Data Contractor Demand: Where we’re seeing changes across Perth
Intro to Contracting (or as we call it, DataHire)
Labour Hire is a common term in the recruitment dictionary and refers to:
"On-hire" or "agency" arrangements, involves a business (the "host employer") using workers from an agency for a short period.
Also known as as contracting! DR Analytics Recruitment has been flipping the narrative and is coined our on-hire talent solution as DataHire.
DataHire: Flexible hiring model designed for fast, high-impact access to data and analytics talent. Without the delays, risk or overhead of permanent hires.
Bring on DataHire
Essentially, we're acting as a direct channel for companies to access data talent. And for data talent to access attractive day rate contracts with top-tier firms.
The contracting landscape can be confusing, especially for both job seekers and employers to understand the nature of compliance, how it works and why it's an option that employers use.
This article is a dive into where I'm seeing 'Data Contractor Demand in Perth' (and why!).
3 Recent Contractor Gigs We’ve Helped With
1. Fabric & Snowflake Migrations (Data Migrations Full Stop)
Plenty of companies are ramping up their data maturity or migrating to the cloud. I see this as one of the spinoffs from the AI hype - more emphasis on data quality and accessibility. Basically, before we start having fun with AI data needs to be available.
We've had two clients beginning to migrate from existing data warehouses into Fabric or Snowflake. The projects are putting stress on the existing team...and that's where contractors come in:
We recently placed:
An Azure Data Engineer on a 9-month contract to look after Business as Usual (BAU) operations while the current team gets to tackle the Fabric migration fun.
A Snowflake Data Engineer on a 6-month contract to re-write 20 stored procedures into Snowflake and connect existing Power BI dashboards with quality assurance.
This kind of work isn’t BAU. It’s project-based and suits experienced contractors who can hit the ground running. After the migration is done, the contractor will drop off and BAU will resume!
2. Leave Coverage (Because the Show Must Go On)
Between parental leave, long service leave or someone finally taking that Europe trip, teams still need to function.
Leave is a reality of working with people - sometimes teams can struggle on with decreased capacity - and sometimes there needs to be some help called in.
We recently placed:
A Data Engineering Lead on a 6-month contract who is covering for an extended maternity leave and looking after a team of two.
3. Extra Hands (New Projects, Deadlines or Demand Spikes)
Sometimes a project lands and the team just can't absorb it. Or exec have decided that now is the time for a data catalog. Or marketing want a full dashboard revamp as they've updated their CRM.
Happens all the time. And the backlog can start to build up.
We recently placed:
A Data Engineer on a 6-month contract with a large oil & gas company who have end of year deadlines to meet but some data pipelines in sore need of improvement.
An ERP Consultant on a 3-month contract with a mining company looking at several system migrations and uplifts.
Pros & Cons of Contracting
Look, it's not all sunshine and roses so both contractors and employers should be considering pros and cons:
Pros
Fast to hire, fast to start. We’re talking days, not weeks
Flexible costs: simple day charge out rate (attractive rates for job seekers)
Plug-and-play specialists, they can add value quickly
Great for short, sharp delivery bursts
Could convert to long-term permanent staff member (try before you buy)
Cons
Daily rate looks high but often works out cheaper overall (cheaper than a consultancy)
They need clear onboarding and support (not a wizard from day one)
May not stick around long-term
You still need to brief them well to get results
How It Works (for clients and contractors)
For Clients
Tell us what’s going wrong. Not just a job title (we'll let you know if a contractor suits)
We pull from our DataHire pool. All tested and ready to go. You meet to confirm match.
We sort out contracts, onboarding and budget together. DR does payroll & compliance.
You get one invoiced fortnightly and one less headache.
For Contractors
Join the crew. Get in touch with Phoebe Cullen to tell us your skills, availability and rates
We match you to gigs where you’ll make a difference e.g. the cheeky Fabric migration
Weekly timesheets, weekly pay, no admin
Wrap it up, move on, keep building your portfolio
Final Word
There's a stigma that labour hire is just a 'body'. We're challenging that.
DataHire is where we use our specialisation to bring in pre-vetted talent because we know what good looks like. Not just pulling someone off the street e.g.
AVAILABLE NOW: SNOWFLAKE DATA ENGINEER COMING OFF A MIGRATION CONTRACT
It’s a smart way to scale your data capability without bloating your team or stalling delivery.
If you’ve got a backlog, a big project or just need a safe pair of hands while someone’s on leave. We’ve got the people.
Want to see who’s available? Just ask.
DR Analytics Recruitment
I'm Douglas - former data analyst and Founder of DR Analytics Recruitment. We're putting people first by building a community that connects top data and technology talent with the right companies. Our vision is an Australia empowered by data literacy.
Get in touch to learn more!
📧 Email: douglas@analyticsrecruitment.com.au
📞 Phone: +61 430 846 876
🌐 Website: https://www.analyticsrecruitment.com.au
⭕ Data Community: https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/industry-inner-join/
