When you need to shore up talent on your team but don’t want the expense of a full-time employee, an independent contractor can be an effective solution. A recent survey by staffing firm Addison Group found that 94% of hiring managers are more comfortable bringing on freelance employees than five years ago, and 88% are more comfortable doing so for senior positions, too. Fifty-eight percent of employees said they wouldn’t mind if their boss was a temp.
Companies like telecom company SRVR, LLC, which counts three executive-level and five managerial-level contractors among its nearly 200 employees and contractors, hire such talent because it’s typically less expensive than hiring a full-time employee. In addition, President Dan Banu says he likes to hire slow to be sure he’s getting the right people, and fire fast when they’re not working out. Bringing on contractors lets him test people in their roles and lets him hire high-level talent for specific functions.
