Why temporary work

Candidates are often drawn to the temporary market, due to five main reasons:

  1. Lifestyle decision. People often find themselves competing for such immediate roles unexpectedly, when their personal needs become more urgent due to redundancy, breaks for travelling, and various other circumstances. It’s an immediate answer to unemployment, with work available across sectors, and with less bias towards candidates from one background to the next.
  2. Working in such a buoyant market currently, we are seeing more candidates taking advantage of the opportunity to gain alternative sector exposure, without the commitment of a permanent role.
  3. Money is proving to be a prominent reason to choose temporary over Permanent, particularly at the senior end, where salaries can be up to 30% higher. But even at the more junior end, contract or hourly-rate salaries can be 5-10% higher than permanent roles. Clients are paying for an immediate expertise, for an individual with the adaptability to arrive in a foreign environment and add significant value without time spent on training.
  4. Candidates on a Two Year Working Holiday Visa/Youth Registration Scheme are only allowed to accept a temporary or contact role.
  5. Greater flexibility to work for shorter or longer periods of time.

Possible concerns

Candidates within the early stages of their career particularly worry about how interim work may affect their CV and subsequent career prospects. But one thing people often forget is just how many temporary assignments are extended or made permanent for the right candidates. Temporary employment is often a foot in the door to a company which might not have taken you on as a straight permanent employee.

Having temporary roles on your CV will also demonstrate to a client that you are able to jump straight into a role and hit the ground running very quickly which is what most clients look for in a new employee. Clients are aware that these types of assignments prepare you for this.

From accepting an assignment to starting; what do you need to do?

Usually, your assignment will commence immediately so we will invite you in the Parker Wells offices to complete a ‘temporary workers pack’ which includes a letter from us confirming your placement details, our Contract for Services, temp handbook and several blank timesheets (your timesheet is to be faxed back every Monday).

Together with the signed Contract for Services, we will need your P45 and details of your bank account for payment purposes.

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