Here is a scenario that may sound familiar: The project is moving fast, and the delivery clock is ticking. Suddenly, you get a message from HR saying that hiring a new perm is going to take months. That amount of time sounds as luxurious as a tropical getaway. Unlike a nice holiday, however, this project timeline doesn’t have flexible dates. So, what do you do in this situation, aside from panic?
In this time of caution and wait-and-see forecasting, this type of challenge is common. Not having easy access to permanent hires is not the end of the world, though. Sometimes, the smarter move is bringing in specialist capability that can hit the ground running and roll off when the job is done. That’s when hiring IT contractors is a strategic decision, one that can be key to effective project management and workforce planning.
Not sure if you need a contractor? Here are common scenarios that indicate it’s time to bring a contractor (or two) on board
1. The Project Has Hit a Capability Cliff
In this situation, you have smart people on the team, but none of them have done this exact work before, and the learning curve is getting steeper by the day. These are the moments when your team hits a wall – be it an integration with a legacy platform, setting up secure data pipelines, or delivering user-centred design in a high-compliance environment.
There’s a huge difference between “someone who could probably figure it out” and “someone who’s done this three times before in a similar environment.” When you’re dealing with complex rollouts and sensitive stakeholders, experience matters.
Hiring a contractor with deep subject-matter expertise can make all the difference. They’re not there to “learn on the job” because they already know what to do. They bring tested solutions, frameworks, and likely have a few war stories from similar environments. This is especially valuable in regulated sectors, where domain-specific knowledge (and familiarity with acronyms!) matters.
2. You’re Burning Hours on Training Instead of Delivering
Training is a critical aspect of building a capable workforce, but it’s also a high-risk area for wastage. Hiring a permanent employee to fill a technical gap might tick the box initially, but if they require months of coaching, your project timelines suffer. Internal teams spend their precious hours bringing that person up to speed, while core deliverables stall.
Specialist contractors are often overqualified by design. You’re paying for their speed and accuracy. They don’t need handholding or context-setting. They arrive, assess, and deliver. In environments where delivery milestones are highly visible to stakeholders, that efficiency has preserved at least one project, to put it mildly.
3. The Workload Is Lumpy and Time-Boxed
Workloads don’t always follow a linear curve. Spikes in demand – via seasonal peaks, audits, or market forces – are inevitable, but often short-lived. For projects, peaks in activity can fluctuate. Hiring a permanent resource for a peak that lasts 3–6 months doesn’t make commercial sense.
Hiring IT contractors is ideal for these “lumpy” delivery phases. They can scale your team up fast, absorb the peak pressure, and roll off when things stabilise. Engaging contractors provides essential flexibility and avoids the need to scramble for redeployment (or make redundancy plans later).
4. Procurement Is Slow
Getting approval for a new FTE can take months, and even longer to fill the role. Meanwhile, your project keeps moving (and burning budget). Contractors, particularly those available through pre-approved vendor panels, can be onboarded in weeks or even days. With clear scopes and no long-term headcount implications, they help you move quickly without compromising delivery or governance.
5. You’re Under Pressure to Show Progress, Fast
Sometimes, optics matter as much as what is on the Gantt chart, sometimes even more so. Projects with high visibility (internally or externally) often need quick wins to build stakeholder confidence. Demonstrating tangible progress buys time and trust, whether it’s in the form of delivering a proof of concept, reducing a backlog, or stabilising a wobbly platform.
Contractors are often great at picking up clearly scoped, standalone chunks of work that can demonstrate momentum. That’s a lot harder to do when you’re waiting three months for an FTE hire to onboard and settle in.
6. Your Internal Team’s Burnout Risk Is Rising
When delivery pressure rises and team size doesn’t, something’s got to give. Too often, it’s your existing team’s wellbeing and performance. Signs like rising sick leave, mistakes, or disengagement point to a system under strain. Bringing in contractors can be a pressure valve when it’s needed most.
Lightening the load with contractors can go a long way in keeping your best people. Smart managers know that temporary support can protect long-term retention.
Key Takeaways
If you are attempting to answer the question, ‘Is it better to hire a contractor or an employee?’ remember that it’s not a simple case of perm vs contract. The guiding principles for a hiring decision depend on current workloads, resources, skills availability and project requirements.
When a project is stalled, stretched, or perhaps spinning its wheels, it might be time to rethink your resourcing mix. Hiring IT contractors can be pivotal for delivery.
Get In Touch
Need specialist support to get your project over the line? Exclaim IT connects you with proven contractors who deliver fast. Reach out to our team for help with hiring an IT contractor with zero fuss.
