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Contract Recruitment Vs Permanent Recruitment

I have been lucky enough to have been working in recruitment for almost seven years and during this time I have been involved in both contract and permanent recruitment. There is a stark contrast between both sectors of recruitment, one is extremely fast-paced, has a huge amount of turn over and the other is a slower paced market that allows the recruiter to be more methodical and calculated with their approach to both candidates and clients.

On several occasions as a contract recruiter, I have been contacted on a Friday at 5pm asking me for contractors for the Monday morning. This will undoubtedly mean that I won’t be leaving the office until I’ve sourced all the contractors required but having readily available contractors is essential and will help me in these situations. I’ll still make the pub before closing time that’s for sure to have a pint with all the perm recruiters that can leave bang on time! Being a contract recruiter I have developed a strong mentality to deal with these challenges. In-depth candidate knowledge allows me to fill these positions usually whilst on the initial phone call with the client.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”

This is a common phrase in business and is certainly relevant in the recruitment industry. It is easy to lose track of time in any job, but time seems to move even faster in recruitment. You have to be prepared for what your client needs now, but more importantly what they will need in the future. In doing so you will always have your finger on the pulse and be ready for anything that is asked of you. I am acutely aware of the movements of my candidate base, this allows me to offer our client’s availability on a daily basis, something that they appreciate as it keeps them up to date at the same time as me.

This goes for both contract and permanent recruitment to a certain degree. It is vital for a permanent recruiter to meet with their candidates and clients on a regular basis to get an idea of what recruitment needs they have and to get an advertising plan put in place. A contract recruiter on the other hand, is given very little notice to source the required staff for their sites. Often when I ask my client when they need these contract jobs filled the answer is yesterday!

I believe that having started as a contract recruiter, that it has made me a better permanent consultant. The reason for this is that I have the attitude that all position should be filled as quickly as possible. I think that having this mentality gives contract recruiters an advantage over a permanent consultant. A perm recruiter can sometimes be over methodical and spend more time focusing on other aspects than filling the vacancies quickly and effectively.

This shouldn’t be confused with a contract recruiter cutting corners and being too quick off the mark, for me personally, the quality of the process is still of a high standard. I have already met with my candidates and I am fully aware of their career or contract aspirations and taken relevant references on them prior to submitting them to a client. Many of my candidates give me the remit to select suitable employers on their behalf, so when I receive a call from a client I can suggest this candidate immediately and have full faith that he/she is suitable and interested in the position.

So the question was Contract V Permanent? Give me contract recruitment anytime.

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Author: Jordan Mackay
Contract Recruitment Consultant
Construction Recruitment