26% of employers in Asia recruit temporary or contract staff

More and more employers riding this trend.

The number of employers who use temporary or contract staff on a regular ongoing basis is up slightly year-on-year.

According to a release from Hays, its 2015 Hays Asia Salary Guide -- which is based on a survey of 2,361 employers representing over four million (4,017,026) employees -- shows that 26 per cent of employers in Asia say they now use temporary or contract staff on a regular ongoing basis. This is up from 24 per cent last year.

The number of employers who use temporary or contract staff for special projects or workloads remains unchanged at 43 per cent, while the number of employers who say they never use such staffing methods or only do so in exceptional circumstances has fallen from 33 to 31 per cent.

The findings also reveal a slight rise in the number of employers who expect their use of temporary or contract staff to increase in the year ahead, up from 20 to 21 per cent.

Here's more from Hays:

“We’re seeing slow and steady growth in Asia’s contingent workforce as both employers and job seekers become more comfortable with this form of employment,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia.

“Temporary and contract roles have been an accepted method of employment in many countries around the world for many years. In Asia the adoption of these roles has been far more measured but is now catching up, especially in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

“Today candidates are far more aware of the benefits of temporary roles. They’ve seen that temporary assignments offer exposure to varied workloads, systems and industries, allowing them to expand their skills base. They understand that they allow you to see first-hand how different businesses operate. Candidates also make valuable new contacts while on assignment, and often improve their work-life balance through the flexibility of their working arrangements.

“Employers too are seeing the benefits of a flexible staffing approach. Over one quarter now use temporary and contract staff on a regular ongoing basis. Temporary assignments are no longer viewed as solely a quick-fix solution to staff annual leave or maternity cover, but are a long-term staffing solution,” she said.

“One of the main benefits for employers is that they offer headcount flexibility since a temporary worker can fill both long and short-term needs, and be engaged and released at short notice. Employers can engage temporary staff with particular expertise or to support a permanent workforce during workload peaks. And temporary assignments reduce an employer’s administrative burden since they are paid by an agency and are fully interviewed and reference checked.”