A Temporary Measure?

Following reports in the recruitment press that August's job flow has been the lowest in ten months, it seems that the Alexander Lloyd Job Index is not the only indicator that there has been a drop in market growth.

Our Index reported that in the month of August, the flow of vacancies in the Accountancy and Finance division dipped to a four-month low on the permanent side.

However, whilst the permanent market seems to have stalled slightly, the interim side of our Accountancy and Finance Division has picked up, with the highest amount of jobs on in over twelve months. So why the large discrepancy?

It appears that the large FS companies and blue chips – who in the most part have now put a stop to their recruitment freezes – have been largely recruiting for part-qualified roles in both management accounting and financial, especially on a temp-to-perm basis. There still seems to be lack of confidence in the economy, hence the reluctance to recruit on a permanent basis. 

As Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC commented that "employers’ confidence remains fragile", a temporary solution seems to be exactly that – to recruit on a temporary basis. The Interim Accountancy division of Alexander Lloyd has reported that one in four roles picked up in the last four months have been Financial Services roles with a great need reported for financial analysts/management accountants due to budgeting occurring over the summer. The majority of these roles are temp-to-perm.

So with this side of the market benefitting from a higher number of roles available, what are the advantages of taking an interim role? If you’ve not considered interim work before, now may be the time to do so. Many large companies fill their roles with only temporary staff; these positions can, and usually do, turn into permanent employment:

• With a temporary or interim post, both the employee and the employer have the opportunity to see if you are a good working fit;
• This side of recruitment is being proven as a way of employers taking on new talent with a view to going permanent, without the apprehension of spending possibly six-figures in this less-than-steady market;
• You have the opportunity to advance your career in the time and circumstances that suit your needs – you don’t need to compromise;
• As an interim professional, you have the flexibility that you wouldn’t have otherwise, with the opportunity to expose yourself to different disciplines, styles of working and client bases.

A strong contender will always shine through; however, it is important not to assume that your career path will always follow the easy route that you might envisage at the beginning. To be successful in your career, you need to expose yourself to opportunities and people who can spot your talent; working in an interim role is the perfect platform to demonstrate your capabilities.

By acting and thinking strategically, there can be ways of overcoming difficulties to reach your professional goals. As our Job Index has indicated, the traditional market is buried so you need to reinvent yourself – employers generally recruit an interim candidate to solve a problem, so get creative.

To really get ahead in these economically tough times, you need to think about how you can progress in your career, and by considering the interim route you are opening yourself up to many opportunities that are currently not available to the permanent market.



John Richardson joined Alexander Lloyd in 2003, and currently leads the Accountancy & Finance and Pensions & Benefits divisions. He is a Senior Manager within the organisation and specialises in the recruitment of qualified level Financial Directors and Controllers for both blue chip and SME clients, and also recruits niche roles such as tax/treasury, corporate finance and audit.

Comments

[James Morgan]

There still seems to be lack of confidence in the economy, hence the reluctance to recruit on a permanent basis.

[James Morgan]

A strong contender will always shine through; however, it is important not to assume that your career path will always follow the easy route that you might envisage at the beginning.