Blake Thompson joins our Contracting Department in 2020

As we enter the new year, we are very excited about Blake Thompson joining our contracting department, taking our contract offering to a new level for both candidates and clients. Due to his wealth of experience and knowledge, and his ability to simplify contracting recruitment for marketing clients, we are sure he is going to be an asset to The Candidate team. Read all about Blake and what he has in store for us below.

What is your experience?

I'm coming up to my 5th year in recruitment, the majority of which has been helping to place skilled contractors into clients' roles throughout the UK. This has granted me extensive exposure to dealing with the ups and downs of both contracting and IR35, which was implemented in the public sector in 2017. Due to these experiences, I've acquired a broad understanding of the benefits (and drawbacks) of the contracting market, the impact IR35 can have on a sector and how to best navigate the legislation coming in to play in the private sector in April 2020. I am looking forward to applying all my skills and experience to further developing marketing contracting at The Candidate.

What is your new role at The Candidate and what will you be working on?

I'm joining the contracting team as a Senior Recruitment Consultant, heading up the marketing contract division, with the vision of helping The Candidate become synonymous with high quality contracting in the Marketing, Digital, Creative and Analytics sectors. Utilising my prior knowledge of contracting, and The Candidate's already stellar reputation I'm aiming to provide a first-rate consultative service to clients and candidates alike. 

What is the benefit of using contractors?

From a client’s perspective, one of the main benefits is that it allows you to fulfil a skill shortage within your company, or to hire someone with a niche skillset, for a set amount of time without having to go through the lengthy process of enticing, training and retaining a permanent worker. This coupled with contractors being available at short notice, allows you to quickly plug a gap in your current workforce so they can continue on with the task at hand without the added distraction of more on their plate. Additionally, if and when the project is finished you can go back to your core workforce of permanent employees almost immediately. Contractors can also be brought into place to cover long term absence in cases where the work needs to be completed, but hiring someone permanently for a spot that is likely to be filled again in a few months isn't viable. 

For candidates, some of the key incentives include the opportunity to work on market-leading or bleeding edge projects, to quickly add to and diversify your portfolio. Of course, there's always the added incentive of being paid more for your highly sought after skillset! In some cases, you may be offered home working or flexible working options. This is because you are primarily being brought in to help the company on an individual project with defined goals and tasks, meaning there is no need to travel into the office each day. 

There are of course numerous other benefits of either hiring a contractor or being a contractor, but in a lot of cases a conversation around you or your companies personal circumstances will be a good indicator of what benefits will be of greatest use to you. 

Who should speak to you?

Anyone interested in contracting or information about contracting. Be that seasoned contractor with a wealth of projects under their belts, companies with a history of hiring contractors for their projects, or people and companies just scratching the surface of what the contracting market can offer them.

I'm happy to consult and help with any and all questions you may have, even if you have no plans to become involved in contracting in the near or distant future.

Contact Blake or another member of the team on 0161 833 1044 if your goal is to enter the world of contracting or you have any queries about it!