By Paula Santonocito, AIRS Staff Writer

If you're having difficulty filling a position, why not give some thought to an alternative? No, giving up isn't the answer. But a contract employee might be. Contract employees encompass a wide group of workers. From offsite freelancers and e-lancers to onsite full- and part-timers, if you can envision a work arrangement or any combination thereof, these days it probably exists.

A contract employee may be an individual with whom you have negotiated a work relationship directly, or he/she may work through an agency. However they arrive at your door, there are good reasons to include these people as members of your team. Contract employees are likely to be task-oriented. Because they do not have the benefit of paid sick days or paid holidays, their focus tends to be on getting paid for the work they do for you.

The very nature of the work relationship also affords a flexibility, which may prove advantageous to your organization. If you require a particular level of expertise for a project, for example, but are uncertain about your staffing needs once the project is completed, a contract employee may be the smart hire.

Contracting for jobs for a specific time period has become so commonplace that candidates searching job sites often have the ability to choose between "permanent" or "contract" positions. One regional job site, Tri-State Jobs, has taken this selection process even further. In addition to the "Permanent or Contract" choice at Tri-State's "Job Search" page, there are seven different "Contract" timeframe options.

Full Spectrum Contractors

While at one time contract employees seemed to either be entry-level temporary workers or high-paid management consultants, there are now contract positions and pay scales for a range of positions that fall between these two ends of the spectrum. In some fields, the demand for employees has become so great that it has created an unprecedented opportunity for contract workers. Such is the case with IT professionals.

RealRates.com - Compensating Consultants

At RealRates.com you'll find salary information that can provide assistance with regard to compensating computer consultants. The information is updated on a weekly basis and includes position titles, locations and hourly rates. Select "Real Rate Survey" to view the current listing, or select "Download" for a 52-week comprehensive report, for which there is a nominal fee.

The site also features a category called "Computer Consulting News & Notes" where you'll find some interesting discussion topics that may prove helpful in working with contract employees. Although many of these are written from the worker's perspective, others discuss employer issues. "How to Create an Effective Proposal as Seen from the Management View" is among the current topics. In addition, RealRates has a "Message Board" where management issues are discussed. The site also includes a job board, which lists only computer contract positions.

Contract JobHunter - Contract Employment Weekly's online site

ContractJobHunter, a site devoted to technical professionals, is the online version of Contract Employment Weekly. All jobs that appear in the print magazine also appear online. Here you can post jobs online and search for candidates using the site's job board, and there are other resources as well. An "Upcoming Events" section provides information about events around the country, where "Contract Chat," offers the opportunity to explore discussion groups.

Strictly Contract

While most job sites advertise both permanent and contract positions, some sites, such as RealRates and ContractJobHunter, focus strictly on contract jobs. Like RealRates and ContractJobHunter, many also concentrate on specific industries or skills. However, there are also sites which, while devoted exclusively to freelance work, feature a variety of positions.

Guru.com , includes "Creative/Media," "Finance and Legal," "IT," and "Management and Strategy" among its "Find a Gig" job categories. Listing both onsite and offsite positions, with job titles from "Copywriter" to "Network Specialist," the site has served over 280,000 gurus and over 33,000 hiring companies since its launch just over a year ago.

FreeAgent.com also includes a wide range of job categories. Calling itself the "#1 marketplace for freelancers, consultants, and independent contractors," "Health Care/Medical," "Legal," "Sales," and "Travel/Hospitality" are among the site's job classifications. And, with position titles like "Regional Vice President" and "Sports Publicist," the listings at FreeAgent are indicative of the possibilities when it comes to a freelance arrangement.

There are many places, both online and off, where you can connect with contract employees. By determining your project needs and defining the skills required in order to meet your objective, you can find a candidate with whom you can contract for results.

-- Paula Santonocito is a writer and communications professional who has written about a variety of business and management issues and is now a contributor to AIRS research. This article is reprinted by permission from AIRS, a global leader in Internet recruitment, tools, news and information. For more information on AIRS, please go to: http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/pages/airs.php. Copyright © Hanover Capital Management Corporation 1997-2001. All Rights Reserved.

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