Grow Your Business with Temporary Workers
Many businesses, whether small or moderate-sized, need extra help with staffing at some point to avoid getting behind schedule, quickly fill a vacant position, or expand after a period of continued growth. Due to employee vacations or other absenteeism at various times of the year, management must ensure that the workflow requirements are met. Therefore, hiring skilled temporary workers or contractors could be a viable option in most situations.
For example, it may make more sense to hire a contractor for a specified amount of time, rather than hire someone permanently, especially during challenging economic climates. But even in a robust economy, it may be wise for a company to hire contractors. This way, a company can evaluate how a prospective candidate performs, and if he or she is a fit in the role before making a long-term commitment.
There are several ways to find skilled talent who can help your company stay on track for a season or on a long-term contract basis:
1) You may want to consider bringing back former employees who either retired or left on good terms for other reasons. They may be available for freelance work, and could make an immediate contribution with their job skills and knowledge of the company culture.
2) If you filled a job recently, review the short list of candidates who previously applied. They may have been equally qualified but did not get the position due to the lack of a successful interviewing technique. However, some of those candidates may still be looking for work or welcome the opportunity for additional hours.
3) Staffing agencies tend to get more requests for temporary help during an economic downturn, and specialize in providing talent with diverse skill sets across multiple industries. Many of these agencies have developed relationships with skilled contractors over a long period of time, conducted employee background checks, and can match the right temporary personnel with most companies.
Often, if an individual contractor performs well on the job over time, the company can directly hire that individual through the staffing agency, usually for a fee. This avoids the time-consuming hassle of posting online job ads, interviewing numerous unproven candidates, and verifying references.
For the most part, taking advantage of the experienced pool of independent contractors available through staffing agencies or professional associations can help a business to further establish benchmarks for success, such as serving more customers or improving Quality Control and project management procedures. However, to make the most of a temporary employee, it is important to clearly define the work needed to be done beforehand, and ensure that he or she has the necessary tools and/or training, if required, to perform the job.
