The Panda Express Tabloid – An interview with our contract desk

Believe it or not, but recruitment consultants are people too. I know, it is strange to think it from time to time. Each of our consultants have a genuine interest and knowledge for each of their desks and that is what makes us unique at cranberry panda. They are in the prime position to learn about what clients need, what candidates are searching for and what is appearing in the industry. The ecommerce industry is changing rapidly, and it is a constant battle for brands and businesses to keep up with everyone around them.

For our first tabloid segment, Laura from our contracts division has answered a few questions about what is going on in her area. You may be a client or candidate reading this but there is no harm in gaining a little more knowledge is there?

From your previous recruitment working experience, did you see a demand for contract roles?

“In my previous two roles, there was a huge demand for contractors. I worked on two busy contract desks – social work (Local Government) and Marketing & Communications (Central Government). On the Social work desk, contractors, for the most part, lasted up to 2 years in any one contract. On the Central Government desk, the length of contract varied per project. There was so many different projects and changes happening in central government, so it really did depend on the need for skilled contractors.”

Are your Ecommerce clients more open to discussing contract or is there still hesitation? If there is hesitation what do you think it is regarding?

“I suppose it really depends on who the client is and what their budget is. Clients who employ a lot of interims will be happy to discuss contract as they are well used to the process and can see the benefits of using contractors. It’s the clients that don’t often employ interims that will be more hesitant to discuss contract as they see it as a higher cost (i.e. day rates are more expensive than salary) They don’t see the benefits of what a contractor can bring (varied or specialised skills, immediate start date, save money in the long run). It could also be the fact that some clients we speak to, don’t have the power to say whether they can hire contractors or not so therefore don’t want to discuss it.”

Have your candidates always worked in contract roles or is there a mix in those who were permanent?

“The mid-senior level candidates usually have been contracting for a long time and the junior candidates will most likely be taking their first steps into contracting. Most candidates start out permanent and once they have a bit of experience under their belt, they will take the leap into contracting.”

Do you find there is a demand for shorter contracts or longer in comparison to each other?

“Now with my digital marketing desk, I am finding that most of the jobs coming through are short term contracts i.e. 1-3 months and its mainly because the client is going through the permanent recruitment process and just needs to fill the gap until they hire someone. But I expect as the contract team grows and we bring in more clients and new relationships, we will pick up more project-based roles where the contracts will be longer.”

Would you yourself after working on contract roles consider it if you were in a candidates position? Can you see a benefit?

“Yes 100% - I love how contract work gives you a lot of flexibility and work-life balance. You can go into a short-term contract, pick up new skills and experience, work in a variety of different settings and teams, earn decent money and then either have some time off to travel or do what you want or jump back into the next exciting contract. Win!”