What to Expect from Your Contract Employee - Your Career Intel

What to Expect from Your Contract Employee - Your Career IntelIn my 30 years of recruiting, I dont know that Ive ever seen a hiring market as tricky as this one. The unemployment rate is at a record low, and the margins for talent are slim. So its no wonder employers are turning to contract laborand as my colleagues have shared previously, there are plenty of great reasons to bring in contract help.A thoughtfully placed contractor or two can serve as a sturdy stopgap between the departure of a teammate and the hiring of their replacement. They can also help you get some extra muscle behind the projects that dont stop just because your team is down a player.But if youre thinking that the contractor you place will be a true replacement for your open role, you should manage your expectations a bit. When you bring in a short-term contractor to sub in for a long-term role, there are few things you need to remember.Keep your wish list shortOne of the biggest missteps I see employers making when they put out a call for contract employees is they vet candidates through the lens of what they need from a full-time, permanent employee. This costs a fair amount of time on the front endthink of all those fruitless interviewsand only leads to disappointment. While it might be true that a full-time candidate needs to be proficient in several key areas, when a short-term arrangement is the name of the game, its better to think about the top three things you need someone to tackle.I place contract employees in accounting roles, for example, and the software can be fairly specialized. Hiring a full-time CPA with experience using Oracle might be the long-term goal, but a contractor CPA with experience in large enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools might be the right solution to get you through the hiring process with your full-time candidate.Im not suggesting you settle, but I do recommend you keep the big picture front of mind. If youre hiring a contractor to fill in while yo u recruit a full-time hire, finding someone who is adaptable might be the perfect short-term solution. And your energy is better focused on your permanent hire search while a contractor keeps the work from piling up.Consider a contracting liferIn the gig economy, there are many professionals that actually prefer contract work. I often remind my clients of this before we start the search for a contractor, because in a traditional hiring situation, someone whos worn multiple hats at various companies in a short amount of time can look indecisivewhats with all the job hopping? But toss that bias out the window in the contract market. A resume with several projects or employers in the last year can be a signal that a contractor is both seasoned and in demand.The other reason I bring this up with clients is that some of them are extra choosy with their contractors because theyre holding-gesellschaft out hope for a contract-to-hire candidate. While its true that there are folks in the mar ket looking for contract-to-hire opportunities, you might be able to find a more reliable resource in someone who has chosen contract work for the foreseeable future.Some of the most reliable contractors in my network, in fact, have 20-plus years of experience and would likely never choose to return to a full-time gig. But theyre seasoned, and they enjoy the variety and freedom that comes with short-term arrangements.The gig economy is forecasted to continue to grow and change, so I imagine the talent poolsand my advice on what to expect from themwill evolve, too. But Id love to hear your thoughts on best practices for bringing in contractors while placing full-time roles. How do you manage your expectations and keep the most important work top of mind? Start a conversation in the comments below.