supports the blended workforce model where a company typically maintains a small core of traditional direct employees which is then supported by a larger outer ring of contractors.
According to FoxHire’s (FH) placement statistics for 2014, contract staffing nationwide was particularly popular in these top six areas:
- Healthcare (28% of placements) – The Affordable Care Act is mainly credited with the surge in demand for white collar healthcare contractors with 4-6 years of education. The law increased the pool of patients by requiring most Americans to be covered by health insurance and also implemented change initiatives that required more man-power.
- Engineering/ Manufacturing (18%) – Automation, re-shoring, and the retirement of experienced Baby Boomers is creating a skills shortage in many areas. Highly skilled engineers and technicians are particularly in demand.
- Finance and Accounting (15%) – There has been a greater focus on accounting due to the numerous corporate and financial scandals in recent years. Stricter regulations and laws have been passed in response to these scandals, and the importance of audits has been elevated.
- Business Professionals/ Support Staff (15%) – Contract staffing is being used in a variety of professional capacities, for positions up to and including the C-Suite, as a result of the blended workforce model.
- Information Technology (14%) – This is always a hot sector for contract staffing due to its project-based nature. Facing its own war for talent, companies are looking to fill IT positions as quickly as possible, and contracting helps them meet that urgency.
- HR/Recruiting/Legal (8%) –Healthcare Reform, in addition to the blended workforce model, is increasing the need for HR, legal, and recruiting skills across companies of all sizes.
Regardless of your niche, if there’s one thing that could impact your recruiting business in 2015, it’s contract staffing. Consider how easy it could be to add this valuable service to your business model.
