Recruitment Hack: 5 Benefits of Hiring a Consultant

Author: Kate Dempsey

With digital technology the driving force behind the exploding gig economy, businesses have started to lean towards using more independent workers and freelancers to get the job done over the traditional model of hiring permanent employees. And with more than half of the working U.S population set to take part in the freelance economy over the next 5 years, Australia and New Zealand are on course to follow suit.   

While there’s plenty of advantages to employing full or part-time workers, or in some cases, unavoidable, many industries are looking outside the traditional recruitment model to give themselves more flexibility, drive better outcomes and lower operating costs.

Next time you recruit for a new or existing role, consider these 5 benefits of hiring a consultant.

1. Reduced labour costs

At the top of the list with good reason.

Firstly, when you’re filling roles with expert consultants, they won’t demand a ‘hardware’ clause. That is, no PC or laptop, no mobile phone, no desk, no chair…perhaps just the occasional coffee shout over a meeting. Consultant = BYO everything.

Secondly, freelancers won’t be asking for the standard benefits that a full or part-time employee would - no superannuation, no annual leave and certainly no sick leave (side note: since opting out and going independent my sick leave has decreased to zilch - thanks to throwing open the windows and less air-conditioning nasties).

Lastly, you’re bound to see a reduction in recruitment costs as your interview process goes from a labour intensive process of elimination to light and easy meet-and-greets, all without the dreaded, “have I made the right decision?” question in times when you’ve felt unsure. Plus, if you’re topping up to meet demand when you need to and reducing numbers when you don’t, your resource KPIs will look much better (as will your retention figures).

2. You’ll widen the talent pool

Depending on your business needs, you might be looking for the ‘holy grail’ of candidates. That is, someone who meets the page-long criteria of a role and that’s not even including the personal aptitude test. So why not split the role into more manageable parts and hire a consultant or freelancer to fit that specialty or project? You’ll no doubt find the perfect candidate but perhaps just made up of two or three expert consultants.

3. Flexibility

If it’s one thing a consultant has lots of, it’s flexibility. A flexible work/life balance is the reason they took that pathway in the first place so you should dine out on it as much as they do. With no requirement to commute into the office daily and generally no restriction on time of day, consultants can be available to work within the constraints of your business.

For example, you might run a 24/7 operation with the requirement to hold conference calls in the evening. Or you might find you’re dealing with overseas partners where 6am conference calls are the norm. With the right consultant, you’ll find it much easier to get them on the phone at those odd times than a permanent employee who is probably required in the office between 9 and 5.

4. More bang for your buck

Ah yes, the standard office routine: employees arrive around 8 or 9am, grab their first coffee or tea before settling in the at the desk. Then there’s the office banter about weekends, plans, the latest news item. Before you know it, it’s 10am. Don’t get me wrong, these are all very important facets to any business and of course, job satisfaction levels but when you’re dealing with consultants, you only pay when the work is being done.

And what about the cost of project delays? How often has one of your employees said, “I can’t progress as I am waiting for [someone] to send me [something] and until then I can’t do [whatever]”. You might still experience holdups in the chain but you certainly won’t be paying for that delay. Again, you only pay when work is actually being completed. And back to point 2, you might even see a higher quality outcome in a shorter time frame.

5. Future proof your business

No resource gaps, a lowered loss of productivity due to a reduction in TCJs (if you’ve heard of Bob Sutton you’ll know his TCJ theory!), increased rates of output, lower staff turnover and higher retention thanks to happier employees working in an environment where the cogs constantly turn and the organisation thrives.  These are all elements that will contribute to the success of a business and ultimately, provide directors, investors and of course, customers with long-term confidence and trust in the company.