As the new year has now begun, many industries are bracing themselves for the winds of change that are set to take 2020 by storm. None more so than recruitment, according to Mark Standen, Global Associate Director of Automation Practice at Hortor.
With previous comment pieces referring to the digital and technological advancements that are likely to impact the market, HMRC extending the IR35 legislation to apply to the private sector will also lead to a disruptive start to the year.
Placing the onus on companies to determine if contractors are categorised as self-employed or full-time employees of a business, organisations have recognised the administrative burden this could create, redirecting time and resource from the bottom line.
According to Mark, the impact that IR35 legislation will have on recruiters operating in the tech and digital sectors will be significant, but so will the opportunities this presents. The focus for Hortor is to align new technologies with a fit-for-purpose business model that serves both clients and candidates as the market changes.
Mark comments: “As the IR35 news hit the headlines, there was mass panic among recruitment agencies about the negative fallout this will bring. As a global strategic resourcing consultant, we were able to identify the opportunities and immediately respond by extending our employment consultant (EC) model into other markets.”
Once IR35 is deployed into the private sector on 6th April 2020, Hortor will scale up its EC model and distribute its own FTE resource to assist with clients on short and long-term projects. As a result, this method of workforce planning reduces labour costs and remains compliant with employment laws giving clients a totally scalable and flexible solution.
Mark continues: “Our approach to the IR35 reform will benefit clients and candidates, as we are able to ensure that all administrative duties are met, and all parties are compliant with the new legislative rules. Ultimately, we take the problem away and give those we engage with greater choice.
“The new EC team at Hortor will not only help roll out RPA among our global client base, but it will also help ease the complexities surrounding IR35 compliance guidelines. We will be able to supply full time employees, who are paid by Hortor, for clients requiring specialist contractors for short or long-term projects.
“Hortor will become a trusted partner among businesses to have the processes and procedures in place to employ a highly-skilled workforce who are categorised as permanent members of the team, without the risk of breaking any labour laws.”