The term general labour can seem both very simple and quite complex! Different companies use the term to refer to different jobs around the business. A company with an office building may employ this type of worker to take care of various maintenance tasks around the site, but the term means something quite different to those working in construction.
One thing all these industries have in common is the fact they employ general labourers as one way of boosting their business/profits. How can you get in on the act?
Defining the Term
Before you ask about how employing this type of labour in your business will help you increase profits, you should understand the term. As mentioned, different industries use the term to talk about different responsibilities.
As mentioned, a construction company will mean one thing, while the cleaning industry will mean another when they use the term. As a rule of thumb, however, the term generally refers to any job with a physical aspect. This includes cleaning, and many roles in the manufacturing industry. Your industry may employ this kind of employee for particular tasks.
How Does It Help?
At first glance, there’s no direct connection between hiring general labourers and boosting your profits. After all, these people are still workers who need to be paid. Paying for labour represents an expense, no matter which way you slice it.
One way general labour helps is by reducing the tasks your more specialized staff need to complete. Since specialists command higher wages, they represent a higher cost to you when they perform these sorts of tasks.
They also lose time on the more specialized tasks you’ve hired them to complete. If your carpenter is spending all their time sweeping up and fetching supplies, they’re not spending much time doing the woodworking you hired them to do. Another example might be a company that sends its marketing manager to clean the office.
Since these tasks can often be performed by entry-level workers, the wages commanded are somewhat lower. As a result, you can save some money on these types of tasks while also allowing your more specialized staff to concentrate on their core responsibilities. Productivity goes up, and profit soon follows.
Getting Help When You Need It
Another way employing general labourers can help a business in almost any industry boost profit is by the very nature of the job. Some jobs are seasonal. For example, why would you hire someone on full time to look after your office grounds when you know you won’t need their services in the winter?
Since most workers can be hired on a temporary, contract, or as-needed basis, you can save money on overhead costs here too. You get the help when you need it, and not a moment too soon.
An Outsourced Solution
General labour can also be outsourced more easily than more specialized tasks. While you may want to hire your marketing manager and keep them on permanently to ensure you’ve always got the talent you need, general labour is usually specialized. General labourers are hard workers, and they will get the job done.
You might decide to partner with a service provider to supply some of your general labour needs. In this case, you may realize lower costs. You can also work with a staffing firm like Liberty Staffing to find the temporary workers you need to fill general labour positions within your business. Both solutions come at a lower cost to your business.
Almost any industry can effectively leverage general labour to save on overhead costs and boost productivity. As a result, profitability will improve.
