According to a recent www.workforce.com article, many stay-at-home parents are ready to re-enter the workforce, and the unique wants and needs the article points out may just make them perfect contracting candidates.
The economy has forced many stay-at-home parents to consider working to supplement the family income, while others just want to return to work to feel needed and to gain the fulfillment that their careers provide. Just think about how many professional or technical moms you know who left the workforce to raise a family and are now ready to work again! And employers love these workers because they come with experience from their previous work and are generally dedicated, hard-working individuals.
But these parents aren’t looking for the traditional 9 to 5 job. Flexibility and work-life balance is key, and many are seeking part-time work. For many, telecommuting is ideal. They want fulfilling careers AND time with their families.
That’s why contracting may be the perfect fit for these individuals. They could be brought on as consultants to share their expertise or use their knowledge to complete specific projects that could be done on their time schedules rather than the clients’. If they want to take vacations with their families, they can take breaks in between assignments rather than worrying if they have enough vacation time in a direct-hire position. And if you use a back-office, such as FoxHire, they may even have access to benefits, which obviously is important to many parents with young children.
The problem many companies have is finding stay-at-home parents looking for work because traditional job ads don’t always work. The article actually encourages companies to seek out recruiting services to help them tap into this wealth of qualified candidates. So if you know how to find these candidates, you could put yourself in a great position to make a ton of placements. The article offers ways to find stay-at-home parents who may be willing to consider job opportunities:
- Social Networking Tools
- Ads in parenting magazines and local publications
- Referrals – Ask your other candidates if they know any parents looking to return to work.
- Job fairs that cater to stay-at-home parents.
