7 Reasons why you should hire IT contractors in 2023
Did you know hiring IT contractors can be more cost-effective than onboarding permanent people? That’s just one of the reasons why more businesses are choosing to hire contractors.
Over the last two years, Crimson has seen an increase in clients, diversifying staffing to include a mix of permanent technologists and IT contractors.
Let’s explore why IT contractors should be part of your IT recruitment strategy.
1. IT contractors won’t necessarily cost you more
When hiring a permanent team member, you’re committing to longer-term costs.
- Salary
- Training
- National Insurance
- Pension contributions
- Benefits such as healthcare
- Subsidies
- Bonuses
- Sick pay
- Holiday pay
- Parental leave
- Redundancy pay
2. Hiring a contractor is 100% quicker
Crimson places most contractors within 1-2 weeks. Whereas permanent employees typically take between a month and six weeks to place, and that’s relying on a swift interview process.
3. IT Contractors can help you combat any skills shortages
IT contractors accumulate a huge amount of knowledge whilst working on different projects. They also have experience working within different types of companies and industries. This means they can get to grips with projects quicker and adapt to different company cultures.
IT contractors are business owners. It’s in their interest to obtain the latest qualifications and keep up to date with various technologies.
4. IT contractors increase your agility
To keep up with consumer demands and technological changes, organisations must pivot fast and introduce new products and services whilst dealing with the day-to-day. There will always be peaks and troughs as projects and BAU overlap. A flexible workforce will enable any company to scale up and down effectively. Therefore, your IT team will experience less burn-out from spinning too many plates. You can also manage risk by temporarily testing out approaches.
5. You’ll have less to worry about
We have a pool of well-known contractors that come highly recommended. Crimson’s compliance team also ensures that the whole supply chain fully complies with current legislation and HMRC. Our in-house team of experts can advise on correct processes and contractual inclusions should you need any steer (IR35 assessments etc).
6. Contractors can give you a quicker return on investment
How long is your induction process? Before a permanent employee can even begin working on a project, they will attend various induction meetings. Beyond this, permanent employees must take holidays, training days, complete admin tasks, and participate in various company initiatives. Contractors can usually hit the ground running and stay focused on the job.
7. You can decrease business risk
If you're only investing in permanent employees, projects can suddenly stop when an employee hands in their notice. Contractors are committed to a certain length of time; therefore, you do not need to worry about retaining them. However, this doesn't mean you treat them as commodities; Crimson regularly meets with clients and contractors to check on project progress and contractor welfare.
In uncertain economic environments or mergers and acquisitions, boards may question whether you are lean; utilising contractors demonstrates you have thought about your current business model.
What our clients say:
“In my experience, using contractors enables projects and programmes to quickly mobilise and implement the appropriate governance model. Contractors provide an independent verification and scope clarification of the required business outcomes and benefits. Contractors also plug the short-term skill gap in organisations, which enables the organisation to take time recruiting the right people for the longer-term growth.”
Carl James, Change Management Director - Integration & Transformation Change, Healthwork Group
How to hire the best contract IT talent
According to Contractor UK.com, 2022-day rates in technology rose by an average of 5.3 percent, compared to a 0.8 percent increase the year prior. In addition, 59 percent of organisations say they plan to increase contractor rates in 2023 to ensure they can attract the right contractors.
To beat the competition to the best contractors, consider the following.
- Partner with Crimson to access our network of trusted IT contractors.
- Plan a realistic hiring timeline with Crimson’s support. We keep in touch with our starters and finishers to ensure we know when a contractor is ready for their next project.
- Consider remote working options; this could set you apart from the competition.
- Ensure you produce an attractive advert; contractors often look for exciting, challenging projects, so list the technologies and soft skills required.
- Streamline your hiring process and eliminate unnecessary interview stages by utilising Crimson’s qualification process.
Have we got you thinking?
Then, feel free to call and discuss your IT recruitment strategy with us - 01675 466 477.
Download our 2023 IT Salary Survey for the latest IT contractor salary information.
Tell us about the role you're looking to hire and we’ll give you a call to discuss how you can secure the right person quickly.
