Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com We Find The Answers So You Dont Have To Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:34:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 sitemap http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/sitemap/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/sitemap/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:32:31 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1086 ]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/sitemap/feed/ 0 Are local authorities ready to make greater use of IT Contractors? http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/are-local-authorities-ready-to-make-greater-use-of-it-contractors/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/are-local-authorities-ready-to-make-greater-use-of-it-contractors/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:19:01 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1081 Despite the inevitable impact of the government’s spending cuts on permanent staffing in the public sector, Umbrella Company and Ltd Company contractors may experience a growth in demand for their services. The jobbing IT contractor in particular is likely to be the chief beneficiary of the austerity measures, as local authorities begin to rely more heavily on technology in the wake of the cuts.

The technology industry association Intellect recently commissioned a survey of UK councils by ComRes. Figures suggest that in order to continue delivering services in the midst of deep budgetary cuts, local authorities will need to turn much more heavily toward technology.

The study reveals that an overwhelming majority of UK councillors – 70 per cent – anticipate greater reliance on technology in the coming year, and a massive 84 per cent claim that their council is open to new means of using technology. Commenting on the survey, Intellect’s Chief Operating Officer, Charles Ward, said that technology was a “powerful tool” which could assist local authorities to manage a dual challenge – achieving cost savings whilst improving service delivery. He was encouraged that so many local councillors were already aware of technology’s potential to solve difficult dilemmas such as this.

The Intellect/ComRes survey suggests that IT professionals in the UK’s contracting community may not be adversely affected by the government’s public sector austerity measures. The Professional Contractors Group is among those who believe that the new spending strictures may encourage local authorities to move toward greater use of contract jobs in order to keep permanent staffing costs down.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/are-local-authorities-ready-to-make-greater-use-of-it-contractors/feed/ 0 Freelance contracting may be encouraged following meeting between PM and business leaders http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/freelance-contracting-may-be-encouraged-following-meeting-between-pm-and-business-leaders/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/freelance-contracting-may-be-encouraged-following-meeting-between-pm-and-business-leaders/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:41:45 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1077 Umbrella company and Ltd Company contractors anticipating the loss of public sector placements may be intrigued by a recent meeting between Prime Minister David Cameron and some of the UK’s business leaders. The subject under discussion was the future of private sector growth, an issue which is becoming more pressing as the government’s spending cuts come into effect. Thousands of posts are expected to disappear from the public sector this year alone and Mr Cameron is keen to explore with business leaders how the private sector can offset these job losses.

The Prime Minister remained adamant that his government would offer support to all entrepreneurial organisations, from huge multinational corporations right down to individual freelancers in the UK’s contracting community. He restated his commitment to focus relentlessly on driving job creation and supporting growth in the economy.

Mr Cameron went on to say that his government would back small businesses to grow and new enterprises to start up, as these firms will deliver the transformation in fortunes which the UK’s economy urgently needs. Small businesses will, he insisted, deliver many thousands of new jobs in 2011. Acknowledging that work needed to be done in removing the obstacles people encounter when starting up their own businesses, he urged anyone who becomes jobless to set up their own business or launch out as an umbrella.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/freelance-contracting-may-be-encouraged-following-meeting-between-pm-and-business-leaders/feed/ 0 Good news for the IT contractor – jobs and salaries rising http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/good-news-for-the-it-contractor-jobs-and-salaries-rising/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/good-news-for-the-it-contractor-jobs-and-salaries-rising/#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:18:01 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1071 At the start of the year, the Professional Contractor’s Group (PCG) issued a statement from its managing director, John Brazier, proclaiming that the UK’s freelance contracting community will be facing a challenging twelve months in 2011 but were well placed to handle it. He believes that the flexible working model is likely to catch on in more and more organisations, with Ltd Company and umbrella company contractors poised to capitalise on the growing trend. The intrepid IT contractor may, then, be interested in new statistics published by the IT recruitment specialist, CV Screen.

Company spokesman Matthew Iveson says that the new study, which monitored over 7,000 advertised positions and 50 IT roles including contract jobs, shows that confidence is returning to the IT jobs market.  Over the last year, salaries have risen by 2 per cent (taking the average to £36,818) and in the last quarter of 2010, there was a “large increase” in IT vacancies. Mr Iveson believes this was due to “pent up demand” from employers who had been holding back from recruiting during the economic downturn.

However, the competition for vacancies also rose during 2010: 36 per cent more applicants chased advertised posts compared to the same period the previous year. This in itself is not necessarily bad news, suggesting rather that professionals who had been wary about changing roles during gloomy economic conditions are now feeling more confident about doing so.

