Closing a Candidate on a Contract Role

Hello!

So who is tired about hearing about the economy? Rather than continue to drone on about the side effects of a poor job market, lets talk about when things turn around!

When things do rebound, (I know I'm still fairly young, but I'm told they will :) employers will need staff, and quickly. However, many companies will be reluctant to bring on full-time long-term employees, in case their business spike is only temporary. The risk of once-again being top heavy and having to go through another painful layoff is simply too great.

Contract staffing offers a low risk alternative for companies---they can meet their workload demands, while not being on the hook for salary, benefits, and unemployment should the tide change. What's the drawback? Employees are reluctant to take contract jobs, and are ready to bolt once something seemingly more stable comes along. Below are some selling suggestions to help employers close candidates on contract roles:

Low-Risk for Both Sides - While an employer has limited liability with a contract employee, the employee also has the option to end the relationship without a guilty conscience. In the contract offer meeting, remind the employee that this is an opportunity for both sides to "try each other out." This gets the job seeker in the door, buys the employer time, and gives the candidate the chance to get comfortable with the environment and establish relationships with their new colleagues.

It's a resume builder- By making the contract role as enticing as possible, candidates may more willingly accept the opportunity as well as provide better work.

"John, as you know this position is working on almost exclusively drafting tasks using AutoCad. However, I noticed on your resume that throughout your career your responsibilities on most projects stop and end with drafting. Would you be interested in doing some project management, including some direct customer contact? Down the line, I would be happy to discuss your experience in this area with any potential future employer."

Show them they're not alone -In the event the employment relationship does end, candidates should know that they have options to help them find their next home. At QPS, our reach across multiple offices as well as motivated commission-based recruiters will do everything they can to make the gap between positions short. In addition, with the launch of social networking-feel free to share with candidates up front that should the contract end, you could make 1-2 calls with people within your network on their behalf. It's a great good faith offering, plus it helps you keep connected.

Here are two brief profiles of active candidates I am working with: As always, please contact me if I can be of help in boosting your candidate funnel, or providing new employment opportunities to someone in your network:

Regards
Dave