Investment in temporary workers – why is it a good idea for 2018?
Temporary employees are now becoming a popular option for companies of all sizes—from small to large and in between. Any company, including small businesses, can benefit from hiring temporary employees.
Why Do Companies Hire Temporary Workers?
It used to be that a company considered hiring a temporary worker during hard times. It was cheaper and there were no long-term commitments. When the temp was no longer needed, you just let the staffing agency know. However, these days, temps have become the popular option for companies in good times and bad.
There are many reasons you might choose to hire a temporary worker. Some of the most common reasons include:
Seasonal work: some companies are busy at specific times of the year, and they only need extra employees during this critical time. Once the busy season is over, they may not need extra staff the rest of the year, when they only need a smaller staff.
Unexpected workloads: companies also hire temps during times when their business experiences unexpected workloads. When business goes back to normal, they may not need the extra staff—similar to seasonal work.
Urgent replacement: there are times when a company faces a last minute issue with an employee leaving due to sick leave, maternity leave, injury, vacation, etc. Quickly hiring a temp to fill-in keeps the company’s business on track.
Short-term obligation: temporary workers are usually hired for a short period of time, which is typically one year or less. Companies are only responsible for this short-term obligation and don’t have to worry about firing an employee after a short time.
As you can see, these are only a few of the reasons hiring a temporary worker makes good sense for your company. Now, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of hiring a temp.
Benefits of Hiring Temporary Workers
Temporary workers can bring many benefits to your company. For example, onboarding new employees is expensive, time-consuming, and diverts other employees from their own jobs. It’s difficult to find people who have the qualifications to fill your position. That’s where an employment agency can help you with temporary employees.
Here are some of the benefits of hiring temporary workers:
1) Temps offer flexibility: temporary workers can add some flexibility to your company—this is true for large or small companies. There may be times when it’s necessary to cut back on full-time staff, or you simply need more workers for a short time, such as during the holidays. Hiring temporary workers gives you the flexibility your company needs during the regular flow of your business cycle—all the ups and downs, etc. Not only that, but temporary workers can also fill in when an employee’s on maternity or sick leave, an employee quits, or even for special projects.
2) Relieve pressure on existing staff: temporary workers can help fill the gap and provide more hands when your current staff is overburdened or stressed. Maybe a client has changed the deadline on a project—now you have to get the job done even sooner. Hiring temporary workers at a time like this can actually help you get the job done on time and you’ll have a happy client and relieved employees.
3) Expert qualifications and skills: does your company require specific qualifications for a short-term job, but you don’t have anyone with the right knowledge and experience? Then look to a temporary worker. Brining on a temp with the necessary qualifications and skills will save your company time and money by not having to either train a current worker or a new hire. Many temporary workers will already have the skills and qualifications needed for the job.
4) Impart new skills: temporary workers may even teach their skills to your current staff. This is another way to save money and time—you don’t have to pay for training and your existing workers learn right on the job.
5) Fresh ideas & approaches: temporary workers can bring fresh ideas and approaches to your company’s processes. For instance, this can help with problem solving—maybe you’re stuck and unable to move forward on a project. A temporary worker may quickly spot what’s causing the problem. Your company then quickly solves the problem and the project can move forward. This another way new temps can have a positive impact on your company.
6) Save money: when you hire a temporary worker from a staffing agency, the agency is responsible for recruiting, screening, testing skills, hiring, payroll taxes, unemployment, workers’ compensation insurance and benefits. Your company only pays the staffing agency fee. You don’t lose time or money for any of the hiring process and you aren’t responsible for the temporary worker’s salary, etc.
7) Long-term solutions: it’s difficult finding employees who are right for the job and who are a good fit for your company’s workplace. Hiring the wrong person can cost you. Temporary workers may give you the chance to try their skills over time, to see if they are a good fit. If they’re not a good fit, you can ask for a new temp to fill in and see if they’ll work out better. You’re not tied down to a long-term commitment. However, if the temporary worker is a good fit, you may have just found your next new full-time employee.
8) Making connections: if a temporary worker has good experience at your company, they’ll be apt to share their experience with others in their network. This helps to promote your company’s brand and reputation. Not only that, but through sharing their experience with colleagues and others, a temp could even send new vendors, clients, and business partners your way.
These are some of the benefits of hiring temporary employees. Now, we’ll take a look a few of the disadvantages a temp may bring.
Disadvantages of Hiring a Temporary Worker
There are a couple disadvantages to consider when hiring a temporary worker:
1) Possible need to train: though a temporary worker usually comes pre-qualified for the job, you may still need to train them. This takes a certain amount of time and can cost money, too.
2) Non-engaged worker: when a temp knows they’ll only be at a job for a short time, they may not be committed to the business. They may be unreliable, less motivated, or provide subpar work.
These are a couple of issues to keep in mind when you consider hiring a temporary worker. For the most part, if you hire an excellent staffing agency and develop a good relationship with them, you won’t have to worry about these issues. And if you do happen to get a temp who doesn’t fit the job or work environment, then you just ask the staffing agency for a replacement. This is their job–they want to have a happy client, after all.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for hiring a temporary worker for your business. They can bring many benefits, while providing excellent job skills and even bring relief and new insights to your business. Not only that, but your company can let the agency handle all recruiting, screening and hiring—saving you money in the long-run.