Taking on temporary staff can increase efficiency and productivity while offering workers flexibility. Here are some tips for finding the right candidates.
Published in the Business Post 18th October 2020
The trend towards increased temporary and contract hiring has been magnified with the onset of Covid-19.
Traditionally hired for cost-saving measures, temporary and contract staff are now hired more for their skills and expertise, for the efficiency and productivity they can bring and for the flexibility they give organisations.
At Sigmar Recrutiment, we surveyed 1,000 companies in Ireland recently and 91 per cent said they were more likely to hire temps or contractors now than they were before Covid-19.
This may be reflective of the need for flexibility in an abruptly volatile and uncertain market. The good news for employers, however, is that the pool of talent available for temp and contract work is probably the biggest it has been in a decade.Attitudes to this type of work have also changed post-Covid-19. In addition to our company survey, we surveyed 3,500 candidates and found that 82 per cent would be willing to consider temporary work if they were offered some flexibility, such as remote working.
So, what is the best way to find and recruit these candidates? Here are some dos and don’ts to get you started.
Dos:
1: Have a strategy for temps
While recruiting temp or contract labour is sometimes brought on by unforeseen circumstances, successful hirers of temporary staff generally have a plan.
Plans for 2021 are being formulated at most companies right now, so consider your plan for engaging flexible talent as part of your overall strategy.
Who will own it, for example, HR, managers or procurement? Will you hire directly or through an agency? What is your projected spend – is it seasonal or year-round?
2: Have an EVP for flexible workers
Employer brand and company culture are central to any talent acquisition strategy, but organisations predominantly focus on permanent hires.
Multiple studies show the link between employee engagement and business performance. How costly is it to your brand if a temp worker is disengaged, feels undervalued, yet is customer facing for your company?
Make sure you consider your employee value proposition (EVP) for temp workers. Get it right and it will yield a loyal and sustainable pipeline of flexible talent.
3: Be honest
If there is potential for the job to turn permanent, shout this from the rooftops. In our recent survey, the possibility of a permanent post was the number one reason for candidates to consider a temp or contract role.
On the other hand, if no permanent opportunity exists, be honest with this and manage expectations from the outset.
Remember, many temporary and contract workers won’t consider a permanent job either, so honesty is always the best policy.
4: Consider a specialist partner
At least consider the benefits a good agency partner can bring. Specialist agencies will already have pre-screened and pre-qualified candidates available immediately, saving you crucial time and effort.
The agency takes on the costs of advertising across multiple channels, again saving you money and time. They look after employment contracts, help keep you compliant, and run payroll, saving you further on admin overheads.
Good agencies can also validate salary levels and advise on availability of talent in the market.
Don’ts:
1: Wait
Apart from unexpected emergency cover, don’t wait until the last minute to look for temp or contract staff.
Like all recruitment, forward planning will allow you to access better talent in higher numbers either directly or through a partner.
2: Ignore compliance
Understand legislation as it applies to temps and contractors. Don’t assume that because they are temps, they have few or no rights. A good agency partner will help here.
3: Forget to measure
No matter what size your flexible workforce is, don’t forget to audit it. How is spend on flexible workers controlled, for example, by HR, procurement or hiring managers? Keep an eye on tenures also.
4: Undervalue
This is crucial. Remember, today’s temp may be tomorrow’s permanent member of staff. A good experience for a temp will encourage them to return, but also provides a rich pool from which permanent hires may come.
While some view contractors as expensive, bear in mind the specialist expertise they can bring with them, and remember they can also transfer their knowledge to your internal staff, improving the overall level of expertise within your organisation.
Posted by Barry Rudden on 18 October 2020
