Having worked in recruitment for well over a decade, Senior Recruitment Consultant Lana Berg has seen ups and downs in the economy, including two recessions and the current COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigate this unprecedented situation and its impact on the global economy, many organizations are turning to contract or temporary staffing options.
Lana outlines a number of benefits to short-term hiring solutions, especially in times of uncertainty:
Managing Short-Term Workloads
Unexpected peaks in workloads due to illness, layoffs or other unexpected variables require short-term business support. When hard times rear their head, hiring temporary staff can provide a solution to help weather the storm and keep key business processes running.
Cost-Effective Solution
During challenging times, businesses need to ‘tighten their belts’ to remain competitive and keep afloat. Temporary employees only work on specified projects or for specified hours, and are only paid for the time they actually work. This can keep overhead costs down and help manage cash flow.
Assessing Fit
Bringing on temporary staff enables you to determine their suitability to both the position and your company culture, which reduces the risk before making a permanent job offer. The ‘try before you buy’ methodology can be mutually beneficial to both the employer and employee in determining long-term job satisfaction and reducing staff turnover.
Specialist Skill Sets
Contract workers are armed with a variety of specialist skill sets and a wealth of industry experience, having worked for different employers and on different projects. Consequently, taking on temporary staff is an effective way to fill skill gaps, which is especially advantageous during times of uncertainty.
Remote Capabilities
Experienced contractors or consultants are often already equipped for working remotely, which is so important in these times of social distancing, and they are accustomed to self-motivating and working independently. This also can remove geographic requirements, so you have access to a wider talent pool to find the specific skill set your team needs.
Increasing Talent Availability
With this new economic climate, there are many excellent candidates finding themselves currently underemployed. These are candidates that normally wouldn’t be on the market, so it is a great opportunity to scoop up top talent for your organization—people you can bring on full time once the crisis passes.
Reducing Time to Hire
Often contractors or consultants are immediately available to assist with your company’s objectives, so they’re able to jump right in to time-sensitive projects or to help cover other gaps in your workforce. Consultants are extremely adaptable to quickly changing environments and can hit the ground running.
Improving Employee Morale
The stress on current employees is also not to be ignored. Adjusting to remote work situations, social distancing, and the fear and anxiety for friends and family during this pandemic are concerns for all of us. Bringing in a temporary or contingent worker can help ease the burden while they transition to their new working environments.
Supporting Each Other
As we face this crisis together, let’s remember to support each other wherever we can. Giving someone the opportunity for employment, permanent or temporary, can truly make a difference in someone’s life!
If you are in need of contract, temporary or permanent staff to support your business, contact us. You can also book a free 30-minute business consultation if you need advice and guidance to during this unprecedented time, and we are happy to provide our Workstyle & Performance Profile tool for free to help you manage the unique personalities and work styles of your team.
ABOUT LANA BERG
Lana extensive experience includes 15 years as a CPA/CA and over 10 years in accounting and finance recruitment in Canada and Australia. She has worked in public practice as a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, as a senior finance manager with Epcor, and as a contract consultant for a variety of private and not-for-profit organizations. As a Senior Recruitment Consultant for The Headhunters, she specializes in the placement of permanent and contract staff in Accounting, Finance and Artificial Intelligence.
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