68% of New Zealanders happy to temp

68% of New Zealanders happy to temp – so let’s clear up the misconceptions

The majority of New Zealanders are happy to consider temporary and contract roles or already undertake such assignments, but misconceptions surrounding this form of working blur the opinions of others.

According to a poll of 1,624 New Zealanders by recruiting experts Hays, 59 per cent are happy to consider temporary and contract roles. Just 32 per cent said they only look for permanent roles while a further 9 per cent already work as a temporary or contractor.

“Temporary, contract and freelance workers have certainly become the new normal in workplaces across New Zealand as employers create flexible workforces,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

“Those job seekers who aren’t willing to consider this type of work halve the job opportunities available to them. Even if your long-term goal is to obtain a permanent position, there are many advantages to taking short-term assignments whilst you wait for that opportunity to come along.”

Estimates vary but 30 to 40 per cent of the workforce is now a temporary, contractor or freelancer. However Hays warns that a number of common misconceptions about temporary and contract jobs remain, including:

It is menial and only for juniors: Long gone are the days when this form of work was reserved for administration and office support roles. Today many highly-skilled professionals work on assignment in interim executive or senior roles across all job functions and industries. This work requires experience and expertise. In fact, many jobseekers are attracted to the variety of tasks temporary or contract roles offer, which exposes you to new systems, solutions and ideas, all valuable additions to your CV.
It is an unstable form of employment: Even though temporary assignments have an end date, they can often be extended. Also if you approach your recruiting expert ahead of your end date, you can line up your next assignment in advance. We have many ‘career temps’ at Hays – people who work continuously on assignment from one to the next. And let’s not forget that many employers use temps or contractors to test talent out before they employ on a permanent basis, so it could be your foot in the door.
You’re an outsider to the team: Most people these days have either been a temp themselves, or had a temp join their team for a period of time in the past. This means people are accustomed to temps coming and going. It also means they are open to building lasting professional relationships with you, giving you the opportunity to quickly build your network to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, hear about relevant job opportunities, receive endorsements and even find new referees.
It’s dead-end: Assignments offer candidates a broad depth of opportunities, experience and skills development. You can take assignments that will expose you to new industries, systems, technology and ways of working, which will make you more attractive and employable in future.
Isn’t job hopping viewed negatively on your CV? Make it clear on your CV which roles were temporary assignments or contracts so that hiring managers know you’re not a job hopper. In fact, you can use your temp assignments to boost your CV. Employers will set defined outcomes for each assignment and your success in achieving each outcome allows you to add several quantifiable results to your CV in a short period of time.
If you want to succeed as a temporary or contractor, Hays also have this advice.

“Candidates considering this form of working need to be flexible,” says Jason. “You need to be a self-starter who is adaptable and able to quickly fit into new workplaces. You also need to be happy to look for your next assignment when nearing the end of your current one. Some people thrive on that, but others prefer the stability of permanent work.

“So whilst the constant change of moving from assignment to assignment is not for everyone, we find more often than not, people are embracing the career autonomy that temp and contract work offers.”

Hays is the most followed recruitment agency on LinkedIn in the world. Join Hays’ growing network by following Hays Worldwide.

You can also get expert advice, insights and the latest recruitment news by following Hays on Twitter@HaysNewZealand.

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