‘Project Economy’ Good For Independent Contractors
Recruitment consultancy Berkley’s core focus is on the Business & Technology and Life Sciences & Engineering sectors. Most recently the firm has started another vertical focus in Supply Chain & Procurement.
Managing director Arthur Griffin says the first lockdown resulted in a slowdown in permanent hiring. However, the acceleration in adoption of digital technology and increase in projects from Life Science companies saw significant demand for skilled talent through H2 2020.
“Overall, we saw a 23% year-on-year increase in turnover with growth across both divisions,” says Griffin. “We invested in a marketleading AI talent pooling platform, which has accelerated our search and selection process. In addition, we also supported our clients further by providing an interviewing platform and advice on remote interviewing and on-boarding.”
The growth in the ‘Project Economy’ is seeing an increase in the hiring of independent contractors. “This is aligned with workers’ expectations around flexibility and work-life balance,” Griffin adds. “There is an upward trend in blended workforces made up of permanent and contract staff and we are aligning our service lines to meet new demands in this space.”
According to Griffin, candidates are now evaluating one job opportunity over another based on remote/hybrid work policy, in addition to salary, career opportunity etc. “Employers that do not offer hybrid working will ultimately lose out in the war for talent,” he advises.
Griffin notes that in the Cork region there is full employment across the Technology and Life Sciences sectors, with many organisations unable to source key hires. The Berkley boss would like to see better promotion of STEM subjects in schools, while in the shortterm he believes support of Skillnet and the Regional Skills Forum will help build skills capabilities.
“For example, initiatives such as it@cork’s Skillnet CyberQuest Programme, which helps people to reskill and secure new roles in the cybersecurity sector, are to be applauded,” he adds.