LOB Salary Guide AUDIT - Flipbook - Side 7
07
Contract recruitment trends
Nearly two years have passed since IR35 reforms
were introduced in 2021. Initially, some contractors
left the market, either retiring early or seeking
permanent roles because interim positions were
seen as less attractive.
We witnessed this trend begin to reverse in 2022,
with an increasing number of professionals looking
to return to the contract market once it became
clear that IR35 changes were having less of an
impact than anticipated.
"I'm speaking to candidates who are leaving the
permanent jobs they accepted at the height of
the pandemic because they're confident they can
earn more money again as contractors, particularly
as the cost of living crisis intensifies," says Andrew
Whyte, Associate Director and Head of Interim at
Barclay Simpson.
From a business perspective, none of the employers
we surveyed said the reforms were significantly
affecting their ability to engage skilled contractors
– 70% claimed they had no impact at all.
Currently, nearly half (49%) of internal audit
departments utilise contract or temporary resource
and they are primarily sought for their subject
matter expertise and specific project work.
However, the number of organisations that are using
interim staff because they cannot find permanent
employees has tripled year on year, rising from 6% in
2021 to 18% last year. This emphasises the difficulties
that many employers are facing when trying to
attract and retain high-quality internal auditors in
today's increasingly competitive environment.