What Is The Best Form Of Temporary Staffing?
Hiring full-time employees is a time-consuming and expensive process. If you have projects that periodically overwhelm your team, bringing in temporary or contract workers can lower your stress and help you meet your deadlines.
However, it’s common for business owners to overlook the potential issues and costs of hiring temporary staff. This article will outline some of the best practices that mitigate these problems.
The most important thing when considering outsourcing temporary work is making sure you understand the tasks that need outsourced help from a third party versus doing them yourself. It is critical to be transparent about what type of worker you intend to hire and how much work you want performed for each individual team member. At LeasePlanning.org we offer our clients end-to-end staffing services. Our experienced staffing consultants are at hand 24/7 for customer service and support.
1. Know Whether Business Growth Needs A Full Time Or Contract Workforce
It may seem counterintuitive to bring on an extra team member during times of high employee turnover, but if there is no sign of growth within your company you should consider whether it would make sense to turn down temporary employment when the time comes. Even businesses with growing revenue will benefit by not needing to recruit new employees regularly. Many small-businesses struggle to meet monthly operational expenses while paying more than they do full-time salaries.
2. Review Project Tasks That Need Outsourcing
Many companies outsource administrative and project-related duties because it isn’t cost effective to maintain their own team members. While this might sound like a great idea for large corporations, smaller organizations should also consider outsourcing where appropriate. You might find that outsourcing saves time and money on the whole, but it also increases the chances that you won’t run into any unexpected issues along the way.
3. Think About Allocation Methods For Each Team Member
Every department within your organization has different needs and responsibilities. Before reaching out to potential temporary workers, you should first determine which areas of expertise your teams would require additional assistance for. Depending on the nature of the job, you might decide to share the workload among multiple individuals at once. Sometimes this could be a good decision, especially for larger enterprises or firms with many departments. But it’s crucial to check every possibility before deciding which one to use. Make sure that each person involved knows the assignment that they will perform and the steps in order for them to complete it. Be honest with everyone involved and get rid of any misconceptions about who does and doesn’t fit in the scheme.
4. Consider Who Would Perform These Task Activities When Using An External Provider
Depending on the size of your business, there may already be employees who can deliver the types of work that you need done. Instead of trying to convince someone else who doesn’t know anything about the industry, focus on delegating tasks to trusted employees who have experience and knowledge. Not only will they be able to save you time and money, but you’ll give them some of the credit and recognition they deserve.
5. Discuss Compensation Aspects With Potential Employees
This could take place through a negotiation process, so you shouldn’t assume that all of the information was exchanged between both parties. Try to discuss these aspects of compensation as early as possible, so that you can fully understand what the expectations are. There are many ways to calculate this aspect of your salary package. Most people will either expect a salary that includes health insurance and retirement benefits, or that their employer will cover those costs. Either approach should be discussed, and anyone who feels uncomfortable talking about such matters should be made aware of the consequences that could follow.
6. Get Feedback From Workers On Your Company Culture And Atmosphere
It is ideal that you should communicate this part of the conversation with all employees at regular intervals. During this time, you want them to feel comfortable sharing honest feedback with you about their performance and their feelings about working for you (and about themselves). Having such conversations on a weekly basis will allow everyone to feel involved, and encourage transparency in the workplace.
7. Communicate Expectations Ahead Of Time
If you’re dealing with external contractors, remember to mention them early enough in the discussion to ensure that they all are on the same page. They should be informed at least three months before their arrival so that they’ll know exactly what is expected of them, and what the terms of the agreement with their employer are. You don’t want to set them up to feel embarrassed or overwhelmed by your lack of resources when things go wrong, no matter what happens during the actual work. Ensure that your contractor understands what type of work they’ll see, and what the duration will be. Once you have told everyone about the details, make sure that they are completely aware. Also discuss the payment schedule in advance to avoid any confusion later. Lastly, be prepared to explain your position clearly, including why you are taking away their ability to choose for themselves.
8. Have Another Person Handle Any Unpleasant Communication Among Team Members
You need to keep the relationship positive between yourself and your contracted workers, even if problems arise early on. Encourage conversations with managers and other supervisors to find out why the team members disagree with certain decisions. Don’t forget to talk with your internal HR team to gain insight about any challenges that you face on your own or with others. Avoid discussing anything personal or private between yourself and your subcontractors if you can avoid it altogether.
9. Treat Them Like Real Human Resources People
It’s easy to think that all of your employees are just robots that can do whatever you ask of them. However, this doesn’t happen overnight — and that means that sometimes you may end up dealing with unhappy team members. You should treat all of your permanent workers fairly, or better yet, a little bit like real human resource people would. Take note of the following signs: slow progress in meeting objectives, long delays or disruptions to work, missed deadlines, late arrivals or lateness for meetings, missed breaks, or general disrespect for their colleagues or company. Put an emphasis on these behaviors by using words such as angry, aggressive, rude, unreasonable, irresponsible, disrespectful, etc. Whatever you choose to say, you should make sure that you never make assumptions about who should act like a real human resource person. Always remember to consult your manager before you take drastic action.
10. Use Technology Where Appropriate
Technology helps make life easier by allowing you to track incoming and outgoing materials, monitor deadlines, and access files remotely. By using technology when it fits your purposes, you’ll avoid having to depend on non-existent software to help you with day-to-day operations. Companies that fail to adapt swiftly enough can soon fall behind in the race for talent. This applies to employers as well as to potential workers. Seek out reliable recruitment methods that are compatible with your digital platform. Remember that many companies that operate offline are still relying on the internet to conduct basic functions, such as submitting applications, creating contracts, booking appointments, etc. Therefore, be mindful of any limitations imposed on your current system that may prevent you from efficiently utilizing its capabilities.
11. Manage Projects Without Delays
Although there are some cases where you would like a temporary worker to begin working immediately upon request, as you know that’s usually impossible for several reasons. Firstly, if he or she works too slowly, then all of the work will be lost, and your budget for overtime or other costs will increase. Secondly, he or she is likely to be unorganized and unable to handle your requests as quickly as you were hoping. Thirdly, you will probably overpay a temporary worker. Finally, you will be required to pay for his or her travel and lodging, and it could become difficult to track the status of his or her arrival to the office.
12. Investigate Other Alternatives For Temporary Labor
Depending on which kind of temporary labor you need, you may wish to consider finding alternatives, such as leasing a semi-trailer, using online tools for scheduling, managing vendors directly or employing freelancers and independent contractors. While these options may seem less glamorous and straightforward than traditional ones, they can provide you with greater flexibility. The advantage that self-employment offers above employment is that you can manage your business without the daily worry of assigning roles to staff members. Additionally, you can easily reach out to customers and suppliers whenever necessary. Although this form of temporary work also requires adequate investment to implement, an alternative to outsourcing allows you to free up cash flow and resources that you would otherwise be forced to invest in human resources.
13. Choose An Independent Reliable Provider
It’s essential that you choose a top rated provider and try to establish long-term relationships with him or her. Selecting a reliable, reputable, and legitimate one is important to avoid complications and misunderstandings later. Ask questions about past experiences with similar providers so that you can determine whether your choice is right for you. Look for recommendations from your peers, particularly friends and family. Do some research. You must understand that every business is unique. So it’s always worthwhile to explore various options before settling on one.
14. Keep Costs Low
If you’re hiring a temporary worker from another nation, it’s important to have clear criteria regarding this. First of all, the worker should be in a country that supports employment to English-speaking citizens. Then keep in mind all the requirements that come with international agreements and visas, as well as all the taxes. For instance
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