The landscape of the employment market is changing. As more people become freelancers, contractors and agency workers, job security becomes less of a priority. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) 2014 report, 36% of people have been temporarily employed at some point and 1.7 million currently work this way. So what is attracting people to this dynamic lifestyle?
1. Could not find permanent work
For many,
temporary work is a necessity, not a choice. Amongst other demographics, the over
45s, inexperienced graduates and those with long periods of unemployment are
most likely to experience this.
However, a
growing number refuse to settle permanently for anything less than their ideal
role. For these people, temporary work offers
the opportunity to get a ‘foot in the door’ with companies they wish to
work for permanently. It is a chance to prove themselves and enhance their CV
with directly relevant experience.
2: The desire to find work and to earn money
quickly
Being placed
swiftly and paid weekly is a common motivator. Businesses are far more likely
to employ temporary workers where they can,
as the cost of hire is significantly
less than for permanent workers. Whilst permanent roles require extensive
checks and referrals, temporary employees can often be placed within a week, appealing
particularly to young job-seekers and graduates.
3: Higher earning potential and
supplementation of income
According to
the REC report, the general consensus amongst temporary workers is that in temporary employment, you are paid for
your value as opposed to a flat
rate. Many skilled specialists opt for temporary employment due to higher
earning potential, dependant on their skill. This trend is common amongst nurses
and IT professionals; one IT specialist stated, “I can ‘temp’ for three months
and earn what I do in a permanent role in four to five”.
13% of contractors
work temporarily to supplement their income following insufficient hours in
another job. On the contrary, some are keen to maximise an already sufficient
income.
4. Flexibility
Flexible
working hours empower people to take
control of their lifestyle and enable a customisable work-life balance. 25%
of temporary workers do so for flexibility based benefits:
·
11%
of people utilise flexible working to look after children or dependant adults.
For many, flexible working allows them
to prioritise care on the understanding that occasionally they may have to miss
or rearrange shifts on short notice.
·
For
some, a more gradual shift to retirement
is a serious benefit. Elderly
temporary workers can enjoy an incremental reduction of work and the freedom to
refuse more physically challenging projects if they choose.
·
14% of people
seek flexibility in order to pursue interests or hobbies (i.e. studying).
However,
permanent work is likely to also become more flexible in the near future, thanks
to the new flexible working laws. You can
read The HR World's blog on these changes here.
5. Independent working
For many
reasons, 14% of workers simply don’t want to work for someone else. For example, organisational politics can adversely
affect learning and development, progression and motivation. The brief
nature of temporary arrangements can nullify this effect. Many individuals work
better independently, and others simply aren’t ‘corporate people’, seeing
loyalty to a business as a disadvantage.
So with all these benefits and opportunities,
why do temporary workers still only contribute around 5% of the workforce? The
risks and pitfalls are explored in High Risk, High Reward: Part 2.
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