Every month I speak with hundreds of candidates. Those in permanent roles, contract roles, and anyone seeking tech market advice. But over the last month, I’ve seen a running theme of candidates refraining from taking on contract positions. There seems to be a hesitation to move into contracting due to the current economic climate.
Companies such as Meta, Twitter, Stripe, Microsoft, and Salesforce have recently made headlines with ‘staff corrections’, letting go of large numbers of employees. This has caused a wave of uncertainty in the current state of employment within the tech sector. In particular, contracting seems increasingly risky. It’s often thought that contractors are the first to be made redundant. However, more contractors are being hired as permanent positions are put on hold.
Benefits of tech contractors
I want to change the narrative that contractors should be avoided during times of economic uncertainty. And to focus on the competitive advantage contractors can bring to your business.
Some of the benefits of contractors include:
1. They are experts in their niche.
2. They ensure project deadlines are met.
3. They require no training.
4. They come with no additional costs and save time to hire.
5. They sign on for an outlined period of time.
So instead of freezing all hiring, the solution is to hire contractors. They can be hired for short periods of time and can ensure projects run on time, without the cost and commitment of hiring a permanent position.
Your business finances are also further minimised by paying contractors a daily rate. By paying for their service daily, these expenses fall under your OpEx (Operating expenses). This allows you to pay for their services with an alternative budget.
The future of tech contracting
Who knows what next year will bring and whether the big tech companies will create a domino effect for the rest of the IT industry in Ireland. However, my advice is to take advantage of contractors because they may be the solution to ensuring your ability to deliver is not compromised in this uncertain economic climate.
WRITTEN BY:
Gary seery – Principal IT Recruitment Consultant
Get in touch:
+353 (0) 1 652 0 652
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