How to Hire Contract Workers as 71% of Companies Plan for Them
Seventy-one percent of U.S. companies now build contract workers into staffing plans. A six step guide for small businesses to hire contract workers and bring good ones back.
By ReadyATS Team · · 5 min read
Contract work is no longer a stopgap. On November 11, 2026, Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll reported that 71 percent of U.S. companies build contract workers into their staffing strategies, and 80 percent of hiring managers say they are likely to hire contract workers in the future (Express Employment Professionals survey, November 11, 2026).
Why now: one quarter of hiring managers planned to hire temporary or contract workers in fall 2026, up from 16 percent in spring 2025. If you run a catering company, a landscaping crew, a retail shop, or a small clinic, your competitors are planning for flexible staff before the next rush. This guide shows how to hire contract workers well, and how to bring good ones back.
What the survey found
The survey covered 1,006 U.S. hiring decision makers (May 13 to June 1, 2026) and 1,000 job seekers (May 19 to June 8, 2026). A few numbers stand out for small employers:
- 82 percent of hiring managers say their company has employed contract workers, and 57 percent currently do.
- 43 percent of hiring managers whose companies use contract workers say they rely on them more than three years ago.
- The top reasons employers value contract workers: bringing them in as needed (53 percent), easing heavy workloads (45 percent), and covering for employees on leave (43 percent).
What contract candidates want
The candidate side matters just as much. 57 percent of job seekers have worked as contractors, including 63 percent of Gen Z and 60 percent of millennials. Among job seekers not in a contract role now, 72 percent are at least somewhat interested in one.
Their top reasons are flexible hours (59 percent), setting their own schedules (53 percent), and choosing only the jobs or tasks that interest them (37 percent).
That tells you what to lead with in a contract job post: the schedule, the pay, and how much choice the worker has.
How to hire contract workers in 6 steps
1. Decide what kind of worker you need
"Contract worker" can mean a temporary employee on your payroll, a worker placed by a staffing firm, or an independent contractor. Whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor is a legal question under federal and state rules, so settle it with your accountant or employment counsel before you post.
2. Write the post around the schedule
Put the dates, the shift times, the hourly or project pay, and the expected length of the assignment in the first lines. Candidates told the survey that flexibility is the main draw, so say exactly how flexible the work is.
3. Keep requirements short and real
List only what the job needs on day one. If you train on site, say so. A short list brings in more qualified applicants than a wish list.
4. Interview fast, by video
Reply the same day, hold a 10 minute video call to confirm availability and experience, and make a decision within a day or two.
5. Screen every finalist the same way
If your policy calls for a background check for the role, run it the same way for every finalist and follow your state and local rules on timing. Confirming that the person who shows up is the person you interviewed protects your customers and your team. That identity step is separate from work authorization paperwork, which follows its own legal process.
6. Keep a bench of past workers
The cheapest contract hire is someone who already did the job well. Keep good past workers in one place with notes on their skills and availability, and reach out before your next busy stretch. In the survey, 84 percent of hiring managers whose companies have used contract workers said there have been times when that talent outperformed full time employees, so a strong contractor can also be your next full time hire.
A hypothetical example
A hypothetical event catering company with 12 year round employees books 30 weddings for spring. In January the owner reviews her list of last season's servers and prep cooks, texts the eight she rated highest, and posts four new contract openings with the dates, the $22 hourly rate (hypothetical), and the weekend shift times in the first lines. She interviews by video that week, screens every new finalist the same way, and has her crew set by February.
Why ReadyATS
Contract hiring rewards the employer who moves first and remembers who did good work. ReadyATS helps small teams do both:
- Maya brings your bench back. Maya, the recruiter assistant in ReadyATS, spots talent pool members who fit a reopened job and have not been contacted in 90 days, and drafts a personal text for each one. You approve before anything goes out.
- Interview reminders handled. Maya sends interview reminders by email and text with a one tap reschedule link, so fewer contract candidates miss the call.
- Live interviews without the commute. Schedule interviews with Google Meet or Zoom links.
- Checkr background checks and Checkr Identity Verification through one integration, so every finalist goes through the same steps.
No long-term commitment, cancel anytime.
Contract work is now part of the plan. Plan the hiring just as carefully.
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FAQ
How do I hire contract workers for a small business?
Decide what type of worker you need, lead the post with dates, shifts, and pay, keep requirements short, interview by video within a day, screen every finalist the same way, and keep a list of strong past workers to rehire.
How many companies use contract workers?
In an Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey released November 11, 2026, 71 percent of U.S. companies said they build contract workers into staffing strategies, and 57 percent of hiring managers said their company currently employs them.
What do contract workers want most?
Job seekers in the survey named flexible hours (59 percent), the ability to set their own schedules (53 percent), and choosing only the jobs or tasks that interest them (37 percent) as the top advantages.
Is a contract worker the same as an independent contractor?
Not always. A contract worker can be a temporary employee, a staffing firm placement, or an independent contractor. Classification follows federal and state rules, so check with a qualified advisor.