Many business owners are relying on a contingent workforce to meet their industry’s demands in a world that is getting more chaotic and unpredictable. A contingent worker is a person hired for a specific amount of time for those who are unfamiliar with the term. Employers can benefit much from using contingent labor, including cost savings, skill development, and flexibility. Businesses frequently use contingent workforces because they require specialized talent to carry out particular tasks. The ideal option may be to hire contingent workers. However, acquiring talent and finding the right person for each position might be difficult. Here are some tips to help you find the best candidates for contingent and freelance roles.
What is the difference between contingent workers and traditional employees?
Comparing hiring contingent workers to hiring a full-time employee is like comparing apples to oranges. Since contingent workers are frequently freelancers or independent contractors, their freedom level will impact the selection procedure. There are differences in the procedure, the experience, and the expectations. Contrary to your regular employees, contingent workers won’t be covered by health insurance or a pension of any form. You pay them a predetermined sum for each assignment they do for you, which is then transferred right into their bank account. Most businesses are accustomed to subtracting employment taxes from the total amount owed to their staff, which is another thing you shouldn’t worry about in the case of contract employees.
Identifying talent
Prior to starting the contingent hiring process, you must organize. Think carefully about the needs of your company and any talent or availability shortfalls. You can choose how long you need a contingent worker after deciding what kind of worker you require. The end of their contract can be a specific date or deadline for a project, or you might prefer to keep things flexible with a 90-day period. It’s time to develop a captivating temporary job description after you’ve filled in the details. A temporary job description should be similar to but more detailed than one for a permanent position, giving project needs, start and end dates, and outlining the requirements for contingent workers.
Employing the right fit
You should have 3-5 prospects to choose from once you’ve moved through phone screens and initial interviews. Consider adding a testing procedure to your hiring process to make sure candidates are qualified. To find out if a candidate can handle the temporary duty, choose the most difficult components of the project and create a quick yet efficient test. You can concentrate on choosing “the one” once all applicants have submitted their sample work. Following that, you will need to inform the selected contractor, provide them with a contract, and start the onboarding process. Consider using quality direct sourcing solutions that foster a deeper connection between your organizations and the people you need to complete the job, enabling a more flexible and talent-centric approach to engaging with contract workers.
Make sure candidates have the appropriate skills
The greatest prospects to achieve your business goals might be found by making sure candidates have the appropriate skills. To more accurately predict a candidate’s likelihood of success in the role, it is crucial to comprehend why they are interested in non-permanent positions. Look for applicants who can adapt to various work situations, are driven to improve their skill sets, and are willing to expand their experience and advance their careers. Direct communication styles are a sign of a strong candidate. This guarantees that they are open to input from their employers and won’t hesitate to ask for clarification regarding chores associated with projects. Contingent workers are expected to take the initiative on projects and be driven by themselves.
Platforms where you might look for contingent and freelance candidates
Knowing where to hunt for freelancers and contingent workers is essential for recruiting them. The majority of employers recruit temporary employees on freelance marketplaces. One of the most well-known and significant employment sites online is Indeed. Depending on what you’re looking for, Indeed lets you hire contract or part-time workers locally or remotely. One of the most popular online resources for finding contingent workers is definitely Upwork. It does, however, have drawbacks. The freelancers you’ll discover will typically be bidding for jobs at incredibly low rates, so the final product quality might not be what you’d anticipate. Upwork also takes a sizable 20% cut, which means that both the company and the freelancer lose out.
Even though it may be important to adapt to the times, which include hiring contingent workers, only a few people are performing it correctly. So, find a way to include a freelancer in your team instead of just using them as a resource. You will undoubtedly come out on top in the end.
