How To Attract And Recruit Contractors: 8 Things To Remember

Contract and temporary workforces are no longer just a contingency plan; they’re a strategic pillar in today’s workforce models.

Over the past few years, a combination of digital transformation, evolving workforce expectations, and economic uncertainty has driven demand for contract professionals across various sectors. Companies aren’t just looking for cover; they’re hiring contractors to lead transformation, digitise operations, and drive outcomes in highly skilled roles.

With hybrid work becoming the norm and niche skills in short supply, an agile workforce enables organisations to remain competitive, resilient, and capable of scaling quickly. But with competition seemingly coming from all angles for the contract talent you’re after, how can you ensure you stand the best chance of hiring the highest-quality contractors?

1. Establish which projects or roles require temporary talent

One of the primary benefits that comes from hiring temporary talent is the ability to scale up or scale down headcount as and when needed. Before you press on and recruit contractors, carefully consider your business objectives and pinpoint where there may be talent deficits.

This will allow you to identify whether hiring contractors - as niche specialists, is the right move for your business, or if a permanent employee would be a better decision.

Taking this approach will help to reduce recruitment costs and having a clear plan of who to hire will ease stress levels of your existing teams who may be concerned about workloads.

Our model helps clients define talent gaps early, create competitive job specs, benchmark rates, and manage post-placement engagement. From market mapping to onboarding and retention, this framework ensures contractors deliver value from day one.

2. Figure out the different contract options you can offer

After you’ve worked out which projects or openings require temporary talent, next you need to finalise how long you will need them for. You may have a certain date or deadline for a project in the diary which will essentially signify the ‘end’ of when you need their assistance, but their job contract shouldn’t necessarily be tied to that.

Contracts that are on the shorter side could fail to attract the attention of top temporary professionals as they don’t display a strong commitment to your contract employees.

On the flipside, some contractors are put off by overly long job contracts as they have a tendency to want to change assignments relatively often to constantly improve their profiles.

Find the middle ground and be sure to have regular discussions about contract extensions - there’s a good chance they will have their next assignment in mind already and you wouldn’t want to lose them before your project concludes!

Hiring the right contractor isn't just about filling an immediate gap—it’s about placing the right specialist into the right environment at the right time. That’s why Morgan McKinley developed an internal model, a proven contractor hiring journey.

This framework supports businesses from the initial discovery phase, where we identify skill shortages or urgent needs, through to placement and ongoing support. It includes:

• Strategic workforce planning to spot contract hiring opportunities
• Expert job spec creation and benchmarking using real market data
• Speedy placement using pre-qualified talent pools
• Compliance and onboarding support
• Post-placement care to ensure value delivery

The result? A high-performing contractor with the right tools to succeed from day one.

3. Challenging opportunities attract the top contractors

Talented contractors want to be tested. A challenging assignment is tempting as it will not only be a great addition to their CV, but it will also help them bolster their skill sets.

When you’re considering a temporary hire, pick out the most challenging aspects of the project or tasks they will be undertaking and make sure you draw attention to them. This will demonstrate how much value the contract opportunity could offer to a prospective new starter.

4. Contact a recruitment agency to help recruit contractors

Recruiters that hire contract professionals will have numerous people on their books who have the skills and experience you need. They will also have placed them on assignments in the past, so will have a clear understanding of what they want from their next role and will be able judge whether their biggest strengths match your requirements.

At Morgan McKinley, our service doesn’t end once the contractor is placed. Our Contractor Experience Team offers post-placement support, regular check-ins, and acts as a point of contact to quickly resolve any issues. This ensures a smooth experience for both clients and contractors, and helps reduce drop-offs and friction.

When you approach the agency about assisting with your contract recruitment, there is every chance that they will already have someone in mind. This means that the hiring process is more likely to be faster and easier for you.

Did you know: We have a contractor experience team who carry out pre-employment screening and the necessary checks to ensure your prospective contractor is eligible to work for you.

