Contract laborers are the new normal. Prior to the pandemic, at least 20% of the American workforce was under contract, and the numbers are trending upwards. The pandemic only increased this mobile, flexible workforce; Fortune reports that wages and participation by workers in contract fields increased by 33% during COVID-19. They say that “The pandemic ignited people to prioritize values and purpose in their place of employment.” One recent survey showed that 92% of those polled said it’s an excellent time to go into contract work. What are the benefits of contract work that you can share with candidates so that they’ll consider these types of jobs—if they aren’t already.
Benefits of Contract Jobs
Perhaps the biggest benefit of contract work is that you are, literally, your own boss. You can select the types of roles you take on. Each one provides you with valuable experiences that you can add to your resume, along with a brand-new set of skills to add to your resume.
Most full-time employees have dealt with the stereotypical “bad boss.” This type of employer could be an inflexible micromanager or a bureaucratic stair climber that takes credit for your work. Perhaps they simply aren’t fair or have no sympathy when you are overloaded or need help. No matter the problem, contract work is different because it allows you to walk away from opportunities that are unhealthy, restrictive, or otherwise simply a bad fit. Contracting allows you to take on new clients and deal with the complexities of these jobs in ways that you see fit. It gives you an element of control that a full-time role simply does not offer.
Another benefit of contracting for job candidates is that there is greater flexibility to set your own work schedule. After the pandemic, even more workers learned the value of skipping the commute in favor of remote work. Today, about 41% of the workforce can stay remote to do their jobs, at least part of the time. This allows employees to set their own hours and avoid the expense and stress of traveling to a remote office. This new normal is something that employers can and should embrace to benefit their workforce. If they do not, job candidates should consider these alternative working conditions as a more humane and efficient way of doing their jobs. For recruiters, working remote is a huge benefit that they can offer to new candidates.
How to Help Candidates Understand the Benefits of Contract Work
For recruiters, sharing the latest details about contract work and how it’s growing in popularity can help candidates feel more comfortable with the idea of leaving a full-time job. Far from being a last resort, contract work is now the first choice for many employees in many fields. Today, there are all kinds of jobs in all kinds of fields available to the contract worker. FoxHire serves as the employer of record (EOR), representing job candidates in contract and temporary positions.
