How to Work a Blended Desk
In 2026
–An Eleven-Part Series–
Part Eight
by
Bob Marshall
September 22nd, 2026
Part Eight: Identifying Candidates Who Thrive in Contract Roles
A blended desk requires a broader view of the candidate market.
When you’re searching for the right person for a permanent position, don’t overlook the professionals who might be an excellent fit for a contract assignment.
And don’t assume that someone who has always worked permanent jobs won’t consider contracting.
Your job is to uncover the possibilities.
Look Beyond the Traditional Candidate
Always be on the lookout for potential contract staffing candidates.
When you’re recruiting for a permanent position, ask a simple question:
“While we’re looking for the right permanent opportunity for you, would you also consider a contract assignment?”
You may be surprised by the answers.
Some candidates are unemployed and need to get back to work. Others are employed but frustrated, underchallenged, or interested in a change. Some are approaching retirement and want to continue working without making another long-term commitment.
And some simply want greater control over where, when, and how they work.
The key is to understand the individual—not to assume that every candidate wants the same kind of employment.
Don’t Overlook the Unemployed Candidate
An unemployed professional may be an excellent candidate for a contract assignment.
Contract work can provide income, keep skills current, add recent experience to a résumé, and create opportunities to develop new relationships.
It can also provide a bridge to a permanent position.
But let’s be careful about one thing: being employed does not automatically make someone more placeable, and unemployment does not automatically make someone less valuable.
A candidate’s skills, accomplishments, relevance to the assignment, availability, and ability to solve an employer’s problem are what matter.
Your responsibility is to help the candidate understand how a contract opportunity fits into their circumstances—and how it might support their longer-term career objectives.
Don’t sell contracting as a consolation prize.
Present it as another legitimate way to work.
Consider the “Boomerang” Candidate
Here’s a candidate category that deserves more attention: the professional who has previously worked for the same employer.
Perhaps they left for a better opportunity. Maybe the company reorganized. Perhaps the timing simply wasn’t right.
Now circumstances have changed, and the candidate is open to returning.
These professionals are sometimes called boomerang employees.
The concept isn’t new, and the 2016 Spherion workplace study I referenced in earlier material is now a decade old. Rather than continue quoting outdated percentages, let’s focus on the recruiting opportunity.
A former employee may already understand the company’s culture, systems, customers, and expectations. The employer may already know the candidate’s strengths and limitations.
That prior relationship can be valuable—but it should never be treated as an automatic endorsement.
The candidate’s current skills, the circumstances surrounding their departure, and the employer’s present needs still need to be examined.
And here’s where your blended desk comes into play:
A former employee who isn’t ready to return permanently may be willing to come back on a contract basis.
That possibility is worth exploring.
Consider the Freelancer
The independent workforce continues to provide another source of contract candidates.
Freelancers, independent professionals, consultants, and project-based specialists may already be accustomed to working on assignments rather than holding a traditional permanent position.
Some value flexibility. Others enjoy working with different companies, developing specialized expertise, or choosing projects that align with their interests.
Of course, not every freelancer is interested in staffing-agency employment, and not every contract assignment is an independent-contractor arrangement.
Those distinctions matter.
Before presenting an opportunity, determine what the candidate actually wants:
- Is the candidate interested in W-2 contract employment?
- Are they seeking independent-contractor work?
- Do they prefer short-term projects or longer assignments?
- Are they open to contract-to-direct conversion?
- What level of flexibility do they require?
- What compensation, benefits, and working conditions are important to them?
The answers will help you determine whether the candidate is genuinely suited to the opportunity.
The objective isn’t simply to find someone who can do the work. It’s to find someone who wants to do the work under the conditions being offered.
Consider the Experienced Professional
Don’t overlook experienced professionals who may be entering a different stage of their careers.
Some are approaching retirement but aren’t ready to stop working. Others have already retired and are interested in selected assignments. Still others have spent decades in one industry and would welcome the chance to apply their experience in a different environment.
These candidates may bring valuable knowledge, judgment, and perspective.
But experience alone doesn’t make someone a good contract candidate.
You still need to establish whether the individual is comfortable with the assignment’s duration, expectations, pace, compensation, and work environment.
The same principle applies to candidates of every generation.
Recruit the person—not the age group.
Ask Better Questions
When evaluating a candidate for a contract role, don’t stop with the standard questions about skills, experience, and compensation.
Explore the candidate’s relationship with the work itself.
Ask:
“What interests you about a contract assignment?”
“What would make a contract opportunity worthwhile for you?”
“Would you prefer a defined project, a longer-term assignment, or the possibility of going permanent?”
“What would you need to feel comfortable accepting a contract position?”
“What concerns would you have about contract employment?”
These questions do more than identify availability.
They help you understand motivation, expectations, and potential objections before you present the candidate to the client.
And that information can make the difference between a candidate who accepts an assignment and one who never gets beyond the initial conversation.
The Blended-Desk Opportunity
The contract candidate is not a second-tier candidate.
The freelancer is not automatically a permanent-placement candidate.
The unemployed professional is not automatically less marketable.
And the experienced professional is not automatically ready to retire.
Each person represents a potential solution—but only if you take the time to understand what they can do, what they want, and what the employer needs.
That’s the real advantage of working a blended desk.
You’re not simply filling permanent jobs or contract assignments.
You’re building a broader candidate network—and learning how to match the right professional with the right employment model.
Next week: Part 9 – Why So Many Professionals Choose Independent Contracting
My Best,
Bob
Bob Marshall began his recruiting career over 46 years ago at MR in Reno, NV. In 1986 he established The Bob Marshall Group, International, where he has trained recruiters throughout the United States and also in the United Kingdom, Malta and Cyprus. With a dedication to executive recruiting, he continues to offer his proven training systems to individuals, firms, and private corporations both domestic and in select international territories. To learn more about his activities and descriptions of his products and services, contact him directly @770-898-5550/470-456-0386(cell); bob@themarshallplan.org; or visit his website @ www.TheMarshallPlan.org.
Bob Marshall
President
TBMG, International
205 Elliott Road, Suite 100
McDonough, GA 30252-2704
770-898-5550
520-842-5550 (fax)