‘Consultant’ vs. ‘Temporary Worker’: Staffing Word of The Week
Research by SIA asked temporary workers, “With regarding to the temporary work you perform through your […]
Research by SIA asked temporary workers, “With regarding to the temporary work you perform through your staffing agency, what do you prefer to be called?” Turns out, 88% said they prefer something else other than “temp” or “temporary.” One of the most-preferred term by the workers is “consultant,” preferred by 30% of workers.
Consultant is also this week’s Staffing Word of the Week. SIA’s Lexicon defines consultant as:
“A term often used interchangeably with ‘temporary employee,’ though typically one performing professional-level work in areas such as IT, engineering or management consulting services. Confusingly, in some European countries ‘Consultant’ is also the term commonly used to describe the front-office staff in a temporary work agency.”
SIA’s report noted the term consultant was favored more by contingent workers earning more than $60,000 per year; 59% of them preferred the term consultant. In comparison, 8% of contingent workers earning between $16,000 and $30,000 preferred the term consultant. Contractor was the preferred term for 30% of those workers.
The report is online for SIA corporate members. The Lexicon is available free to all.
Original Article: https://www2.staffingindustry.com/Editorial/Daily-News/Consultant-vs.-temporary-worker-Staffing-Word-of-the-Week-58815