A growing trend is the increased demand for office professionals in contract roles, which is in line with the increase in contract hiring across many specialisms in the country. Talent in the field who prefer towards flexible work arrangements or seek career opportunities could stand to benefit, according to global recruitment firm Hays.
“Contract office professionals are making use of the beneficial dynamics of contract work. For instance, more women are opting to be admin assistants and the nature of contract or temp work is ideal for working mothers who seek flexibility in work arrangements. Some employers are encouraging greater work life balance through work-from-home or flexi-work options especially if the executive(s) they are supporting are overseas for a work trip or if they are on leave,” says Marc Burrage, Managing Director at Hays Japan.
The global recruitment firm also cites that contract roles for office professionals present a good opportunity for those who wish to gain exposure to an industry that is different to that of their working experience.
“Contract work is also appealing to office professionals who are looking to change industries because of the relatively low barrier to entry. For permanent staff in the same line, the criteria are much more stringent in that candidates need to have prior experience in either the same or a similar industry as their employer,” adds Marc.
“As for contract staff, such requirements are not as rigid. Contract office professionals, therefore, have the option to experience a myriad of industries in various working environments. There is also flexibility for them to work fewer months in a year to suit different lifestyles and personal commitments.”
The roles/ skills in demand in the Contract Office Professionals sector include:
- Office managers
- Executive secretaries
- Administration managers
- Customer service managers
- Legal assistants, administrators and receptionists
- Interpreters or translators
“Office professionals have many options when it comes to the industry and scope of work they would like to pursue. However, some may find that being a contract office professional could mean potentially having to compromise. While permanent staff, such as those who are is customer service positions, are more likely to be under comprehensive training and development programmes or given incentives such as free meals, contract staff are less likely to get such added benefits.”
“Candidates looking to gain leverage in the office professionals employment market must demonstrate key skills such as their bilingualism, communication skills and adaptability. They are more often than not expected to be exceptionally flexible where their job scope is concerned. Executive assistants, for example, may be required to support more than one executive or wear multiple hats to carry out functions such as general affairs and administrative duties.”
To read the full Inside Story of Office Professionals in Japan, click here.
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About Hays
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 31 December 2018 the Group employed 11,700 staff operating from 262 offices in 33 markets across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2018:
– the Group reported net fees of £1.072 billion and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £243.4 million;
– the Group placed around 77,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 244,000 people into temporary assignments;
– 19% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 26% in Germany, 24% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 31% in Rest of World (RoW);
– the temporary placement business represented 58% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 42% of net fees;
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA