Job hoppers are professionals who frequently and voluntarily change their jobs. Job hopping is becoming increasingly popular amongst the younger generation. They want a career full of different opportunities and experiences.
On the other hand, contingent workers are people who work for a company for a fixed period. Contingent workers can be independent contractors, freelancers, part-time employees, or workers in some kind of alternative working arrangement. Anna Apponesto, Talent Acquisition Specialist, says, "Contingent workers and job hoppers may both work in a job for a short time. Looking at a resume, there isn't always an indicator of whether a person completed a contingent assignment or left unexpectedly, on bad terms."
Contingent workers bring a variety of different skills to the table. Often, contingent workers are experts in each field, and their work can range from technical consultants to drivers. Due to their specific expertise, they bring added value to the company for specific projects.
The global pandemic has transformed the recruitment landscape. Workers are looking for companies with more flexible job opportunities and better benefits. Given the great resignation, employees have the upper hand now, and companies are competing to hire talented workers. Given the emphasis on flexibility and better work-life balance, contingent work has become more common than ever.
Here are some benefits of hiring job hoppers and contingent workers:
Usually, job hoppers and contingent workers have a plethora of experience working with different high-growth companies. Due to their myriad experience, they are more likely to navigate problems/issues more smoothly than someone used to just one kind of system. These workers are more comfortable working in different work environments. Owing to their varied work experiences, these workers can also potentially introduce new productivity-boosting experiences.
Contingent workers and job hoppers are highly skilled professionals being exposed to unique work environments. They have worked with different management styles, operation systems, and team structures. Often, they are more specialized and experienced with certain aspects of the project in which a full-time employee may not have expertise. As such, these workers add value to the company and get the work done more efficiently.
For Chief Technology Officers and top executives, hiring and retaining the best talent remains the top priority, given the shortage of workers (and the great resignation). Contingent work is a crucial way through which talent flows into an organization. The proliferation of contingent workers is associated with the increasing demand for digital skills that might not be available in the same locality (or even the same country). As such, hiring contingent workers gives the organization the high-skilled labor they need for a specific project.
There is a direct correlation between hiring contingent workers and cost savings. According to Apponesto, “There are so many reasons that contingent workers make for a great hire, especially in today’s market. Contingent workers are not direct internal employees, rather, they are outsourced from a staffing company which helps reduce the overall cost for companies since they aren’t directly on the company’s payroll.”
Apponesto suggests, “With today’s job economy, you can’t easily tell if a contingent worker is unreliable from a resume. Professionals with the right skills and experience get easily looked over by hiring managers, recruiters, and the like for the mere reason of having short-term roles on their resume, and they might be missing out on some amazing talent they could bring to their team.”
At nTech Workforce, we help businesses find, screen, retain, and engage contingent workers. We are committed to improving business outcomes and making a social impact. Our unique solutions are designed to solve productivity, hiring, and diversity challenges.