The skills areas most in demand, according to the CV Screen research, lie chiefly in Web Development, with candidates demonstrating expertise in PHP being especially sought after. Those with .NET and Java skills were also in high demand, especially in respect of SEO roles.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/good-news-for-the-it-contractor-jobs-and-salaries-rising/feed/ 0 REC Predicts Older People Will Turn to Contracting http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/rec-predicts-older-people-will-turn-to-contracting/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/rec-predicts-older-people-will-turn-to-contracting/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:55:09 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1068 A common assumption amongst many people of working age is that the of freelance contracting option is best suited to a younger age group – people who have energy to spare and are daring enough to face the uncertainties which can ensue upon starting up a Ltd Company. However, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, just because this assumption is widespread doesn’t make it true.

The REC maintains that changing demographics – in particular, increased longevity – will mean that most of us are going to have to work longer in the future in order to be able to afford to live. Using population projections from the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Work and Pensions has estimated that there will be a significant increase in the number of people living to 100 years of age. Around one sixth of people alive to day will be receiving a message from the monarch as they reach their centenary.

Sarah Gordon, who chairs the REC’s Diversity and Inclusion Forum, believes that many older people will be trying out contract jobs and other temporary positions in the future in order to make ends meet, a trend which recruitment agencies will be well placed to facilitate. Ms Gordon maintains that flexible working may suit older people very well, allowing them to choose the work-life balance that suits them best rather than be tied down to a full-time job.

The REC’s observations coincide with news that the government is to extend its New Enterprise Allowance scheme, which offers unemployed people a start-up loan to set up their own small businesses, including limited companies, and provides expert mentoring from a business adviser. It is expected to generate 40,000 new small enterprises over the next two years.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/rec-predicts-older-people-will-turn-to-contracting/feed/ 0 The UKs Contractor Community May Benefit From Increased HR Legislation http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/the-uks-contractor-community-may-benefit-from-increased-hr-legislation/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/the-uks-contractor-community-may-benefit-from-increased-hr-legislation/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:43:14 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1065 New regulations are about to hit the Human Resources practises of organisations in both the private and public sectors. But according to one expert, this could well benefit the UK’s freelance contracting community at the expense of permanent employees.

The additional red tape which will be required to hire new permanent staff will in reality prove to be “a huge headache” for business owners, according to Rebecca Burn-Chandler, the deputy editor of Smarta.com. And a likely response from many small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) will be a move away from permanent employees to increased use of contract jobs. More complex HR legislation, in effect, will deter significant numbers of UK employers from recruiting permanent staff, Ms Burn-Chandler believes.

She went on to explain that, whilst a certain level of manpower was essential to businesses, as a result of the HR changes many enterprises will opt to outsource many functions and recruit freelance contractor input rather than adopt the newly increased “HR burden” of employing permanent, full-time personnel.

The need for full-time workers will be further diminished by the exchange of services between companies, Ms Burn-Chandler argues, many of which will prefer working together to hiring HR-heavy permanent staff.

These comments are unlikely to be welcomed by the Cameron-Clegg government, especially as they follow hot on the heels of observations from the Federation of Small Business, which has recently attacked the government’s plan to maintain the rise in VAT to 20 per cent on a permanent basis. Such a measure will damage small to medium enterprises, the FSB argues, and the government should consider raising the VAT threshold for these companies from the present £70,000 to £90,000.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/the-uks-contractor-community-may-benefit-from-increased-hr-legislation/feed/ 0 IT Contractor Optimism Rises as Job Vacancies Rise by a Quarter http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/it-contractor-optimism-rises-as-job-vacancies-rise-by-a-quarter/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/it-contractor-optimism-rises-as-job-vacancies-rise-by-a-quarter/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:36:40 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1062 The UK’s IT contracting community has received a welcome boost from the latest Job Index from Reed IT. IT vacancies – including new contract jobs – leapt by a vigorous 23 per cent in December 2010 compared to the same time the previous year.

Reed’s Job Index uses data from its extensive jobs board and tracks both the salaries on offer and the number of new jobs advertised on a month-by-month basis. Between November and December, the number of IT job opportunities recorded by the index declined slightly, but the big annual rise between 2009 and 2010 is especially significant.

When placed in comparison with the economy as a whole, the year-to-year rise in IT jobs recorded by the index this December is no less than four times greater. The rise was largely due to increased demand in the private sector – public sector demand, unsurprisingly, fell to below half its level in December 2009.

Commenting on the latest index, reed.co.uk’s Managing Director, Michael Warnes, said that the figures show a rate of increase in IT jobs four times greater than that of the economy as a whole, granting IT an optimistic outlook for 2011.  Whilst salaries remained relatively flat, Mr Warnes suggested that the latest statistics indicate that this may be beginning to change. Until now, competition for IT jobs has remained fierce, but the latest figures suggest that skills shortages are beginning to emerge. This could drive salaries upward again very rapidly.

