ASK HR: Will I get confirmed? I have been on contract for three years

As I write this, I am at crossroads. I feel like the company I work for is taking advantage of my skills and talents.

For the past three years, I have been working on a yearly contract. The company doesn't want to confirm me as their employee yet I perform just as well as the confirmed.

I feel that they are just cutting costs because by confirming me, I will be entitled to benefits such as overtime pay, insurance cover and bonuses.

Each time I raise the issue with HR, he encourages me to continue giving my best and who knows! Should this be a sign that I should start job hunting?

Although approaches to workforce planning differ, it is common to find organisations with a blend of both short term and regular employment contracts.

How a business blends its workforce depends on several factors, among them the criticality of roles, seasonality of business activity and business strategy. With contingent work becoming increasingly common and organisations shunning paternalistic inclinations, contract work may continue to exist.

In general, a business will plan its workforce with a budget in mind and therefore you could be right that cost might be a contributing factor in your situation.

How are similar employees on short term contracts treated in your organisation? From your observation, what distinguishes employees who are offered regular contracts from those who are not?

Do you apply for suitable regular positions when they fall vacant or you only wait for your position to be made regular? What are you doing to be an outstanding contributor at work? In many cases, long term career fortunes favour employees who embrace a positive attitude and elude disgruntled ones, however gifted or hardworking.

Companies often treat contract positions as talent breeding grounds for regular roles. Be patient and focus on excelling in your current role as it could well be the key to your career aspirations.

Lay emphasis on preparing yourself for the career ahead and obsess about acquiring the competencies you need to succeed in your field. What you learn could more valuable tomorrow than what you earn today.

And yes, give your best and as you do, let it be more than an insurance premium for achieving career progress; it should be an emblem of your character regardless of whether you are working for someone else or for yourself. In the end you will find that companies find ways of rewarding and retaining employees who best look after business.