5 Ways To Attract Top AWS Contractors For Your Next Project

Pay a competitive rate

OK, it will come as no surprise to learn that pay will always be a big motivator—and in this year’s Careers and Hiring Guide survey, it once again came out as the top factor influencing contractors.  

In the largest independent study of AWS professionals in the world, we found that 71% of contractors report earning potential as their top consideration when deciding whether to accept a contract offer. Plus, in times of current economic instability, freelance tech professionals are likely to continue prioritizing the largest contracts with the biggest rewards—and understandably so.  

But while you may hesitate to pay big bucks for short-term hires, it’s worth remembering that this is often still more cost-effective than recruiting a new permanent employee. From bidding wars driving up salary expectations to longer and more expensive time-to-productivity timeframes, paying contractors a competitive rate enables you to get projects over the line and fiull skill gaps without the time and monetary expenses of a full-time recruit.    

With demand so high for the specialist contractors with the most desirable experience, expertise, and certifications, if you’re not willing to pay, someone else likely is—so why give them a competitive advantage? 

Don’t close the door on remote working 

Over two-thirds (68%) of contractors in our Careers and Hiring Guide told us that the ability to work remotely influences their decision to accept a project or not. 

Of course, we saw remote working skyrocket on priority lists in 2020, and while the tech industry has always been ahead of the game when it comes to working from home, remote working remains a key priority for many professionals across the AWS community.  

In fact, when compared with last year’s Careers and Hiring Guide data, we see a 7% increase in the number of contractors reporting that remote working was one of their top motivations in accepting a contract.   

This is perhaps representative of a trend in organizations across some industries reeling back remote working policies. In our Careers and Hiring Guide, for example, 29% of contractors told us that they never travel for work—a noteworthy drop from last year’s 35% of contractors who told us the same.  

Part of what attracts many AWS professionals to freelance work is the additional freedoms and flexibility this brings, and so requiring contractors to be on-site unnecessarily can be enough to put some off your project entirely.  

Remember: attracting the most desirable contractors is all about accommodating as many of their preferences as possible—so try to offer the option of working from home to ensure you’re not missing out on top talent. 

Embrace the latest technologies 

In our Careers and Hiring Guide, almost three fifths (57%) of contractors told us that the technologies used in a project dictate whether they accept an offer.  

Why? Because contractors want to work with new tech.  

When asked what attributes were most important to succeed in freelance tech roles, over half (51%) of contractors listed technical expertise and a further 49% pointed to adaptability.  

But building this technical expertise and adaptability requires exposure to a variety of projects, services, and solutions. As a result, projects that will diversify a contractor’s portfolio by introducing new technologies will often be more attractive, helping them to build a more agile knowledge bank to the benefit of both your project’s success and their future contract prospects.   

Psst, want to know what AWS services and solutions might help you to win over top contractors? Check out our recap of AWS Re:Invent 2023 to learn what’s been on the cutting edge this year.  

 Offer longer contracts (with more flexibility) 

Tech contracts are getting longer.  

This is perhaps reflective of the increased demand for contract talent, with many organizations turning to the freelance market after persistently struggling to find the right permanent hires for their team.  

This, combined with the continued uptake of AWS, has seen contractors rewarded with more hours—and unsurprisingly, these longer contracts are often more appealing to freelance tech talent because of the security, stability, and compensation they provide. 

So much so, that 42% of contractors tell us that the duration of the project is a top factor in influencing whether or not they join a project.   

So what length of contract is most likely to attract top contractors to join your team?  

We found that the average contract length for a freelance AWS professional is seven months—compared to an average of six months last year—with 19% of contractors working on a project that’s lasted a year or more.  

Despite the average number of clients per contractor remaining the same year on year (three), the average number of hours these contractors work has increased from 33 hours to 40 hours, signaling a clear trend towards larger contract offers.  

However, it isn’t quite as black and white as simply offering more hours. Just like in last year’s survey, 38% of contractors in our Careers and Hiring Guide told us that flexible hours influence whether or not they accept a contract. 

Successful collaboration with contractors relies on your understanding that they’re not your permanent employee, and you’re likely not their only client, granting them greater freedom and flexibility as a result. After all, the opportunity to ‘be your own boss’ is what inspires many professionals to become contractors in the first place, so it’s likely they’ll want to retain some sense of autonomy. 

With 38% of permanent professionals in our Careers and Hiring Guide receiving flexible hours as a work benefit, it’s possible you already have the operational structures and processes in place to accommodate this autonomy. But if you don’t, look to explore how you can adjust your work practices to cast a wider net when looking for your next temporary hire.

Create an attractive work environment

It doesn’t matter if it’s a permanent or temporary hire; talent wants to join a positive working environment. 

Your company’s culture, values, and ethos all play a significant role in creating an attractive work environment that celebrates its employees and empowers them to produce their best work. But to attract top candidates, it’s imperative that you walk the walk, and don’t just talk the talk. 

Many organizations claim to have these desirable qualities, but unless you’re able to prove it in the work you produce and the culture you cultivate, it’s unlikely you’ll have the magnetism you need to attract the best contractors. 

Freelancers in our Careers and Hiring Guide told us that management philosophy (32%) and quality standards (13%) have a direct influence on their willingness to take on a contract, so strive to implement high standards and lead by example with authentic buy-in from your senior team. 

But what does this look like? 

Well, according to the contractors we surveyed, recurring challenges they face include unrealistic expectation of clients (20%), clients changing the scope of a project (23%), late customer payments/invoicing (18%), and a lack of communication from clients (15%)—so start by ensuring you’re not making these common faux pas.  

Next, it’s vital that you properly comprehend the complexity of your project—a factor that a quarter of freelancers (25%) tell us influence their decision to accept a contract—and just as importantly, communicate this with candidates from the outset. 

Contractors are responsible for their own time and workload management, meaning there can be significant implications to their earning potential and output if you undersell or oversell your project’s complexity. 

While a contractor may not be a permanent part of your team, it’s vital that they feel welcomed, supported, and invested in your project objectives and wider company goals—and creating an attractive working environment is the very foundation of this.