In the current corporate environment of job cuts and hiring freezes, employers are turning more to hired guns – with credit and collections specialists topping the list of temps most in demand, according to a report released Thursday.
While most people associate temps with office administrative help, employment agency Robert Half says it is has noticed a shift in demand as organizations look for contract employees to fill more specialized roles.
Here is the firm's top ten list of “the most prevalent project roles” in the current environment:
– Credit and collections specialists: “Companies are working with these professionals to help manage credit risk and collect from delinquent accounts,” Robert Half reports.
– Accountants: “In any economy, businesses need professionals who can perform core accounting tasks, such as maintaining the general ledger system and analyzing and preparing financial statements.”
– Corporate financial reporting specialists: “Publicly-accountable enterprises are transitioning to international financial reporting standards and need highly skilled professionals who are knowledgeable in the new regulations.”
– Help desk specialists: Rather than bulking up their in-house IT departments, more employers are calling in outside help to upgrade their systems and troubleshoot problems resulting from changes in IT products and services.
– Programmers and analysts: “Applications development professionals are being hired on a project basis to write code, test and debug software applications and analyze business application requirements,” Robert Half says.
– Web developers: “Web developers are needed as companies expand their online presence…The rise of social media also is contributing to growth in this area.”
– Restructuring and insolvency lawyers: “As the number of consumer and corporate bankruptcies continues to increase…lawyers with more than five years of experience handling complex bankruptcy and foreclosure matters, including restructuring and litigation, are in demand.”
– Litigation law clerks: “To manage an increasingly high volume of cases, law firms and corporations are forming specialized project teams to handle key aspects of trial preparation and discovery.”
– Customer service representatives: “Businesses rely on these professionals to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, which are especially important in an uncertain economy.”
– Administrative health care positions: As the health care industry continues to grow, positions in demand include medical file clerks, medical secretaries and patient registration and admissions clerks.
