The recruiting industry is ever-changing, and one trend we have seen is direct placement recruiters starting to accept and work temp/contract roles, so much so that NPAworldwide has created a contract placement specialty group to bring similar members, positions and opportunities together with the goal of more success and placements together.
Some longtime direct hire recruiters think contract roles aren’t worth it because they don’t get one big lump fee like they would with a direct hire. But, they need to consider the benefit of additional revenue (weekly/monthly payments add up, and add to your bottom line!) and the ability to service all of your clients’ needs, both direct and contracting, will likely lead to more work for you.
If you are worried about the possibility of being responsible for employee onboarding, payroll, taxes and insurance, compliance issues, etc., you could outsource those tasks to a contract staffing firm, allowing you to focus on the headhunting alone. If you belong to a recruitment network, ask around and see if there are any contract staffing firms that can help you.
But how do you get started making contract placements?
- The obvious – Tell your clients that you offer contract staffing. This may be a need they have that you’ve been unable to take on before. Ask clients and potential clients what their staffing needs are for the next quarter, and if they would consider staffing any open positions with a contractor.
- If they don’t already utilize contractors, let them know how contract staffing can help them, such as the possibility to test out a candidate’s fit by hiring on a contract-to-direct basis, or utilizing money from a different (contractor) budget to bypass a hiring freeze.
- Market yourself as a contract recruiter – include a section on your website and LinkedIn profile letting candidates and clients know you offer contract staffing. Many clients and candidates search based on this, so include keywords and buzzwords so you come up.
- Do some investigating – Find out who is unhappy with their current vendor, and/or ask to be on a client’s secondary vendor list, which is a list of “back-up” recruiters for roles their primary vendor(s) can’t fill. Ask candidates that you work with whether or not their employers have open contract positions.
Do you work contract roles? How did you break in to this avenue?