A survey conducted earlier this year seems to suggest that private sector employers are missing the point when it comes to flexible workers. We’re not so sure…or at least not in the legal sector.

 

Hays surveyed more than 1,100 workers and found that, for more than 30% of private sector employers, avoiding permanent headcount was the greatest motivation for using temporary, contract or interim workers. Only a third of private sector employers viewed such workers as being essential to the success of their organisation and viewed them instead as a cost reduction tactic.

 

 In stark contrast, public sector employers said that access to specific skill sets was the biggest incentive to employ flexible workers with 44% citing them as essential to the success of their organisation. 

 

Our experience at Lexington Gray indicates that both in-house and law firm employers recognise the advantage of employing a lawyer with extensive and varied experience on a flexible or fixed-term basis. Knowledge and experience over and above a candidate’s legal training, that could enhance the knowledge and skill of the existing team at the client business, is viewed by the client as an important value added.