Market Overview – Temporary & Contract Candidates

Hybrid Working

In 2023, temps have seen a bit less flexibility than their permanent counterparts, with companies less willing to justify the additional work of setting up short-term personnel for home-working. Those engaged in longer assignments see more flexibility, however the days of the mostly remote temp as a hangover from the pandemic are largely over. It should be noted that firms who continue to offer more generous flexibility get real buy-in from their temps.

Pay

Ongoing distortion due to the cost of living crisis has seen temp claims slowly rise in line with inflation, with the above lack of flexibility factoring into expectations. Temps in longer-term bookings also seek more favourable rates to counterbalance their lack of concrete benefits. Companies who have limited room to accommodate such rates have sometimes loosened their profile requirements to bring in good candidates from different backgrounds for whom competitive pay is lower.

Conversions

As is often the way when the overall economic picture is mixed, candidates who would usually stick to temp are considering perm conversions if the right opportunity comes along. This phenomenon has been exacerbated by the current state of the mortgage and rental market.

Culture

Companies wishing to retain a pool of recurring temps should be as mindful of culture as remuneration; whilst there are still candidates who see good opportunities purely through the financial lens, increasingly a respectful, forward-looking workplace environment is a search parameter. Diversity, inclusion and green initiatives, and their prominence within firms, reinforce these impressions and become reasons to stay in their own right.