Abstract :
During and after the recession in engineering of the late 1980s and early 1990s, it became increasingly popular to take the contracting route to employment. Today, the West is steadily returning to the ´journeyman´ model of the Middle Ages in a bid to cut costs and keep workers on their toes. In the Middle Ages, skilled workers were paid a daily rate; ´journee´ is French for ´day´, hence the name. The 21st century journeyman can earn between 25% and 33% more than they would as members of staff and can quite enjoy life outside the corporation. Sure, they may not benefit from an annual four to six weeks holiday, but they are ´free agents´ to such a degree that they often move between several competitive companies, increasing their fees when they can get away with doing so and not needing to abide by any company regulations. However, problems arise when they start to clash with the company they work for - either because their sense of independence of spirit or thought does not fit in with the corporate culture or they might have expectations that are difficult for the company to fulfil. This article looks at how to turn these potential threats into a positive business advantage.
