Choosing Talent for a Mid-Size Consulting Firm: Contract vs. Full-Time

In a rapidly growing and evolving working environment, the decision between hiring a full-time or contract worker can be difficult as various challenges arise across all industries. Knowing the specific needs of your mid-size consulting firm is key in making these decisions, as different challenges require unique solutions. Choosing whether to bring in temporary expertise or go with the full-time hire ultimately depends on your business’s goals and constraints. Full-time workers oftentimes display a higher level of loyalty and commitment to your firm, whereas contractors may be more cost-effective when searching for quick and temporary solutions. Overall, when looking to source candidates to fill roles partnering with a staffing firm can be a simple way to efficiently and seamlessly staff employees for your mid-size consulting firm. For those seeking talent for a mid-size consulting firm, we compare contact workers versus full-time employees below.

Choosing Talent for a Mid-Size Consulting Firm

Contract Workers 

Pros

Hiring a contract worker can have many benefits, especially when it comes to unique circumstances like implementing recent technologies. While the simple answer to needing more bandwidth to support an organization would be just to bring on more full-time employees, it is not always that straightforward. Freelancers, consultants, and contractors have more flexibility and are often more cost-effective in the short term. Say you need an SAP expert for an implementation project, hiring a contract worker would be much easier and cheaper than training a team of full-time hires for a potentially short-term project. These experts are often quick and easy to source, especially when using a staffing agency to assist. 

Cons

On the other hand, contract workers are not as useful when creating a team your company is utilizing for the long term. For example, when growing or upskilling your marketing or sales enablement department you may want to consider full-time employees as they have more of a sense of loyalty and commitment to the organization. A solid long-term hire could be more dependable and cheaper than paying a premium for a consultant on some projects.  

Full-Time Employees 

Pros

Hiring a full-time employee means making an investment. However, oftentimes investments can be extremely lucrative, providing a source of long-term dependability and revenue, as full-time employees require more up-front costs compared to contract workers. However, in most cases, they make up for this investment as they advance within their role and the company. When looking to grow a sector of the company or bring on more long-term assistance in an existing sector, full-time hires are likely the avenue to take.  

Cons

As mentioned earlier, full-time employees are an investment, not a quick fix. In busy seasons, companies are often overloaded, and may not have the bandwidth or time to source, screen, and select the perfect candidate for their team. In times of stress, bringing on a contract worker may be the right decision because they don’t require extensive training and are already experts in their field. They are especially useful in temporary projects where a quick solution is easier than scouting out-house talent or upskilling your current employees. Using a staffing agency to find experts can help find the niche talents your organization may be searching for short-term projects.  

Looking Forward 

When making the decision between full-time and contract employees for your mid-size consulting firm, it’s important to know the needs and goals of your organizations. Both types of employees are beneficial in their own way; however, knowing your budget, time-constraints, and overall capabilities will tell you more about how to effectively staff your projects. For more information about contract workers and overall staffing challenges and solutions for mid-size consulting firms, contact BCTG. 

Contributions from Leah Harding