Organizations worldwide have always had a need for temporary or contract workers but never more than the growing trend in information technology. At the same time, many of today’s professionals themselves have taken to the trend of working as independent contractors or temporary workers, so much so that it is reported that four out of every 100 workers in a small business environment is a contractor. Why is this occurring?

First of all, from a professional point of view, a contractor sees him/herself as fully in charge of their career as they only accept contracts that interest them. Being a contractor gives these professionals greater personal flexibility and perhaps greater ability to specialize. These individuals also often have an entrepreneurial bent in that they thrive on independence and enjoy working in fast paced environments but they have no plans to build a business broader than themselves. Instead of being required to make a capital investment, they simply take their knowledge, tools and equipment and “lend” themselves out to an organization on a temporary basis.

What are the advantages to an employer? First of all, since most growing businesses are stretched beyond capacity but are reluctant to add permanent staffing overhead, hiring a contractor is seen as an effective staffing strategy. This is especially so for short term, startup projects or the need to fill in for skills gaps and/or replace an incumbent employee who falls ill and/or is away from the workplace for an extended period of time. 

The contracting trend is growing especially fast in the field of information technology, once again because IT departments are growing so quickly and the work is becoming so much more sophisticated. As a result of this sophistication, most HR professionals and internal recruiters can’t even pronounce the name of the all the technology programs that are needed to effectively operate today’s businesses.

At the same time, employers face the challenge of where to identify and locate an IT contractor while the contractors themselves are usually so busy that when their project is finished, they struggle to search for another opportunity. This is where a highly qualified search firm can be of assistance.

First of all, a recruiter specializing in information technology is not only familiar with all of the programs, licensing and skills required by IT professionals, he/she is an ultimate networker. In other words, this recruiter is always meeting new IT professionals and assessing technical skills and personality fit. In addition to developing and maintaining a comprehensive electronic databank of professionals, the IT recruiter is in constant contact with individuals and develops long term relationships with them. When a request comes in for an IT contractor, this recruiter has several names on the tip of his tongue and is able to match both skills and cultural fit.

While it goes to say that individual contractors need to take steps to become acquainted with an IT recruiter, so too does a business owner and/or organizational leader. This is specifically because of the fact that no matter how good a candidate may be from a technical experience level, it is the cultural fit with the organization that will lead to success. Contractors need to be able to quickly assess and adjust to organizational culture because of the short term nature of the contract. Thus, the more the IT recruiter knows about an organization, the easier it is for this individual to quickly find the right candidate match.

Our experience as a firm suggests that contracting out for information technology professionals will continue to grow. At the same time, however, the complexity of technical requirements is becoming so complex that it is wise to turn to professional recruiters to identify, locate and make your match.