Temporary roles are growing at the quickest rate in seven months according to the latest Report on Jobs from the REC and KPMG. Good news for me as I work exclusively on placing candidates into interim roles!

The report highlights what may be seen as the most obvious variables in this rise:

• Growing demand for short term solutions from employers
• A gradual increase in the availability of people for these roles.

These are certainly factors within my market – mid to senior management level in accountancy & finance. However, there is an additional trend that we are starting to see that is gathering pace and that is making an impact in the market across Yorkshire and the East Midlands….

…a growing number of candidates are choosing the option of an interim job over a permanent opportunity.

The permanent market has been so strong, wage inflation has been steep, and employers have been making their EVP sharper and more attractive to permanent candidates. An overall mood of uncertainty has also contributed, and this has seen the majority of candidates who are “between jobs” opting for the permanent option.

There are a number of reasons why this trend is starting to change and reasons why candidates can be well advised to look at the interim option instead:

• A strong and growing demand for temporary staff. This gives the comfort of moving from the completion of one assignment to the start of another without any extended gaps.
• Some of the most exciting roles with growing businesses, change programmes, new systems and M&A are of a temporary or fixed-term contract basis.
• Many temporary roles offer the flexibility and hybrid working patterns that people want but are not always a given for permanent opportunities.
• The world is open again after the pandemic. People are feeling well, more confident, and ready to take on more challenges.
• People who are available immediately for a new job would often rather take a temporary role to give them time to wait for the right permanent position. It is not always the best option to take just the best permanent job that is available at that time.

If you are looking at your next options, there are not as many consultants out there who just look at the temporary market as there used to be – a lot of them are working on permanent markets or straddle both temporary and permanent. I am always available to talk through your options and to promote the benefits of joining the fastest growing part of the jobs market!