The total number of assignments Planet Interim matched with its members during the first six months of 2021 shows a strong growth of 44% compared to the first six months of 2020. In connection with Corona, the second quarter of 2020 in particular was a relatively weak quarter after a very strong first quarter. The increased confidence in a solution to the Corona crisis was probably reflected in the strong order growth of 44% during the first two quarters of 2021.
IT SHARE CONTINUES TO GROW FASTER THAN THE MARKET
At 71%, the number of IT assignments again grew faster than any other discipline. As a result, IT assignments constituted 57.6% of the interim market for higher educated professionals. In 2019, this IT share was still 45%.
Within the IT discipline, IT Architecture is the largest job type with 17,119 assignments, followed at a distance by IT Consultancy with 2,667 and IT Security with 2,268 assignments. IT Mobile App Development grew the fastest as an IT job category with 523%, followed by the largest IT job category, IT Architecture, with 146%.
GROWTH IN HR, ENGINEERING, MARKETING, PROCUREMENT, LEGAL AND GENERAL & PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
The number of assignments in HR also showed strong growth with 47% in the first half of 2021, while Marketing, Technology, Procurement & Logistics and Legal & Tax also increased with 41, 32, 30 and 28% respectively. General & Programme Management also grew, by 24%. Striking, but not surprising, is that the number of assignments in the discipline Education decreased by 52% and in Tourism & Hospitality by 76%.
GAP OF 28% BETWEEN DESIRED RATES AND QUOTED RATES FOR ASSIGNMENTS
The graph below shows that the assignment rates of professionals are on average 28% higher than the rate indications given in the market in 2021. It is notable that within Legal & Tax, General & Programme Management and Education, the price indications, and perhaps therefore the type or level of assignments in the market, corresponded least closely to the wishes of the professionals who reported their availability.
In Purchasing, Office & Facility and IT, the rate indications corresponded best to the wishes. The average deviation of 28% can partly be explained by the margins of intermediaries who put assignments on the market with net rates, i.e. after deduction of their margin. This means that the rates that professionals want seem to be in line with the market, but a part of the income is given up because of the mediation fee that agencies charge.
THE ROLE OF PLANET INTERIM
Planet Interim can ensure that clients also pay a competitive but market-conform rate directly and without costs, while no margin has to be ceded by the professionals (more information).
ABOUT THIS ANALYSIS
Analysis of the online flex market for higher skilled interim professionals based on thousands of new and updated interim profiles and 56,124 assignments matched by Planet Interim with affiliated interim managers and freelance professionals in the first half of 2021. The assignments were posted on Planet Interim or inventoried by Planet Interim with 350+ intermediaries, MSPs and social media.