When To Hire Contractors For Your Vacant Tech & IT Jobs

There are numerous benefits to hiring contractors for your vacant tech & IT roles. According to CIO, there are more contract-based professionals at Google than full-time employees. More organizations are shifting to take fewer risks by hiring contract workers for urgent or short-term needs. This gives companies the chance to test the waters before committing to a full-time hire. Also, figuring out whether a specialized project can generate enough revenue. 

Many tech professionals are open to contract jobs for freedom, flexibility, and better work-life balance. According to an article by Network World, contingent or contract workers make up a fairly large percentage of open positions in tech.

You’re not sure whether you need a technology contractor for your organization’s evolving needs? We’ve compiled three scenarios to help you decide if you should hire contractors or not.  

Scenario 1: You Need an Expert For a Short-Term Project

A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is an individual with a specialized skill set in a particular area or in-demand technologies. A niche tech contractor can help implement technologies, troubleshoot technical issues, or get started on urgent, short-term projects. Contracts for these roles typically last from anywhere between six months to a year, and can potentially lead to a full-time hire. A specialized tech contractor with SME can help with short-term projects to meet a temporary or short-term organizational need. If you only need an SME for a limited amount of time, consider hiring specialized tech contractor talent. Partner with a specialized technology staffing agency. You minimize the risk and will save time and money during a lengthy recruiting process. 

Many tech companies prefer the option of hiring contractors for short-term needs. Why? Because they may not have the bandwidth to commit to a full-time hire or take a risk for temporary needs by offering comprehensive benefits packages or a competitive salary, according to this article by CIO. Additionally, hiring contractors can help organizations decide whether the professional is a good fit for a long-term need. Hiring a contractor can also help reduce the risk of a bad hire. 

Scenario 2: Your Company Has Urgent Hiring Need

Companies with urgent hiring needs benefit from technology contractors who can get the job done fast. In the world of tech, we know that everything moves quickly. However, unexpected situations may arise, leaving your organization scrambling to meet deadlines and adapt to emerging technologies and trends. Your company might come across different scenarios where they need an urgent hire but do not have the time to go through HR and a lengthy interview process. If you’re strapped for time, hire an efficient contractor that can start working on important projects right away. 

Here are some other scenarios where a contractor might fill a temporary role due to unexpected situations or gaps due to employees leaving or requesting time off. 

• Someone who specializes in niche skills may leave your company
• An employee is going on maternity leave or requesting a period off 
• Unexpected deadlines to meet
• The delayed project makes a team behind schedule

Hiring a tech contractor with expertise in specialized technologies would be a good solution to the challenges your company faces. To expedite this process, it’s important to align yourself with a vendor that specializes in contract hires to speed up the process. 

Scenario 3: Short-term Project-Based Needs 

In this scenario, tech companies might only need short-term SME tech contractors for a limited project-based need. It makes sense not to bring in the whole team and pay a competitive salary short-term. You just need a few specialized contractors to help out with occasional tasks. And, if the arrangement doesn’t work out or the contractor lacks the skills you’re looking for, there are no hard feelings or obligations. You can easily cut ties and find another contractor or postpone the recruiting process until you figure out your organization’s needs. Another reason why you might benefit from a contractor is that you can gauge and see whether the short-term project the contractor is assigned to could lead to a long-term, profitable project. 

You can reserve the daily tasks that require full-time hires and focus on hiring niche specialized contract talent for short-term projects.

So, to summarize, hiring contractors can be a good way to see if a professional can fulfill a short-term project need. Hiring contractors for open tech roles can help you decide whether they’re a good fit for your organization before committing and providing a full, competitive benefits package and salary.

Align yourself with an expert. Connect with specialized recruiters at Focus GTS to get started on hiring contractors for your tech needs. Contact Focus GTS at info@focusgts.com or 305-330-1672