2023 Trends For ERP Job Seekers

By Luke Dancy

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~Charles Darwin

Another year is sneaking up on us which means that change must be in the air. Our friends in the ERP ecosystem have seen a lot of changes in the workforce while the demand for hybrid and remote opportunities continue to lead the way. We’re definitely seeing more ERP Implementation Consultants finding remote opportunities with travel involved, but less travel than pre-pandemic levels. There are also a lot of changes regarding the way people work amidst an uncertain economy. Workers are still prioritizing a healthy work/life balance. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the trends we’ve seen this past year. We’ll also dive into 2023 trends for ERP job seekers.

Contract Work On The Rise

In December 2017, NPR and Marist found that 20% of all American workers are contract workers or independent contractors. Another study found that over a third of Americans are making some income through informal or project-based work. All data shows that contract work is growing in the United States.

Data from our friends at Gusto shows that larger companies (25+ employees) saw 24.5% year-on-year growth in contractor use in 2020, meanwhile smaller companies (< 25 employees) saw 10.7% growth. Across industries, the ratio of contractors per employee has increased by 48% since 2017, with almost one contractor hired for every five employees across all industries

And, of course, there are big stories like Amazon offering employees $10,000 to quit and become contractors (which, unsurprisingly, ignited some controversy). Why the controversy though? Well the overhead for a company with full-time employees is significantly higher than contractors. Full-time employees receive health insurance benefits, 401k contributions, disability and unemployment coverage. Contractors lose out on these perks so the incentive of ‘working for less’ by dangling a $10,000 carrot definitely sparked some debate.

Finding work as a contractor isn’t out of the norm these days so if you end up finding yourself presented with opportunities it shouldn’t come as a surprise. We certainly expect this trend to continue in 2023 as the economy continues to keep people guessing. Having options is certainly a good problem to have!

Flip The Script

One trend we continue to notice with the Acumatica, Sage or other ERP consultants we speak with is that the days of ‘one way’ interviews are slowly but surely changing. What do we mean by this? Traditionally once you’ve been asked to attend your first interview the pressure is on you to answer question after question to find out if you’re the right fit.

As ERP recruiters, we’re finding more frequently that employees such as ERP Implementation Consultants or Pre-Sales Engineers are also taking this opportunity to interview hiring managers and their companies to make sure they are also the right fit. As job opportunities still outnumber available candidates, it only makes sense that you are also making the right decisions for yourselves. At the end of the day you’re also making a commitment to a company. You want to make sure that the work you’re going to be doing will be appreciated and rewarded. You want to ensure, as much as possible, you will be happy with your new work environment as a long-term fit, not just a bump on the resume.

This isn’t to say that hiring managers aren’t still evaluating you in the interview process. We just want to make sure that you take the opportunity to ask your important questions. Find the work/life balance, get that salary you deserve, and make sure you address those boundaries and expectations. Nearly 60% of Americans would take a job they love over a job they hate, even if the preferred position paid half the amount of salary they would earn at the job they dislike.This is a trend we expect to continue seeing long after 2023.

Flexible Hours / Four-Day Working

Along with the daily commute, 2023 could be the year that we wave goodbye to another long-standing tradition – the five-day work week. Four-day work week trials have taken place in many countries in recent years, including England, Belgium, Sweden, and Iceland.

Reducing the overall number of hours worked is an exciting experiment with potentially positive implications for mental and physical health. Although it’s unlikely to become mandatory, workers will increasingly look for opportunities with companies that offer flexibility as an incentive. This means those companies that do offer more flexibility will have an additional advantage with job seekers. If inflation or recession changes what companies can financially offer their employees, it makes sense that they would try to find ways to incentivize their employees in different ways. There are benefits to employers as well as every study shows increased productivity in these experiments.

Additionally, in 2023 we are likely to see more companies adopting flexible hours to allow employees to fit parenting responsibilities as well as educational opportunities around their jobs. Every study shows the potential benefits of rethinking the conventional nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday work week. We expect this to become more prevalent as more job seekers and more hiring managers become aware of these studies.

Final Words

Along with the trends we’ve listed above, the one that’s always top of the list is your salary. We can’t predict the future, but here at DyNexus Recruiting and Staffing we’ll be publishing our 2023 ERP Salary Guide soon. Keep an eye out for this as it will break down salaries for our ERP friends in Acumatica, Sage, NetSuite, D365, Avalara, and other Tier 2 ERP systems. This valuable resource highlights the expected pay norms for many ERP related jobs. Feel free to check out our 2022 Salary Guide if you haven’t seen it yet.

Trends change so be sure to check back with us often for more information as it comes our way. Are you looking to change roles in 2023? Don’t miss our full-time job listings here. Thinking of dipping your toes in the water as a contractor in 2023? Be sure to visit our website to learn more about the opportunities we have available.. We’d love to hear from you.