Flexible Contracting

by Patti Ghezzi

May 1, 2008

Laura Sims loved the fast-paced corporate life. For 11 years, she developed a broad range of skills at The Coca-Cola Co., including promotional and customer marketing and project management. She got a thrill out of taking a program from conception to market. But as she added changing diapers to her skill set, she no longer wanted to spend long days at the office. Sims resigned last summer and returned to Coke as an independent contractor. She now works about 30 hours a week and does most of the work from home. "Everything is on my terms," she says. "I can choose to work as much or as little as I want to or need to without letting anybody down."

Many women opt out of the corporate life to start their own business. Sims has not ruled that out for the future. But independent contracting is an alternative path that is gaining favor among women deep in experience but less interested in being their own boss. Companies like Coke are realizing the benefits of using contract workers to fi ll in for women on maternity leave; to help with short-term, big projects; and to keep operations running after a downsizing.

"It's a great opportunity for companies to take advantage of the skill set of women who left the workforce to start their families," Sims says. For women looking for less stress and shorter workweeks, independent contracting is a way back into the workforce without the hassles of running a small business. Sims works for addONE Marketing, a fi rm that specializes in placing marketing professionals in contract positions. That allows Sims to focus on her work without having to spend time networking to line up her next stint.

Melissa Packman, also a former Coke marketing professional, had so much success as an independent contractor, she started addONE Marketing. She places women – and a few men – in contract assignments for Coke, Beazer Homes and other companies. Packman pitches to companies the advantages of contracting. First, it's cheaper. The company does not have to pay benefits. Second, Packman guarantees an experienced professional. "We jump in as a seamless member of the team," she says.

Contracting isn't for everyone. Packman's company does not provide benefi ts. Most of her contractors get benefits through their spouse. Others find affordable benefits packages on the open market. Not everyone can weather the ups and downs. Though Packman keeps her professionals busy, gaps between contracts are not uncommon. Packman specializes in marketing, but other firms place contract workers in human resources, accounting, finance, IT and public relations. The key is to have enough expertise to be able to dive into a contracting position with little direction or hand-holding. Women who have embraced contracting say they do it for the flexibility. "They can manage their time and their lives a whole lot better than they did before," Packman says. Rani Quirk, an East Cobb mother and brand marketing professional, logged long hours for companies such as Sara Lee Bakery and Brach's Candy before becoming director of advertising and public relations for Osh Kosh B'Gosh. "I wasn't afraid to keep building my basket of skills," she says.

After she had her first child, she struck out on her own. "It was time to use what I had under my belt to do something more fl exible." That was a decade ago. She has worked a variety of contracts since in Green Bay, Boston and Atlanta. Quirk has weathered a few dry spells by working as a substitute teacher. But she has also had years when she made more as a contractor than she did when she was on a corporate payroll.
She recently worked two fulltime stints at CIBA Vision, the contact lens company, filling in for women on maternity leave. Though she usually works from home, this job required her to be on-site at least part of the day. Her kids, now 8 and 10, could handle their mother's absence because it was a short-term assignment. Quirk likes showing her kids that Mom earns money, too. Contractors – also known as consultants, freelancers and free agents – give up prestigious job titles. But Quirk, who had reached the director level when she left the fulltime  workforce, doesn't mind. "One thing I don't bring to the table is my ego," says Quirk, now contracting with a beverage company, White Hat Brands. She finds camaraderie and support through the group Freelance Forum, which holds regular meetings for creative
and marketing professionals.

Rebecca Nixon, yet another former sales and marketing professional for Coke, joined the ranks of contract workers when her first child was born three years ago. She didn't want to travel, nor did she want to work in an office. She has worked steadily for Coke as a part-time contract employee, staying involved with her teammates via her BlackBerry, conference calls and on-site meetings about three times a week.
"It's less stressful," she says. "And I keep my foot in the business world."

When she's ready to return to the full-time corporate life, she'll be able to jump back in at the same job grade as when she left to start her family. In metro Atlanta, firms that match contract professionals with short-term corporate positions are thriving, in part because of a growing openness to the concept. "Companies are becoming much more amenable," says Carolyn O'Brien-Moncrieff, founder and principal of Tag Team Marketing Resources, which places professionals with at least 13 years of Fortune 100 Company marketing experience. O'Brien-Moncrieff does not market her business as a resource solely for work-from-home moms. But most of her 135 contract employees are mothers.

"I am providing a way for really smart, talented, savvy women to be challenged, to earn an income and to have flexibility," she says, adding that she also works with a few men. She tells employers that contracting is away to "optimize human capital," in that it allows them to expand and contract their marketing department depending on needs. She expects companies to become even more open to
contracting as baby boomers retire. The brightest professionals in the younger generations simply don't want to work in an office
environment.

"They'll give you their time and talent, but they won't be beholden to a schedule," she says. "We're becoming a free agent society." For women interested in switching from payroll employee to contractor, O'Brien-Moncrieff tells them the lifestyle can free them from corporate demands and allow them to pursue their passions and live the life they want. And the work isn't boring. "The great thing about contracting is there's always something new," she says. Monique Dearth, founder and president of HR OptIn, places women with human resources backgrounds in shortterm, long-term and permanent positions. "The idea was we knew there was a group of women who didn't want to go back full-time," says Dearth, who works mostly with women who left the full time workforce to raise
children but would like to re-enter the workforce.

Many companies have outsourced much of their human resources functions, yet they fi nd they need some help internally. "That's the angle we're coming in on," she says. Mothers of young children aren't the only women drawn to independent contracting, Dearth says. Others are dealing with aging parents while their kids are applying to college. With so much going on at home, a fulltime corporate job does not give them the balance they want. Once they shift into a more flexible career, their life often falls into place, she says.

"To me the value to society is the joy, the passion and the satisfaction these women are getting," she says. "It's huge." Randy Hain, managing partner at Bell Oaks Executive Search, has followed the growth of the independent contractor over the past few years, especially among women. He doesn't place people in contract positions. He refers women who inquire to Mom Corps, a national fi rm, based in Atlanta, aimed at women seeking balance in their professional and home lives. Mom Corps specializes in placing (mostly) woman who have opted out of full-time careers but want to still keep their professional skills sharp. Hain sees the benefit to companies, especially those under pressure to downsize. "There is a great value-add for companies," he says. "You're not adding to your headcount." Women looking to get into the highest tiers of management, such as vice president positions, may hinder their chances by down shifting into part-time contract work. Yet by remaining in the workforce as independent contractors, women gain a variety of skills and keep pace with advancements in technology. Such women would have the edge over those who opted completely out of the workforce while their children were young.

Still, a job candidate who stayed entrenched in the full-time corporate environment would have the greatest advantage when competing for an executive position. For many, the reward of spending more time with family is often worth the risk. "It's a decision you have to make as a professional," Hain says.