Contingent Workers in 2023: How to Attract Tech Talent in an Uncertain Market
Motion’s IT Contingent Workforce Handbook offers advice on how to find and keep contractors at large corporations as well as information on trends in IT pay rates, new tech skills, and other topics.
Motion Recruitment, one of the top 15 largest IT Staffing firms in the United States, has released the 2023 IT Contingent Workforce Hiring Handbook, research that includes pay rate trends, industry data, and market expert advice on hiring and keeping contract employees. This spin-off of Motion’s Tech Salary Guide includes the most recent tactics for navigating the unpredictable market, acquiring top talent, and succeeding as an enterprise employer alongside contingent labor. The following are the study’s key findings:
Expect negotiation: Layoffs made hiring more difficult. Tech unemployment is at an all-time low of 1.5%, and 73% of recruiters report an uptick in candidates negotiating for better pay rates. While half of IT candidates now indicate they would trade more salary for more flexibility in job offers, you may get top talent by giving both.
IT leaders at large corporations are shifting their focus to contingent workers: During the last two years, the ratio of IT contract employment has increased, with contract positions accounting for approximately one out of every five IT jobs. With over 90% of corporate companies keeping or growing their budgets this year, funds have migrated from staff to contractors.
Candidate interview fraud has climbed by 92%: Fake job applications are so hazardous that the FBI issued a warning, with remote hiring, deep fake technologies, and data security frauds on the rise. While business firms require a tight, fast interview process for IT personnel, you must safeguard your company from fraudsters with a sharp eye or a comprehensive agency partner.
Show, don’t tell contingent workers the way: Applicants desire integration, appreciation, and meaningful work in addition to a fair market price. Just 35% of software employees feel their managers care about their career; keep contingent workers by including them in team or company rewards, providing a streamlined onboarding experience, and giving them the ability to affect their career objectives or the greater good.
Get a jump start on hiring: The demand for excellent people to build up innovative technology initiatives is increasing as the industry evolves. Enterprise organizations, for example, are five times more likely to raise their IT budget after a security attack, yet there is only one certified cybersecurity worker for every 2.4 available posts. Choose particular skill sets and hire the talent you require right now.
“With 76% of technology employers struggling to fill roles and layoffs creating questions around what stability really is, the market is leaning into an expanding contingent workforce,” said Matt Milano, President at Motion Recruitment. “Competition is fierce; talent reabsorption into the market means that as an IT hiring leader, whether at an enterprise-level company or a startup, you need the right data and business IQ to make your best offer or risk missing out on the tech talent you need for success.”
The IT Contingent Workforce Handbook from Motion contains data and trends on hourly pay rates, hiring methods, and contracting career insights. The data is based on thousands of techie employment and has been cross-checked against the reporting of other industry experts.