The growing interim demand in the UK

Around half a million people in the UK are now part of the Gig Economy, preferring to take short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent roles – and with benefits for both temporary workers and businesses, demand continues to grow.

Here, we take a closer look at the growth drivers of interim work, the benefits, and the factors both employers and temporary workers should consider.

Why are employers turning to temporary workers?

The UK economy has been unstable since the Covid-19 pandemic, with unpredictable inflation, poor economic growth and ongoing political debacles driving uncertainty amongst business leaders. As a result, many organisations are not confident enough to commit to hiring permanent talent – but the show must go on for businesses to achieve their ambitions, and that is where temporary workers can be a boon.

Unwilling to stagnate, employers are moving forward with new projects, transformations, restructures and other changes that will allow their organisations to thrive. Many of these initiatives require more hands-on deck and specialist expertise that may not already be available within the organisation.

Interim employees, contractors, and freelancers have often carved a niche for themselves, and are constantly under pressure to impress and deliver for their clients, which drives both productivity and a high standard of work. Temporary workers can usually drop into a business, hit the ground running and give businesses access to high-level skills that they may not need again once a project is complete.

The flexibility of hiring temporary workers also means that employers have more options if the plans change, which is particularly enticing at a time of economic instability. There is no commitment to the worker after the initial contract term is complete, and often contracts can be ended ahead of time with no financial penalty.

Essentially, hiring temporary workers allows employers to kill two birds with one stone, bringing in the skills they need without having to make redundancies later.

Why does the gig economy appeal to workers?

There are three main reasons the gig economy appeals to workers:

1. Flexibility

Our recent Talent Trends survey revealed that three-quarters (76%) of workers seek hybrid and flexible working arrangements, while 71% value the ability to choose their hours and office days, highlighting how employee attitudes are evolving. For the most part, temporary workers have more say about how, when, and where they work, allowing them to shape their work around personal commitments.

2. Income

Temporary workers can also command higher pay than permanent employees, especially if they are highly skilled or work in a specialist area, providing greater financial security. Some businesses may not require full-time support, and contractors are often able to stack multiple roles to maximise their income potential.

3. Autonomy

Interim workers choose the clients and jobs that best suit their needs, interests and ambitions, and can frame their work-life however they see fit. This means they often have more time to travel, upskill, retrain, or set up a business from scratch, which can lead to greater work satisfaction overall.

How can Michael Page help?

The interim landscape is complex, and it can be difficult to navigate both as an employer and as a temporary worker.

Following the introduction of IR35, employers and contractors must both assess how a contract might be categorised in terms of employment status, and if wrong, can be subject from hefty fines from HMRC. Working with an interim specialist recruiter, like Michael Page, removes some of the risk of these assessments, giving everyone involved greater peace of mind.

Our interim and temporary solutions teams are world-class, boasting a high-quality network of talent ready to start when you need them most, draw on our significant resources and networks while offering a boutique, highly specialised experience. As a result, we know both the trends in the market and who from our networks is currently available, meaning that we can advise on going rates and what to expect, while also reducing the time it takes to hire, so that we can get the right people into the right roles more quickly.

To learn more about how Michael Page can support your organisation in its next interim talent search, request a call back or submit a job spec. If you are a temporary worker looking for your next challenge, check out our current interim roles.