Would Your Business Benefit From Temporary Staffing?


Temporary staffing can be a beneficial tool in many segments of the workforce.  It’s not just limited to secretarial and clerical work, but can be utilized in a wide range of professions. Patricia Schaefer with Business Know-How offers the following pros and cons to help you determine whether temporary staffing would be a good fit for you.

Pros

1. Enables your business to adjust more easily and quickly to workload fluctuations. Temporary help agencies can quickly provide your business with qualified staff.  Some common reasons companies hire temps:

  • Employee absences:  illness, vacation, maternity or disability leave, sudden departure.
  • Unexpected or temporary demands:  special projects, seasonal or peak periods, employee shortages
 

2. Maintains staffing flexibility. With the popularity and staying power of flexible work arrangements, employers need to stay current with the needs of today’s work force.  Temporary work is just one of the ways that businesses can offer flexibility and at the same time better meet their own needs.

Representative Denise Ridenour of renowned Kelly Services foresees that “the employment pool will increasingly include a mix of temporary and full-time employees.  The result is a more efficient workplace, a more flexible job market, and greater opportunities for both employers and employees.  Additionally, improving productivity enhances a company’s bottom line and employee job security.”

3. Can evaluate worker without commitment. Based on your evaluation or preferences, you can employ a temp for a designated short term or, if desired, offer a full-time position to a worker who suits your business.  Some businesses employ temporary workers as an excellent and cost-efficient way to recruit and test the abilities of new workers before signing them on full-time. Other companies will repeatedly use the services of a temp worker who has proven to be a company asset. Hiring a temp can also be a good way to continue getting work done while you search for the perfect candidate for a particular job. If unsatisfied with a temp’s work performance, all you need do is contact the temp agency and they will take care of the rest.

4. Can save time and money. The cost of hiring temp workers is often less expensive than the cost of hiring permanent employees with benefits. In the short term, it is generally more cost-efficient to hire a temp. For jobs that are expected to last six months or longer, it may pay to hire a full-time employee.   

When you employ an agency, it – not you – becomes the temp worker’s employer.   The agency is responsible for and bears the financial burden of recruiting, screening, testing and hiring workers; payroll expenses and paperwork; payroll and withholding taxes; unemployment and workers’ compensation insurance; and any employee benefits they may wish to provide.  Some agencies even provide training such as software application tutorials.

5. Can lead to a long-term positive relationship with staffing agency. Temporary employees can provide specialized skills to all types of industries. Temporary help agency workers are now employed in virtually every industry. Traditionally, companies sought temporary workers for lower-skilled positions. Today temporary workers increasingly include highly skilled individuals with a wide range of educational backgrounds and work experience. These individuals can tackle critical one-time projects that are limited in time and scope. In the field of Law alone, recent years have seen a dramatic growth and acceptance of hiring lawyers on a temporary basis.

When you find a temp agency that provides timely and quality service and referrals, and is experienced and accommodating, you may want to work with them exclusively.  A good relationship with your temp staffing provider will go a long way toward meeting your company.

 

Cons

1. Training Needs. Every time a temp starts a new work assignment – no matter how skilled or unskilled – a certain amount of training is required in order for them to perform their assigned tasks to suit the specific needs of that company. Of course, if the same temp is brought back again, this might not be required.

2. Morale Issues. Morale and employee relations problems can arise when you have temps working alongside permanent employees for months, doing the same work and putting in the same hours, but not receiving the same benefits afforded their permanent employee coworkers.

3. Safety Issues. Certain types of jobs are inherently dangerous and require careful safety training.  Studies show that frequency and severity rates of on-the-job injuries are significantly higher with temporary workers.  No matter what a temp’s experience is, care must be taken to see that dangerous tasks are performed safely.  Never assume a temporary worker is fully prepared to work unsupervised until you have taken the time to see that they can safely perform their work tasks.  

4. Legal Concerns. Recent court decisions have highlighted the fact that businesses must be careful how they contract for temporary staff.  There must be no doubt about the workers’ status and about the lack of eligibility for the benefits of permanent employees.  Employers must take care to treat temp workers with the same respect and care you would for your permanent staff.

GeoSearch, Inc. can help you with your temporary staffing needs. Contact us today to get more information. www.geosearch.com