The Reed IT Jobs Index follows another prominent study jointly undertaken by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG, which revealed that both contract jobs and permanent placements rose in November at the fastest rate for three months.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/it-contractor-optimism-rises-as-job-vacancies-rise-by-a-quarter/feed/ 0 Essential IT Contractor Skills for 2010 Revealed http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/essential-it-contractor-skills-for-2010-revealed/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/essential-it-contractor-skills-for-2010-revealed/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:08:43 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1058 Another expert voice has joined the recent chorus of commentators urging the jobbing IT contractor to extend his or her repertoire of skills in order to make the best of 2011’s job opportunities. Alex Farrell, who is Managing Director of the IT Job Board, has pointed out that demand for highly skilled IT professionals in the UK is exceptionally high at present. Only those contractors who can show demonstrable skills in the most sought after areas, however, will be likely to benefit from this intensified demand.

Current market trends reveal an upsurge in demand for SQL, Java, .net and web development, according to Mr Farrell. IT professionals in the UK’s contracting community will need to adapt to these skill trends if they are to succeed in capitalising on the new opportunities for work placements in 2011, he added.

Another trend noted by Mr Farrell is the rise in the number of IT support roles advertised, which have now overtaken jobs for IT managers. The general conclusion to be drawn from these developments is that flexibility is likely to become a premium quality for IT professionals seeking contract jobs in the New Year. This will mean keeping a close eye on the emerging market trends and obtaining additional qualifications and experience in the core skill areas which are enjoying increased demand. In particular, Mr Farrell urged IT pros to acquire or enhance their Web 2.0 skills, which are certain to be critical as companies turn increasingly to social and business networking.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/essential-it-contractor-skills-for-2010-revealed/feed/ 0 PCG Issues Upbeat Message to UK Contractors in 2011 http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/pcg-issues-upbeat-message-to-uk-contractors-in-2011/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/pcg-issues-upbeat-message-to-uk-contractors-in-2011/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:03 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1056 The Managing Director of the Professional Contractors Group (PCG), John Brazier, has issued an upbeat message to the UK’s contracting workforce as we enter 2011: despite the public sector cuts, economic uncertainty and the “spectre of redundancies”, he is convinced that freelancers are the one sector of the community “ready for the challenges ahead.”

Mr Brazier’s comments offer an encouraging perspective on the year ahead for Ltd Company and umbrella company contractors alike. He drew attention to the recent poll conducted for PCG by ComRes, which revealed that 60 per cent of the 668 businesses surveyed were exceptionally appreciative of contractors, openly acknowledging that it would be difficult for their companies to function without their input. 64 per cent of the business leaders polled also believed that the traditional “9 to 5 day” was fast receding into history – a vote of confidence, effectively, in the contractor workforce who display in abundance the valued ability to adapt to client needs rapidly and flexibly. And, even in the midst of economic uncertainty, almost 75 per cent of respondents anticipate more contract jobs becoming available in their companies in 2011.

PCG will continue to ensure that the voice of the UK’s contractor community will be heard in the new Office for Tax Simplification, where PCG Chairman Chris Bryce plays an active role in the Consultative Committee. The OTS will continue its work in 2011 on the reform of small business taxation, including IR35, and PCG is determined to make sure that the perspective of contractors is represented throughout.

PCG now represents 1.4 million freelance contractors. Mr Brazier’s message for freelancers throughout the UK is summarised in his toast to 2011: “New year, new challenges, new opportunities.”

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/pcg-issues-upbeat-message-to-uk-contractors-in-2011/feed/ 0 Roll Over CIPD – The REC Predicts an Upbeat Jobs Market for 2011 http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/roll-over-cipd-the-rec-predicts-an-upbeat-jobs-market-for-2011/ http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/roll-over-cipd-the-rec-predicts-an-upbeat-jobs-market-for-2011/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:58:35 +0000 Contracting Made Easy http://www.contractingme.com/?p=1054 The UK’s contracting community can draw a little seasonal comfort from a new forecast from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Contract jobs could well be on the rise in 2011, according to the REC’s predictions, as many private sector employees will be looking to hire staff in the New Year.

The REC’s survey suggests that as many as a quarter of UK employers are planning to recruit new personnel in 2011, with 23 per cent claiming they will be appointing permanent staff members and an encouraging 32 per cent planning to expand their temporary workforce. The latter statistic in particular should hearten both Ltd Company and umbrella company contractors. Only five per cent of those surveyed anticipated making cutbacks in workforce numbers.

REC Chief Executive Kevin Green conceded that the outlook for the UK economy remained mixed, but insisted that there was “scope for cautious optimism” in the light of his organisation’s study. He considered the signs of increasing employer confidence a positive omen, and maintained that the feedback from the professional recruiters who participated in the study confirms that fluidity in many sectors of the labour market is being restored.

The REC’s outlook is markedly more optimistic than that of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Even though the CIPD concedes that growth in 2010 has been stronger than expected, and may auger well for 2011 if continued, it still anticipates a loss of around 200,000 jobs during the course of the next twelve months.

]]> http://www.contractingme.com/2011/01/roll-over-cipd-the-rec-predicts-an-upbeat-jobs-market-for-2011/feed/ 0