Many clients have questions about contract jobs and managing a contract workforce. Listed below are the top seven frequently asked questions Sterling Staffing receives.
#1 What is a contract employee? According to Indeed, contract employees are individuals hired for a specific project or timeframe for a set fee. Often, contract employees are hired due to their expertise in a particular area. Contract employees are typically recruited and employed/payrolled by a staffing organization, like Sterling, to cover a short-term project, long-term project, or contract-to-hire basis.
#1.1 – What differentiates a Sterling contract employee? A Sterling contract worker is a valuable team member assigned to a client’s location and project to assist in accomplishing the project’s goals. These candidates are sourced and fully pre-qualified by Sterling recruiting industry experts. Sterling contract employees have access to traditional benefits that any internal employee would expect, with the industry-unique added benefit of participating in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) at no cost to the Sterling contract employee.
#2 What are the different types of contract workers? There are two main types of contract employees: contract and contract-to-hire. Contract workers are compatible with short-term and long-term projects needing specialized skill sets. While contract-to-hire jobs offer an opportunity for the employer and employee to determine “fit” before making a long-term commitment.
#3 What if I want to convert a contract employee? Excellent news, contract employees often have a pre-determined conversion schedule, making converting the employee seamless.
#4 Help! We need someone now! How can we fill our needs quickly? Quick turnarounds are where leveraging a contract workforce can be a perfect solution. As mentioned in our first article in this series, contract positions help companies move quickly to fill a need or complete a project. Permanent positions can take weeks or months to fill.
#5 Who covers their benefits? The staffing company or independent employee would be responsible for the employment burden & costs associated with health insurance, PTO, retirement plans, etc.
#5.1 How does Sterling handle benefits to contract employees? Unlike many other staffing firms, Sterling offers exceptional and comprehensive employee benefits. Click to learn how Sterling uniquely supports their contract workers.
#6 How does Sterling’s pricing work? Sterling provides up-front bill rates when discussing the assignment during a job intake call and the contract employee’s bill rate with each candidate submittal. Bill rates are constructed primarily of the employee’s pay rate and the burden associated with the employee’s rate, combined with Sterling’s obligation or cost of doing business.
#7 What are the advantages of working with Sterling for your contract staffing needs? By working with Sterling, you are partnering with employee owners looking to help solve your project/people resource needs for today and tomorrow. Sterling has been providing contract staffing services for over 50 years. We understand the need to find the right resource to have successful projects. Sterling will assign an Account Manager with industry experience and walk you through the needed information, then manage the recruiting process specific to each client’s needs.
- Relationship building: We make partnering with you our #1 priority. Sterling’s team will dive deep into your company and its hiring needs during our unique job intake process. Our recruiters are skill-set and industry-focused. They recruit from within your industry, so they understand the job positions and the work environment. Sterling is also proud of the tenure of our sales team. No cycling through reps here!
- Business problem solvers: Our recruiting services offer the perfect balance of speed and quality. With our proprietary database and substantial investment in research resources, we can find you the right candidate quickly so you can get back to growing your business.
- Benefits: We offer our contract talent industry-leading benefits. Offering benefits creates an unprecedented level of support, built on focus and retention, given that benefits and professional development programs promote retention and allow employees to build careers!
-
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Prescription, vision, dental, HSA
- PTO & Paid holidays
- Sponsored 401(k)
- Referral program
- And we think most importantly – employee ownership through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Read more about our ESOP advantage.
Sterling is not simply looking to place someone on your project; Sterling strives to be your one-stop resource and partner for any technical staffing needs. Do you have additional questions about contract workers or need help filling a contract role? If so, we are here to help. Visit our previous blog post in this series.