5. Write an eye-catching temporary job description

Whilst it is relatively similar to writing a job description for a permanent position, a temporary job description should be more specific, listing requirements in a more functional, clear and concise way. Isolate the tasks that the selected individual will be carrying out and what skills will be required for them to be completed successfully.

Due to the fact that the individual will be required for a predetermined period of time (which can, of course, be extended once they start), make sure you outline the initial duration of the contract and start date in the job description.

6. Make sure your contractor rates are competitive

Contract professionals have chosen this path because they want more autonomy over their working lives and recognition of the skills they have accumulated over the course of their careers. They will also be looking for a pay packet that reflects this.

The earning potential as a contractor can be significant, so when budgeting for your contracting role, it’s important to make sure you are familiar with what an attractive rate would be for the position you are hiring.

As the market continues to evolve, it’s crucial to stay aligned with shifting contractor expectations. Our 2025 Morgan McKinley Salary Guide provides up-to-date rate benchmarks across locations and sectors, helping you remain competitive without overextending budgets.

Use our interactive Salary Guide Calculator to check what today’s contractors are earning for similar assignments.

7. Shorten your recruitment process

You don’t need us to tell you how detrimental a long, drawn out recruiting process can be to your ability to hire top talent, not to mention its negative impact on revenue and productivity. Any indecision or delays can be even more damaging when you are looking to recruit contractors - it could cost you your first-choice temporary professional!

As already mentioned, your number one contractor probably has a number of potential opportunities in mind. Things move fast in the temporary recruitment world. They are likely to accept an offer from the company that engages them first. Try to limit the number of stakeholders involved in the process as this can often lengthen decision making.

Don’t Lose Talent After Offer

Contract professionals move fast, and they often receive multiple offers in a short window. You can avoid losing great candidates at the final hurdle by:

• Maintaining regular contact between offer and start
• Sharing onboarding documentation or day-one expectations early
• Reconfirming start dates and access to systems beforehand

Contractors appreciate the clarity and engagement. It shows you're as invested in their success as they are in delivering results for your project.

Be fast, be decisive. Here are a few tips on how to shorten your recruitment process.

8. Plan ahead for smooth onboarding

It’s well documented that a strong and engaging onboarding process is directly linked to decent retention rates of permanent staff and a high level of employee engagement.

For contractors, a thorough onboarding process allows them to hit the ground running and crack on with the tasks at hand.

Speak to your team members before the new contractor starts to establish a clear definition between roles and responsibilities of the contractor and your permanent employees. Without such clarification, work flows will be overlapping and productivity will not be what it could, resulting in the contractor not being able to deliver maximum value.

Alumni Contractor Pools: Building Loyalty

One emerging trend is the creation of trusted contractor networks or loyalty pools. These are pre-vetted professionals who’ve delivered excellent results and can be fast-tracked into future roles.

By building an alumni-style community, you reduce time-to-hire, ensure cultural fit, and encourage repeat engagements. At Morgan McKinley, we’re actively working with clients to develop loyalty schemes and contractor engagement strategies that lead to better business continuity and brand trust.

What Contractors Want in 2025

Through ongoing video interviews and contractor insights, we’ve identified what truly matters to contract professionals today:

• Flexibility & autonomy: The ability to choose projects, working hours, and remote/hybrid setups
• Clear project scope: Contractors appreciate well-defined deliverables and timelines
• Career-enhancing work: Projects that challenge them and build their portfolio
• Competitive day rates & fast payment cycles
• Supportive communication from recruiters and hiring managers

To attract top-tier contractors, businesses must adopt a more human-centred approach, focusing not only on what they need but also on what contractors value most.

Are you looking to recruit contractors or temporary staff?

Still not quite sure whether hiring a contractor is the best decision for your business? Have a scroll through our contract recruitment page for more information and take a look at the articles at the bottom – they might help you make your mind up!

If you have already decided that a temporary employee or contractor is the right hire for your requirements, get in touch and one of our specialist contract recruiters will contact you to find out more information.