At MarketPro, as expert marketing recruiters, we work with candidates at all levels, and this provides us a unique advantage to see how successful marketers build their careers. Although there isn’t an exact blue print to success in the digital marketing field, there are a few ways to excel faster in your career than your fellow marketers do by finding unique opportunities that are positioned to expand your skillset and open doors that otherwise would not be opened. In this article, we are going to explore the unexpected benefits of pursuing contract-to-hire roles. Often, in speaking with marketing talent, we discover that few candidates have explored these opportunities, and they usually have a lot of questions about how a contract-to-hire position could affect their career and what they should expect.
What is a Contract-to-Hire Role?
If you’ve never heard of contract-to-hire roles, it can sound like a foreign concept. It’s actually pretty common. Large organizations frequent this employment option as it creates flexibility for their marketing team and growth strategy. It gives them room to experiment with budgeting for new ideas and at a fast pace. For example, a Marketing Director receives a new budget for the analytics team to support digital marketing efforts. The only limitation for the budget is that it’s mandatory that the team starts in a month. The hiring manager would benefit from utilizing a staffing solution like contract-to hire roles to bring in top quality talent quickly. This arrangement is beneficial to both parties, the employer and the contract employees. As a candidate, you will have an amazing opportunity of working with a great brand enjoying a competitive compensation rate (more on this in the video below). As for the employer, they get a great team with cutting-edge skills.
Video: MarketPro’s Talent Marketing Specialist Jada Harland Explains the Hidden Benefits of Contract Roles
How Does MarketPro Approach Contract-to-Hire Roles?
At MarketPro, we are marketers that have gone into recruitment, which makes us experts in understanding the opportunity behind contract-to-hire roles. We understand the inconvenience of short stints in employment; therefore, our contract-to hire roles are positioned as long-term contracts. This means that an employer agrees to have a contract position that will exist for 6 to 12 months before having the opportunity to become a full-time role with our client. Due to our involvement in this agreement between a contract employee and the organization, we create a healthy dialogue around the expectations and performance. Ultimately, this helps everyone reach their goals and provide the highest likelihood possible it will transition into a full-time employment opportunity.
Benefits Are Not a Taboo Topic
Yes! For starters, we actually offer benefits like healthcare to contractors. We noticed that there was a significant lack of attention to the well-being of contractors and freelancers in the workspace. Unfortunately, it often happens due to the fact that contractors are not viewed as a part of the team like non-exempt employees are. We push back on this ideology and focus on the culture fit as well as health benefits for candidates. We offer the experience of full-time employment with your position being as a W-2 employee of MarketPro with typically a 40-hour work week. This is great as you are not responsible for your employer’s taxes.
How Will This Impact Your Career? A Recruiter’s Perspective
Because a contract-to-hire role is an opportunity with a top company and you as a candidate, it’s a great option to learn something new and grow your career. As marketing recruiters we are looking for lifelong learners and individuals who are not afraid to take on new challenges. You will also have time to learn if the organization is a good fit for you and your long-term goals. Anytime you are learning, you are growing you career. This is very appealing to any recruiter hiring for future roles. It shows you are a fast learner, can thrive in new environments, including large organizations. A contract-to-hire role also grants you an opportunity to have career choices. After successfully completing a contract portion, you most likely will have the ability to evaluate if that particular organization is where you would like to work full-time. You can then determine if the culture is a good fit for you personally or professionally. This includes future options for internal growth, flexibility, and more.
Conclusion
As the leading marketing recruiters, we highly recommend contract, contract-to-hire, and interim executive roles. These positions are great options for all marketers ready to take on their next challenge. As a matter of fact, you can have a new job in a few days or a week versus the drawn out process of interviewing for a salaried role. With all of the benefits that come with a contract position (otherwise known as a staffing position), more and more candidates are recognizing the value of these roles for their careers.